Lorentz Definition and 1000 Threads

For fun, I'm writing a simple special relativity simulator with a much smaller speed of light so that relativistic effects are clear even at low speeds. I already have time dilation and speed of light delay working. However, right now, the speed of light does NOT always appear to be the same for...

http://pirsa.org/11100056/ Can Lorentz Symmetry be Emergent? Speaker(s): Ted Jacobson Abstract: I will begin by discussing some of the strongest observational evidence for Lorentz symmetry, and the essential role that Lorentz symmetry appears to play in the consistency of black hole...

Homework Statement This problem asks you to work out the dielectric function of a gas of particles with number density n, charge q, and mass m, with a steady magnetic field applied in the z direction. Assume an electric field in the x direction, E_x(t)=E_xe^{-i \omega t} is applied. Write...

Homework Statement A raindrop carrying a charge of 25x10-12 coulombs falls at a velocity of 5 m/s between the poles of a permanent magnet. It passes through a 50 mm long region in which the magnetic field density of 0.9 T is directed horizontally. 1) determine the lorentz force of the...

Homework Statement For flat spacetime the coefficients of the Lorentz transformation are defined as \alpha^{\nu}_{\mu} = \frac{\partial x^{' \nu}}{\partial x^{\mu}} Whereas the Lorentz transformation is \begin{pmatrix} x_1' \\ x_2' \\ x_3' \\ x_4' \end{pmatrix} = \begin{pmatrix}...

Studying in the Heisenberg picture, we have \frac{\text{d}x_i}{\text{d}t}=-\frac{\text{i}}{\hbar}[x_i,H]=\frac{1}{m}\left(p_i-\frac{q}{c}A_i\right) where the last bracket is known as the kinematic momentum \pi . Now, to find \frac{\text{d}^2{\bf{x}}}{\text{d}t^2} I do the following...

Just underneath the diagram of the 3 S-systems at the top of this webpage; http://www.relativitycalculator.com/addition_relativistic_velocities.shtml It gives equations for Lorentz transformation between S and S' Does x' mean the distance between the origin of frame S' and the event as...

Homework Statement A projectile is fired from a canon at a velocity of 0.4c at an elevation angle of 30° to the X-axis. An observor is moving at a velocity of 0.1c relative to the canon along the X direction. (a) At what angle does the observor measure the projectile to be...

It's not a homework question, but I noticed on this webpage; http://www.relativitycalculator.com/addition_relativistic_velocities.shtml near the very bottom there is a section entitled, "What, therefore, would r & θ appear to be to an observor in relatively moving S'?" Example 1 the...

So, the upper light cone has a Lorentz invariant volume measure dk =\frac{dk_{1}\wedge dk_{2} \wedge dk_{3}}{k_{0}} according to several sources which I have been reading. However, I've never seen this derived, and I was wondering if anyone knew how it was done, or could point me towards...

Homework Statement A star is located 4.2 light years from Earth. At what constant velocity must a spacecraft travel from Earth if it is to reach the star in 3.0 years time? Homework Equations I've been working on this for a couple of days, but I'm not entirely sure which equation to use...

Is Lorentz factor reality true according to the laws of physics?? Hi According to the laws of physics, the speed of light is independent of the speed of its source. In the example whereby there are two observers; one in the train moving at high velocity u relative to the other observer on...

On page 29 equations 2.1.20 and 2.1.21 of Gravitation and Cosmology by S. Weinberg he gives these expresions for matrix componentes: \Lambda_j^0=\gamma v_j My question is: shouldn't there be a minus sign on left side of the equation?

As we know nonrelativistic quantum mechanics doesn't have the Lorentz invariance property and yet it makes a number of powerful predictions and gives rise to all the fundamental quantum properties (HUP, tunnelling effec, harmonic oscillator, superposition, wave-particle duality etc). What is...

Homework Statement At the bottom of this page: http://www.cv.nrao.edu/course/astr534/LorentzTransform.html It states; Lorentz factor: * y =gamma How did they eliminate x? The Attempt at a Solution I'm taking the x value which is y(x'+vt') and substituting this into...

Hey, I'm just learning the ins and outs of special relativity and I'm having a little trouble with the derivation of the Lorentz Transformation. I bought Einstein's book 'Relativity: the special and general theories' and this is described in an appendix. For background, the appendix is linked...

