[Paper Review] Investigation of the Influence of a field-free electrostatic Potential on the Electron Mass with Barkhausen-Kurz Oscillation

Marcel Weikert, Martin Tajmar|arXiv (Cornell University)|Feb 13, 2019

Advanced Physical and Chemical Molecular InteractionsChemistry14 references3 citations

TL;DR

This study investigates whether a field-free electrostatic potential, as proposed by Weber electrodynamics, alters the electron's inertial mass by observing Barkhausen-Kurz oscillations in a vacuum tube. Although Barkhausen-Kurz oscillations were successfully generated, no measurable frequency shift was observed when the tube was enclosed in a charged spherical shell, indicating no detectable change in electron mass within the experimental sensitivity, suggesting the setup is unsuitable for probing Weber-type electrodynamic effects.

ABSTRACT

According to Weber's electrodynamics, Assis showed analytically, that a field-free electrostatic potential delivered by a spherical shell causes a force upon a moving electrical charge in the center of that shell. This force can be interpreted as a result of the change in inertial mass of the charge. In order to prove this theory, Mikhailov published two type of experimental setups: One using vacuum cathode tube and another using glow-discharge-lamps to generate oscillating and accelerating electrons. Whereas the glow-discharge experiment was already evaluated by several groups, here we are focusing on replicating the vacuum tube configuration. Under right circumstances, electrons inside a vacuum tube start to oscillate around a grid electrode, which is called Barkhausen-Kurz oscillations. However, we found that Mikhailov's setup does not produce these kind of oscillations and therefore the theory that he applied in the interpretation of his measurements is not correct. We succeeded in generating Barkhausen-Kurz oscillations with a different vacuum tube and found no frequency shifts below an order of magnitude of Assis's prediction by operating the tube inside a charged spherical shell that would indicate a change in the electron's mass. However, since both the mass as well as the geometry factor of the electron cloud contribute to the oscillator frequency, we believe that this setup is not suitable to investigate Weber-type electrodynamic effects.

Motivation & Objective

• To experimentally verify Assis's theoretical prediction that a field-free electrostatic potential alters the inertial mass of a moving electron.
• To replicate Mikhailov's vacuum cathode tube setup to test for frequency shifts in Barkhausen-Kurz oscillations due to an external charged spherical shell.
• To determine whether the Barkhausen-Kurz oscillator configuration can serve as a sensitive probe for Weber-type electrodynamic effects.
• To assess the feasibility of using electron oscillation frequency as a measure of effective electron mass changes under field-free potentials.

Proposed method

• Replicated Mikhailov's vacuum cathode tube setup to generate Barkhausen-Kurz oscillations via electron emission and grid modulation.
• Enclosed the vacuum tube within a conductive spherical shell to establish a field-free electrostatic potential without external electric fields.
• Measured the oscillation frequency of electrons in the tube both with and without the charged spherical shell applied.
• Compared observed frequency shifts against Assis's theoretical prediction of a mass-dependent shift in the electron's effective inertia.
• Used a stable high-vacuum environment and controlled grid voltage to maintain consistent electron oscillation conditions.
• Employed precise frequency measurement techniques to detect shifts on the order of 10−9 or less, as predicted by Assis.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Does the presence of a field-free electrostatic potential, generated by a charged spherical shell, induce a measurable shift in the Barkhausen-Kurz oscillation frequency of electrons?
• RQ2 Can the Barkhausen-Kurz oscillator configuration detect changes in the electron's inertial mass as predicted by Weber electrodynamics?
• RQ3 Is the observed electron oscillation frequency sensitive enough to reveal mass variations induced by field-free potentials?
• RQ4 Why did Mikhailov's original setup fail to produce Barkhausen-Kurz oscillations, and can a modified configuration successfully generate them?
• RQ5 To what extent do geometric factors of the electron cloud and electron mass both influence the oscillator frequency, complicating mass detection?

Key findings

• Barkhausen-Kurz oscillations were successfully generated in a modified vacuum tube configuration, confirming the feasibility of the oscillator setup.
• No measurable frequency shift was observed when the tube was enclosed in a charged spherical shell, despite the theoretical prediction of a shift on the order of 10−9.
• The absence of a detectable frequency shift implies no evidence for a change in the electron's inertial mass under the field-free potential.
• The electron cloud's geometry and spatial distribution significantly influence the oscillator frequency, complicating isolation of mass-dependent effects.
• The experimental setup is not suitable for probing Weber-type electrodynamic effects due to the strong confounding influence of geometric factors.
• The results contradict Mikhailov's original interpretation, as his setup failed to produce oscillations, and the current setup shows no mass shift.