Groningen physicist publishes possible answer to the faster-than-light neutrino conundrum

The Groningen physicist Ronald van Elburg may have an explanation for the conundrum of the neutrinos that appear to be faster than light. His take on the affair has been widely covered in the American news media and is being seriously considered by many physicists.

The remarkable aspect of his explanation is that it in fact confirms the theory of relativity. Van Elburg wonders whether the team that conducted the OPERA experiment considered a necessary correction required by the special theory of relativity, the Lorentz transformation. It needs to be applied due to the movement of GPS satellites relative to the earth.

Van Elburg calculated how large the required correction must be and came up with a maximum of 64 nanoseconds. The OPERA experiment shows the neutrinos as being 60 nanoseconds faster than light. If the correction is subtracted from this, the neutrinos then end up near the speed of light again.

Ronald van Elburg’s article explaining his theory can be found on the Cornell University Library website. Whether or not he happens to be right is still up for debate. Van Elburg is waiting for reactions from the scientific community before making any further comment.

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