So there's something that has bothered me for quite some time. I know the normal equations of time dilation and length contraction are the following: \Delta t'=\gamma \Delta t and L'=\frac{L}{\gamma} where the primed variables are in reference frame S' and the unprimed variables are in...

This is probably a dumb question, but I have a book that claims that if you have a function of the momentum squared, f(p2), that: \frac{d}{dp^2}f=\frac{1}{2d}\frac{\partial }{\partial p_\mu} \frac{\partial }{\partial p^\mu}f where the d in the denominator is the number of spacetime...

Homework Statement Two identical spaceship A and B, each 200m long in its rest frame, pass one another traveling in opposite directions. According to a passenger in spaceship B, the relative velocity of the two ships is 0.58c. What is the length of each spaceship in a reference frame in...

Homework Statement 1) An alien spacecraft flies past the Earth with a speed of 0.866 c., according to an earthbound observer. One year later that observer witnesses a newly discovered planet start to pass between the Earth and its star (an event known as a transit) 20 ly away. When and...

Homework Statement [Removed over-sized images. Hoot]Homework Equations [b]3. The Attempt at a Solution [/b In traditional way, we need to find velocity first, then use s=vt and done. But this time, it moves in high speed, it seems it doesn't work. So what can I do this time?

Today one tries to find indications for quantum gravity indirectly via low-energy effects induced by "foamy" or "discrete" structures replacing space-time at the Planck regime. It is by no means clear whether and how such discrete structures necessarily indice Lorentz symmery breaking, neither...

Given that the Lorentz force on a current when E=0 exists only at right angles to the current, such would not change the speed of the current, but only its direction. Also, when the current is parallel to a magnetic field line, no deflection of the current by the magnetic field occurs. A magnet...

Homework Statement 2 INERTIAL frames S and S': Coordinates of S: (x,y,z,t) Coordinates of S': (x',y',z',t') Whereby: x': x-ut y': y z': z t': t The point is how do you convert the coordinates of S' to the ones in Lorentz transformation. I know the formulas but I do not know...

Homework Statement Prove that the spacetime interval -(ct)^{2} + x^{2} + y^{2} + z^{2} is invariant. [/itex] Homework Equations Lorentz transformations \Deltax' = \gamma(\Deltax-u\Deltat) \Deltay' = \Deltay \Deltaz' = \Deltaz \Deltat' = \gamma(\Deltat-u\Deltax/c^{2}) The...

In his article on the Zero-point Energy: http://www.calphysics.org/zpe.html Bernard Haisch says: That the spectrum of zero-point radiation has a frequency-cubed dependence is of great significance. That is the only kind of spectrum that has the property of being Lorentz invariant. The...

Hi, a few lines below equation (3.1.5) Weinberg writes: "The transformation rule (3.1.1) is only possible for particles that for one reason or another are not interacting." I thought a lot about it, but don't see any possible reason. Can you help please? After a few lines he defines...

please let me know what is a significance of lorentz factor,and what will happen if lorentz factor is not multiplied in the time equation of lorentz transformation.

Hello, I'm studying the Lorentz group and their properties... and I have some question for them.. Peskin's text(p496) said that "we are primarily interested in Lie algebras that have finite-dimensional Hermitian representations, leading to finite-dimensional unitary representations of the...

Hi guys, this is my first post/thread, so I'd like to start with an easy one:rolleyes: I've searched the web and I wasn't able to find a satisfying proof of the fact that Lorentz contraction is NOT applied to the dimensions, that are not parallel to the direction of motion (e.g...

It is widely recognized in physics textbooks that Planck constant is a "universal constant". But I nerver see a proof. As we know, in the special theory of relativity, c is a universal constant, namely a Lorentz invariant, which is Einstein's hypothesis. But How do we know the Plack constant h...

Does anyone have the matrix form of the completely general Lorentz Transformation, with rotations AND boosts, or does it not exist?

Hi everyone, I am looking into relativity as preparation for university and I was wondering if anyone could help me out with this. I am reading Six Not-So-Easy-Pieces and in it Feynman uses the Lorentz transformation and 'derives' it, by showing that Lorentz contraction is necessary to...

