APPENDIX

CLASSICAL

DOPPLER SHIFT FROM A MOVING

SOURCE IN THE PRESENCE

OF A MOVING ETHER

ASSUME THE existence of a luminiferous ether and the validity of the Galilean transformation and let XYZ be a frame of reference at rest in the ether. Let X'Y'Z ' be
another frame whose axes are respectively aligned to those of XYZ, whose origin coincides with the XYZ origin at t == t' == 0, and which is in translative motion at the constant velocity u through XYZ.
Additionally, assume that a source of light waves is moving through X' Y' Z' at the
constant velocity v, and thus through XYZ at the constant velocity u + v. The
directions of u and v will be taken as arbitrary but attention will be restricted to the
case that both their magnitudes are small compared to the velocity of light c.
In Figure B.l the large dots represent positions of the light source relative to XYZ
at two instants of time, one period apart. Some of the radiated energy from this source

------- --------------- -- -- ---- ----- -u+v

FIGURE

B.l

Radiation from a moving source.

travels in the direction represented by the unit vector e. It is desired first to find the
wavelength and frequency of the light waves going in this direction.
Since XYZ is at rest in the ether, the ray velocity (or velocity of energy transport)
in this frame is the same as the phase velocity of the waves. The latter is nc, in which
n == e is a unit vector normal to the wavefront. In time r, the radiation which left the
source at t == 0 has traveled a distance l == cr and the source has been displaced a
distance (u + v) nr in the direction of e. Therefore the wavelength is
A == [c - (u

+ v) n]r

(B.l)

and the frequency is

v

c
== - ==
A

vo

c
c - (u

v) n

(B.2)

516

Classical Doppler Shift

APPENDIX

in which Vo = liT is the frequency of the light source as determined by an observer at

rest relative to the source.
These light waves, traveling ill the direction of e in XYZ, can be described by the
equation
(B.3)
if; == K cos <p
in which K is the wave amplitude and
<p

21rV

(t - reo)
~-

(B.4)

is its phase. In (B.4) r is the position vector of the point (x,y,z), that is
(B.5)
Equation (B.4) has a useful physical interpretation. Imagine that the wavefront
which passes through the origin of XYZ at t = 0, traveling in the direction of e, is
labeled. Let an observer 0 be placed at the fixed point (x,Y,z) and let him note the time
at which the labeled wavefront passes him. This time will be

t1

r en
=-

(B.6)

because the phase of this wavefront never changes and its phase was zero when it
passed through the origin. Thus at any later time t, the phase of the wavefront which
is then passing 0 is given by
(B.7)
In short, to measure the phase of the wavefront passing him at any t.ime t, 0 need
take only the labeled wavefront as reference. This means further that the number of
wavecrests which pass 0 between the time the labeled wavefront passed him and the
time t is vet - t 1) .
Now consider an observer 0' stationary in X'Y'Z' at the particular point (x',y',z')
which causes 0 and 0' to coincide at the instant t = t'. If 0' counts the total number
of crests of the wave which pass him between the time the labeled wavefront passed
him and the time t', he must get the same answer as O. But he will describe the wave
by the equation
(B.8)
"" = K' cos 4>'
in which

4>'

( r' n')

27rv' t' - -c-'-

(B.9)

Since the labeled wavefront passed 0' at the time

r' n'
c'
e

t~ = - -

(B.lO)

and the number of crests which have passed him since then is v'(t' - t~), it follows that
the phase of the plane wave is an invariant, that is

= 4>'

(B.Il)

Classical Doppler Shift

APPENDIXB

517

}'ro111 this invariance the characteristics of the wave as viewed from X' Y ' Z' can be
determined, since
vI

/)

'

n
t - r- I

==v (

c'

n)

l' t--

(B.12)

must hold for all values of the spatial and temporal variables. If x, y, z, and tare eliminated from (B.12) through use of the Galilean Equations

== 1"
t == t'

(B.13)

ut'

one obtains
1/'

[t l -

r_'_~,n_/J

1/

[t l -

_(r_I_+_~_t_/)_._nJ

(B.14)

If coefficients are equated, the results are

( u n)

== v I - -c-

v'
V

--, n x == - n x , etc.
c
c

(B.15)
(B.16)

From (B.16) it follows that

V

c'

(B.17)

==

n'

(B.18)

11

Therefore the wavefront has the same direction in both coordinate systems and a cornbination of (B.17) with (B.15) gives

c' == c - u

11

(B.19)

Equation (B.19) gives the phase velocity in X1YIZ '. The ray velocity is given by the
conventional Galilean formula V' == nc - u.
Thus the phase velocity and ray velocity are not collinear in X1Y'Z'. If e' is a unit
vector in the direction of the ray velocity ~ then
n

V'
== e / c

+-uc

(B.20)

and

V'
c

, u e'

-=ne---

(B.21)

Since n e' differs from unity only in second order, (B.20) can be writ.ten as

n e' (1 _u~ e') + ~

=

which is correct to first order.

(B.22)

518 Classical Doppler Shift

APPENDIX

Upon combining Equations (B.2), (B.15), and (B.22) one obtains

,

v =

vo 1 -

(v/c) - c' - [(ll/C) - c'][(vjc) - e'] + (u/c) 1 - (u/c) - e' + [(u/c) e']2 - (U/C)2

V/C}-l

-----~-----~----

(B.23)

If this equation is expanded (cf. Mathematical Supplement) and terrns through the
second order only are retained, the result is that
v' =

vo [ 1

vee'
(V-C')2
uev]
++
+
-C
c
c
2

(B.24)