▁and ▁the ▁l umin ifer ous ▁a ether ▁which ▁were ▁sufficiently ▁precise ▁to ▁detect ▁magn itudes ▁of ▁second ▁order ▁to ▁v / c . ▁The ▁results ▁were ▁negative , ▁which ▁was ▁of ▁great ▁importance ▁for ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁Lor ent z ▁transformation ▁and ▁consequ ently ▁of ▁the ▁theory ▁of ▁relativ ity . ▁See ▁also ▁Test s ▁of ▁special ▁relativ ity . ▁ ▁The ▁experiments ▁To ▁explain ▁the ▁negative ▁outcome ▁of ▁the ▁Michel son – Mor ley ▁experiment , ▁George ▁Fitz G er ald ▁( 1 8 8 9 ) ▁and ▁Hend rik ▁Lor ent z ▁( 1 8 9 2 ) ▁introduced ▁the ▁contra ction ▁hypothesis , ▁according ▁to ▁which ▁a ▁body ▁is ▁contract ed ▁during ▁its ▁motion ▁through ▁the ▁station ary ▁a ether . ▁ ▁Lord ▁Ray le igh ▁( 1 9 0 2 ) ▁interpreted ▁this ▁contra ction ▁as ▁a ▁mechanical ▁compression ▁which ▁should ▁lead ▁to ▁optical ▁an is ot ropy ▁of ▁materials , ▁so ▁the ▁different ▁ref raction ▁indices ▁would ▁cause ▁b ire fr ing ence . ▁To ▁measure ▁this ▁effect , ▁he ▁installed ▁a ▁t ube ▁of ▁ 7 6   cm ▁length ▁upon ▁a ▁rot atable ▁table . ▁The ▁t ube ▁was ▁closed ▁by ▁glass ▁at ▁its ▁ends , ▁and ▁was ▁filled ▁with ▁carbon ▁bis ul ph ide ▁or ▁water , ▁and ▁the ▁liquid ▁was ▁between ▁two ▁n icol ▁pr isms . ▁Through ▁the ▁liquid , ▁light ▁( produ ced ▁by ▁an ▁electric ▁lamp ▁and ▁more ▁important ly ▁by ▁lim el ight ) ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁and