Indian Institute of Science,

Education & Research

Salt Lake, Kolkata

November 9, 2007

Physics 101
problem set 7

due: November 22, 2007

1. Relativistic train:
A train with rest length 100 m moves on a straight track with speed v = 35 c past a signal B. The
train carries three passengers, A in the rear, B in the middle and C in the front. At time t = 0
passenger B is carried past a signal B at the trackside, which switches from green to red in this
instant.
a) Draw a space-time diagram on graph paper in which
! the axes of the track frame S [ct, x]
are orthogonal

4 units = 50 m

0m

50m

. Make the event B passes B the

origin of the train frame S [ct , x ]. Mark off 50 m and 100 m on each axis of S and S .
b) Draw the world lines of passengers A and C and compute the length of the train in S.
c) Mark off the events EA and EC in the diagram where passengers A and C see the signal
switch from green to red. At what times do these events occur in S and in S ?
2. Composition of Lorentz transformations:
Let S, S and S denote three inertial frames with parallel axes. The transformation S S
is a z-boost with velocity v and the transformation S S is an x-boost with velocity v .
Particle A moves in S on the trajectory xA = v t , yA = 0, zA = 0. Particle B moves in S on
the trajectory xB = 0, yB = 0, zB = v t . Thus, both particles start at time t = t = t = 0 at
the common origin of all three inertial frames.
a) Calculate the trajectories of both particles in S.
b) How does the result in a) differ from the Galilean result?
Why does the result in a) differ from the Galilean result?
3. Time-like and space-like intervals:
Let A and B denote two events. Prove each of the following statements graphically with a
space-time diagram and analytically with the Lorentz transformation:
a) If the 4-interval between A and B is time-like in S there is an inertial system S in which
both events occur in the same place.
b) If the 4-interval between A and B is space-like, there is an inertial system S in which both
events occur at the same time.
4. Decay of a particle:
A particle with rest mass M0 and 4-momentum P decays into two particles with rest masses
(2)
m(1)
0 and m0 . There is no external force. Hence the total 4-momentum is conserved. Show that
in the rest frame of the decaying particle the total energy E (1) of the first particle is entirely
determined by the rest masses of all particles involved,
2

(1)

m(2)
M 2 + m(1)
0
0
c2 .
= 0
2M0

Hint: Use the transformation properties of 4-momentum.

5. Elastic Scattering:
A -meson with momentum 5m c is scattered off
a proton, which is at rest before the collision in the
laboratory frame S. The rest mass of the proton
mp is seven times larger than the rest mass of the
-meson, mp = 7m .
a) Calculate the total energy E of the -meson and the total energy Ep of the proton before
the collision in units of m c2 .
b) Calculate the total 4-momentum P = p + pp of -meson and proton in the laboratory
frame S.
c) The center-of-mass system S is the inertial system in which the spatial components of the
total 4-momentum P vanish. Which speed has the center of mass system S relative to S?
d) How big is the total energy E in the center-of-mass system S ?