Terrell Revisited: "The Invisibility of the Lorentz Contraction" I recently posted this response to a general question of how Special Relativity worked. G H Wells Jr pointed out that and Terrell's Argument Both of these are important issues to take into account. However, they do...

i am looking for a why. not a description of how to calculate or how to find its direction. i came across this question in a school question. "why does the wire move up" and then i thought. is there really a 'why'? or it just happens?

I'm slowly trying to understand sp relativity. I admit I got lost in the last thread I posted :blushing:. But thanks to all who replied! I have a question about the Lorentz transformations formulas. This is more of a mathematical question about how the formulas are derived. If you have...

I recently started self-learning special relativity. I am having lots of trouble convincing myself about the Lorentz transformations. I realize that I must be doing something really stupid, but I just can't pinpoint it. I get that the equation for x' follows from the fact that "rulers" used in...

ok - i do understand roughly what their purpose is, i think that if you have an object, a traveling at half the speed of light with constant velocity relative to another object, b which is at rest for 2 seconds, then, due to the effects of time dilation, the clock of a will slow so they actually...

Homework Statement Homework Equations http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/7/8/1/78195e8f63116bf11b2bbef574fbcc25.png The Attempt at a Solution I'm not entirely sure how to use the equations; a worked example would be very helpful!

Let's say an observer A in his rest system has a wave function for an electron double slit experiment (psi function of x and t). Would there be any inconsistencies between QM and relativity coming out of a QM analysis performed by observer A and some other observer, B, who is moving at...

Are there lorentzian transformation equations relating non-inertial frame to inertial frame. Also are there transformations relating non-inertial frame to another non-inertial frame. By 'non-inertial frame', I mean frame of reference having absolute acceleration,jerk... or any n-th order time...

Hi, I am using Griener's Relativistic Quantum Mechanics and I have a question. Using the Klien Gordon Equation (p^{\mu}p_{\mu}-m_{0}c^{2})\psi=0, he says that the transformation law for the wavefunction i.e \psi(x) transforming to \psi'(x') must have the form \psi'(x')=\lambda \psi(x) with...

Hi, Can anyone show me how to prove that the differential operator, i.e \partial_{\mu} is Lorentz covariant. In other words, \partial /\partial x'_{\nu}=\Lambda^{\nu}_{\mu}\partial /\partial x^{\mu}. And once this is done, how can I show that the D'Alembert operator...

Homework Statement Show that the electromagnetic wave equation \frac{\partial^{2}\phi}{\partial x^{2}} + \frac{\partial^{2}\phi}{\partial y^{2}} + \frac{\partial^{2}\phi}{\partial z^{2}} - \frac{1}{c^2}\frac{\partial^{2} \phi}{\partial t^2} is invariant under a Lorentz transformation...

Simple thought experiment I read and would like to hear what others think will the result will be: Let two spaceships A and B accelerate along a straight line. Observer C does not accelerate. The accelerations, as judged by C, are constant for both ships. Each ship is equipped with a...

Many equations are affected by Lorentz transformations. Time, mass, volume of a moving object, momentum, force etc. I want to know if the following equations are affected by Lorentz transformations: 1. Distance=velocity*time (r=vt) 2. E=hv 3. j*=ot 4. F=G*m1*m2/r^2 Also, is the Newton's...

It is obvious from particle accelerators that accelerating a mass increases its inertia. That should be a valid observation in all frames. But if the angle between the acceleration vector and the velocity vector is relative to the observer, then whether the mass is accelerating or...

Hi, I've been breaking my head on the matrix form of the lorentz transformation between one set of coordinates in one inertial frame (t,x^1,x^2,x^3) and what those coordinates will be in another inertial frame (t',x'^2,x'^2,x'^3). Now I understand that if have a set of coordinates in one...

Let us consider a fixed Carthesian reference frame (x y z) with a charged (+) particle locate in its origin. Moreover, let us consider two parallel conductors of infinite lenght, carrying the same current I (in the same direction y). The two conductors move at constant velocity from the origin...

hello, Please see attached Ex and its Answer. I'm surprised that the pressure Txx has the same value as that in the instantaneous frame of the rotating rod Tx'x'. I believe this could be a typo isn't it ? Isn't the Lorentz transform the following matrix for the rotating rod around the z axis...