Modified Rayleigh Interferometer for Testing the Existence of Aether

The propagation of light in a vacuum led to the hypothesis of the luminiferous aether as its medium. Early experiments by Bradley and Airy supported the idea that Earth moves relative to this aether. However, Michelson's experiment produced null results, challenging the hypothesis. His equations included the term c + v, where c is the speed of light and v is Earth's orbital velocity, contradicting the postulate that light speed is constant and unsurpassable. This article examines the limitations of Lorentz transformations in deriving the drag coefficient and introduces a modified Rayleigh interferometer. With improved fringe-shift sensitivity, the new design offers a potential method for detecting aether drift and reassessing foundational assumptions in physics. VC 2026 Physics Essays Publication. [http://dx.doi.org/10.4006/0836-1398-39.1.148]