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Abnormal light signals and the underdetermination of theory by evidence in astrophysics

Asenjo, Felipe and Hojman, Sergio and Linnemann, Niels and Read, James (2023) Abnormal light signals and the underdetermination of theory by evidence in astrophysics. [Preprint]

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Abstract

We investigate the propagation of certain non-plane wave solutions to Maxwell's equations in both flat and curved spacetimes. We find that the effective signal velocity associated to such solutions need not be c and that the signal need not propagate along null geodesics; indeed, more than this, we find that the information encoded in the signals associated with such solutions can be substantially non-local. Having established these results, we then turn to their conceptual-philosophical-foundational significance---which, in brief, we take to be the following: (i) one should not
assume that all electromagnetic waves generated in the cosmos are localised plane wave packages; thus, (ii) one cannot assume that signals reaching us from the cosmos arrive with a particular velocity (namely, c), and that such signals encode local information regarding their sources; therefore (iii) astrophysicists and cosmologists should be wary about making such assumptions in their inferences from obtained data---for to do so may lead to incorrect inferences regarding the nature of our universe.


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Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Asenjo, Felipefelipe.asenjo@uai.cl
Hojman, Sergiosergio.hojman@uai.cl
Linnemann, Nielsnielslinnemann@aol.com0000-0002-3695-8611
Read, Jamesjames.read@philosophy.ox.ac.uk
Keywords: underdetermination, theory-dependence, electromagnetism, signal velocity, Airy beam
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Astrophysics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Cosmology
Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Depositing User: Dr. James Read
Date Deposited: 16 May 2023 12:54
Last Modified: 16 May 2023 12:54
Item ID: 22106
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Astrophysics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Cosmology
Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Date: 15 May 2023
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/22106

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