The Intensities of Lines in Multiplets
Henry Norris Russell · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 1925
of the problem, and also a complete least-squares solution of the general problem.A definitive numerical calculation will require several months of continuous work, and is now in progress.The ether-drift experiments at Mount Wilson during the last four years, 1921 to 1925, lead to the conclusion that there is a relative motion of the earth and the ether at this Observatory, of approximately nine kilometers per second, being about one-third of the orbital velocity of the earth.By comparison with the earlier Cleveland observations, this suggests a partial drag of the ether by the earth, which decreases with altitude.It is believed that a reconsideration of the Cleveland observations, from this point of view, will show that they are in accordance with this presumption and will lead to the conclusion that the Michelson-Morley Experiment does not give a true zero result.A complete calculation of the observations, now in progress, together with further experiments to be made in the immediate future, should give definite indications regarding the ab- solute motion of the solar system in space.%