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PHYS4 SpecialRelativity
PHYS4 SpecialRelativity
Special Relativity
Wednesday April 18th, 2007
Reference: Concepts of modern physics, A. Beiser (6th edition)
Special Relativity
In 1905 the 26 year old Albert Einstein described in his theory of Special Relativity how measurements of time and space are affected by the motion between the observer and what is being observed.
The theory of special relativity revolutionized the world of physics by connecting space and time, matter and energy, electricity and magnetism
No ether drift was detected The Michelson-Morley experiment showed that: Ether does not exist; there is no such thing as absolute motion The speed of light is the same for all observers
Path A
Mirror B
Time Dilation
A moving clock ticks more slowly than a clock at rest
t/2 t t/2 t 0 0
ct/2 L0 L0
vt/2
2 L0 t0 = c
proper time
vt ct 2 = L0 + 2 2
t= 2 L0 / c 1 v 2 / c2 =
t0 1 v 2 / c2
Doppler Effect
Q: How does the observed frequency of a light source change if the observer is in motion relative to the light source? frequency f0 v observer proper time: t 0 =
1 f0
1) Transverse Doppler effect: observer moving perpendicular to a line between her and the light source
t=
t0 1 v 2 / c2
f = f 0 1 v 2 / c2
2) Longitudinal Doppler effect: observer moving away from the light source
vt 1+ v / c 1+ v / c 1 v / c T = t + = t0 = t0 f = f0 2 2 c 1 v / c 1+ v / c 1 v / c
Length Contraction
Imagine a particle moving at a speed v close to the speed of light towards the Earth. Two detectors A and B are placed at different heights in the particles path. In the particles frame of reference p is the time between click A and B hp is the distance between the two detectors h detector B
v detector A
h p = v p
An observer on Earth will observe e is the time between click A and B he is the distance between the two detectors
he = v e =
v p 1 v / c
2 2
hp 1 v 2 / c2
h = h0 1 v 2 / c 2
Twin Paradox
The twins Dick and Jane are 20 years old when Dick takes off on a space voyage to a nearby star at a speed of 0.8c To Jane the pace of Dicks life is slower than hers by a factor of: Jane
2100
Dick
2100
Jane
2150
Twin Paradox
In Dicks frame of reference the distance he has traveled is less than what Jane measures: Jane
Dick
2100
L = L0 1 v 2 / c 2 = 0.6 L0
Therefore the time it takes Dick to travel this distance is shorter than what Jane measures. So despite Janes 50 year wait Dick only spends 30 years traveling and when he returns he is 20 years younger than Jane!
2100
Dick
2130
* A clock that leaves an inertial system and returns to it after moving relative to that system, will always find itself slow compared to the clocks that stayed in the system.
Jane
2150
Same two wires carrying a current the wires remain electrically neutral Since the charges are moving their spacing is smaller then before by a factor:
1 v 2 / c2
Relativistic Momentum
Is p = mv a valid definition for momentum in inertial frames in relative motion? frame S frame S
y x x z z y
B v Y VA A VB
Particle A is at rest in frame S And B is at rest in frame S. At the same instant A and B are thrown in opposite directions in y with speeds VA and VB.
m A = mB VA = VB
VB =
Y Y = 1 v 2 / c 2 = VA 1 v 2 / c 2 T T0
Relativistic momentum
Collision as seen from frame S B
VB = V A 1 v 2 / c 2
p A = m AVA
pB = mBVB = mB 1 v 2 / c 2 VA
Momentum is conserved only if
mB =
mA 1 v2 / c2
p=
mv 1 v2 / c2
= mv
with
1 1 v2 / c2
W = Fds
0
dp d (mv ) = F= dt dt
d (mv) ds = vd (mv) = K = mc 2 mc 2 W = dt 0 0
s mv
If the particle started from rest the work goes into kinetic energy, so we have: KE = mc 2 mc 2 rest energy E0 total energy E
E = E0 + KE
The conservation of mass energy
E0 = mc 2
m 2v 2c 2 p = mv p c = 1 v2 / c2
2 2
m 2c 4 E = mc E = 1 v2 / c2
2 2
m 2 c 4 (1 v 2 / c 2 ) = mc 2 E p c = 2 2 1 v / c
2 2 2
E 2 p 2 c 2 = E02
E 2 p 2c 2
v relative to frame S
x
frame S
y z x z
Galilean transformations
x = x vt y = y z = z
v x = vx v vy = v y v z = vz
Does not agree with the postulates of special relativity, since it implies:
c = c v
Need new set of transformation rules!
Lorentz Transformation
frame S
y
v
x
Assume a form:
frame S
y z x z
2
x = k ( x vt ) (a) y = y z = z
Can evaluate k using 2nd postulate of Special Relativity: for a light beam we have x = ct and x = ct .
k=
1 1 v2 / c2
Lorentz Transformation
x =
Lorentz transformation:
x vt 1 v / c
2 2
frame S
y
v
x
y = y z = z t = t vx / c
2
frame S
y z x z
1 v2 / c2 x + vt
x=
Inverse Lorentz transformation:
Velocity addition?
1 v2 / c2 y = y z = z t= t + vx / c 2 1 v2 / c2