Review of '<b>Why do spacecraft always experience a </b> <b>black-out area</b> <b> that disrupts communications when they return to Earth?</b>'

Many thanks to the reviewer for his profound and high-level review of this article. The following are the answers to the reviewer's questions about this article (in bolded font) :

Article: Why do spacecraft always experience a blackout area that interrupts communications when they return to Earth?

The author has improved the previous version of the article but has not yet completely resolved some critical issues in his work.

The article written in its current form continues to lack some essential references to consider this theory complete. Some statements are a priori hypotheses without theoretical or experimental evidence. It is my opinion that the author could rework the article again by inserting references where necessary that give a more solid aspect to the work and where the basis of the work is not demonstrated, clearly highlight that the result obtained is only a speculation that needs to be demonstrated experimentally.

Answer: I agree with the reviewer's opinion. I will revise the article again to add more references to support the thesis.

Critical Issues:
- The Ether considered by the author is different from the Dirac sea, it is necessary to clarify its differences and properties.

Answer: According to Dirac's theory, a particle has either positive or negative energy. For example, positron annihilation is a reaction in which both positron （positive energy electron）and electron（negative energy electron）are converted into free energy. Energy is divided into positive energy, negative energy and free energy.

According to my aether theory, energy is not divided into positive and negative and free energy, only the difference between quantity and density. All particles (whether matter particles or antimatter particles) are concentrations of aether (energy). Positron annihilation is when a positron and a negative electron meet and release all the concentrated energy (ether) into other forms of concentration such as electromagnetic waves.

Dirac postulated that the entire universe is completely filled with negative-energy particles (negative-energy electrons) - the Dirac Sea. According to my aether theory, the entire universe is filled with aether (energy) and vacuum does not exist.

The Dirac Sea can explain Casmir effect and the existence of antimatter, and my Aether theory can also explain Casmir effect [9]and the existence of antimatter. However, my aether theory can also explain many more physical problems that the Dirac Sea cannot explain, as shown in the answer to the following question.

- In Reference [5] the existence of the aether is introduced as if it were a proven fact.

Answer: My Aether theory answers the question of what is energy, and believes that aether and energy are the same matter, that is, the most basic matter that constitutes all elementary particles and space-time. If the aether is energy, then its existence is unquestionable, because energy must exist. Although this new aether theory has not yet been tested experimentally, it has successfully explained many natural phenomena and experiments that have been done (including those that cannot be explained by existing physical theories):

1. In quantum mechanics, it is proposed that probability wave is etheric (energy) wave and probability density is etheric (energy) density, and successfully explains quantum phenomena such as wave-particle duality, wave function collapse, and single-quantum double-slit interference, and gives a new uncertainty relation that has successfully explained the latest experimental result of the uncertainty relation [1]

2. In terms of special relativity, the physical mechanism of constant speed of light is given, the principle of constant speed of light and the principle of special relativity are modified, and new explanations of the effects of time dilation, length contraction and mass increase are given [2]. The Lorentz factor and Lorentz transformation are modified, and another explanation of the cause of the blackout is given [3]. The power source of planetary tectonic movements (including earthquakes and volcanic eruptions) [4] and the physical mechanism of the Tunguska Explosion [5] are given.

3. In terms of gravity, Newton's formula of gravitation was revised, the causes of dark matter and black hole phenomena and the changes of gravitation constant were explained [6], and the physical mechanism of Mercury's perihelion precession was given [7].

4. In the study of the nature of time: unified the concept of time in special relativity and general relativity, reached the conclusion that time is an ether (energy) flow and that time is proportional to the fourth power of the absolute temperature, and explained the Mpemba effect and the cause of the ice age [8]

5. In classical mechanics, it explains Newton's bucket experiment [9], the origin of ocean currents and atmospheric circulation [10], and the reference frame of fluid motion in Bernoulli's equation[9].

- It is true that in cosmic space there is a gas and an intergalactic matter that move differently with respect to each observer but this is not to be considered the ether presented by the author, so it is necessary to explain it better.

Answer: In my theory of Aether, Aether is energy, and Aether is not a matter composed of elementary particles such as quarks, but the most basic matter that constitutes elementary particles and space-time. Gas and an intergalactic matter is not Aether but matter made of Aether.

- Michelson and Morley's experiment highlighted that the aether does not exist, why does the author consider the dragging of the aether?

Answer: The Michelson and Morley's experiment does not prove the absence of the aether, because the hypothesis that the aether is completely dragged by the Earth's surface also explains the result of the Michelson and Morley's experiment.

- The constancy of the speed of light is the first principle of special relativity, if the author wants to explain the constancy of c in other ways he cannot assume the Lorentz transformations as true, because they are obtained by Lorentz to justify the failure of the Michelson-Morley who assumed the wind of the ether as true and Einstein as a consequence of the assumption of the constancy of the speed of light. If the author wants to obtain different transformations he must better justify the procedure.

Answer: The Lorentz transformation was first proposed by Lorentz to explain the Michelson-Morley experiment on the zero movement of the interference fringes (the aether is stationary relative to the Earth's surface). However, Einstein later derived the Lorentz transformation based on the principle of constant speed of light and the principle of special relativity. In Reference 5, based on the existence of the ether and the assumption that any object carries an etheric layer moving with the object, the author puts forward the modified principle of the constant speed of light and the modified principle of special relativity (see reference [5] P1619-1621). Based on these two modified principles, the author also derived the Lorentz transformation formula (see Ref. [5] P1623-1626). Therefore, under my aether theory, aether, the modified principle of constant speed of light, and the Lorentz transformation can exist at the same time. Of course, there is no length contraction in Michelson-Morley experiment, because the Earth's etheric layer is stationary relative to the Earth's surface.

- Is the function f(rho) defined empirically? If its expression is justified, its origins are not defined. How much is this for Earth's blackout region?

Answer: The function f(rho) is defined by conjecture, and the values of its parameters should be determined experimentally.

The initial velocity and height of the blackout generated by the Earth re-entry module are as follows: v2=7900m/s, h2=80km, and speed and height of the blackout disappearing: v1=200m/s, height h1=35km.

If we assume that f(rho) is linear to h from h=0 to h=80km, and set γ "=1, we obtain from formula (14) : F (rho1) V1 = f (rho2) V2, namely f (rho1)/f (rho2) = V2 / V1 = 7900/200 = 39.5, and f (rho) = (h - h2) [f (rho1) - f (rho2)] / [h1 – h2] + f (rho2)

If set f(rho2)=1, we get f(rho1)= 39.5, and f(rho)= 0.86 *(80-h) +1, When h=0km, we get f(rho)= 0.86 *(80-0) +1=69.8. From f(rho0)V0= f(rho2)V2, we get:

V0= f(rho2)V2/ f(rho0)=1*(7900m/s)/69.8=113 m/s=406.8km/h

Therefore, we can predict that objects moving close to the ground (such as high-speed train) will produce blackout when the speed is greater than 113 m/s or 406.8km/h.

- Why didn't unmanned spacecraft like Voyager and Pioneer experience blackouts during their flight to the edge of the solar system and beyond?

Answer: When the spacecraft leaves all the planets, the gravitational field strength of the space in which the spacecraft is located is very small, so f(rho)≈0, according to formula (14), γ’’’ ≈1, so it is difficult to generate a communication blackout.

- Why were transmissions with the astronauts never interrupted during the 1969 moon landing?

-The author should explain the above questions using his theory.

Answer: Because the moon's gravitational field is very weak (the acceleration of gravity on the Moon's surface is only 1/6 of that on the Earth's surface), the f(rho) is very small, and the spacecraft's speed around the Moon (about 1.6 kilometers per second) is much less than its speed around the Earth (about 7.68 kilometers per second). Therefore, there will be no communication blackout during the landing of the spacecraft on the moon.

References

1.  Wang, J. (2021). The Etheric Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics. European Journal of Applied Sciences, 9(5). 380-386.
2. Wang, J.A. (2019) The Modification of Special Relativity. Journal of Modern Physics, 10, 1615-1644. doi: 10.4236/jmp.2019.1014107.
3. Jianan Wang. Why do spacecraft always experience a black-out area that disrupts communications when they return to Earth?. ScienceOpen Preprints. 2023. DOI: 10.14293/PR2199.000242.v2
4. Wang, J. (2020) Cosmic Expansion: The Dynamic Force Source for All Planetary Tectonic Movements. Journal of Modern Physics, 11, 407-431. doi: 10.4236/jmp.2020.113026.
5. Wang, J. (2020) Solving the Mystery of the Tunguska Explosion. Journal of Modern Physics, 11, 779-787. doi: 10.4236/jmp.2020.116050.
6. Jian’an  Wang. (2022). The Modification of Newton's Gravitational Law and its Application in the Study of Dark Matter and Black Hole. Adv Theo Comp Phy, 5(3), 510-517.
7. Jian’an Wang. (2022). The Physical Cause of Planetary Perihelion Precession. Adv Theo Comp Phy, 5(3), 508-509.
8. Jian’an Wang. Mpemba effect - the effect of time. ScienceOpen Research. 2022. DOI: 10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR.2022.0001.v1
9. Jianan Wang. The Modification and Extension of the Equivalence Principle. ScienceOpen Preprints. 2023. DOI: 10.14293/PR2199.000552.v1
10. Jian’an Wang, Advances in Geoscience. Volume 3, Issue 1,  2019 (23)