Nonequivalence of ether theories and special relativity

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Abstract
The role played by clock synchronization procedures for coordinate transformations which account for time dilation and length contraction is discussed. Special relativity is here compared with the ether theory based on the Tangherlini transformations. These transformations are shown to be theoretically distinguishable from the Lorentz ones by means of an internal synchronization procedure which makes use of rods kept in contact with a rotating disk. This procedure makes it possible, in principle, to measure the one-way velocity of light and to test the theories. First-order experiments confirm special relativity and rule out the ether theory.