Timeline of luminiferous aether
The timeline of luminiferous aether or ether as a medium for propagating electromagnetic radiation begins in the 18th century. The aether was assumed to exist for much of the 19th century—until the Michelson–Morley experiment returned its famous null result. Further experiments were in general agreement with Michelson and Morley's result. By the 1920s, most scientists rejected the aether's existence.Timeline
Early experiments
Crisis
Change
Debate slows
Classical references
- Maxwell, Collected Papers, H. A. Lorentz, Archives Neerlandaises, xxi. 1887, and xxv. 1892
- Versuch einer Theorie der electrischen und optischen Erscheinungen in bewegten Korpern
- "Elektrodynamik " and " Elektronentheorie " in the Encyk. der Math. Wissenschaften, Band v. 13, 14
- O. Lodge, " On Aberration Problems," Phil. Trans. 1893 and 1897
- J. Larmor, Phil. Trans. 1894-95-97, and a treatise, Aether and Matter p. 262
- P. K. L. Drude, A. Schuster, R. W., General physics of the aether;
- Collected Papers of Lord Rayleigh
