SERIES ⎜ ARTICLE
Snippets of Physics
T Padmanabhan works at
IUCAA, Pune and is
interested in all areas
of theoretical physics,
especially those which
have something to do with
gravity.
1
Thomas Precession, Reso-
nance, Vol.13, No.7, pp.610–
618, July 2008.
Keywords
Spin, Thomas precession,
Earth's rotation.
706
8. Foucault Meets Thomas
T Padmanabhan
T h e F o u c a u lt p e n d u lu m is a n e le g a n t d e v ic e th a t
d e m o n str a te s th e r o ta tio n o f th e E a r th . A fte r
d e sc r ib in g it, w e w ill e la b o r a te o n a n in te r e s tin g
g e o m e tr ic a l r e la tio n sh ip b e tw e e n th e d y n a m ic s
o f th e F o u c a u lt p e n d u lu m a n d T h o m a s p r e c e s-
sio n d isc u sse d in th e la st in sta llm e n t 1 . T h is w ill
h e lp u s to u n d e r sta n d b o th p h e n o m e n a b e tte r .
T h e ¯ rst titu la r p resid en t o f th e F ren ch rep u b lic, L o u is-
N a p o leo n B o n a p a rte, p erm itted F o u ca u lt to u se th e P a n -
th eo n in P a ris to g iv e a d em o n stra tio n o f h is p en d u lu m
(w ith a 6 7 m eter w ire a n d a 2 8 k g p en d u lu m b o b ) o n 3 1
M a rch 1 8 5 1 . In th is im p ressive ex p erim en t, o n e co u ld
see th e p la n e o f o scilla tio n o f th e p en d u lu m ro ta tin g in
a clo ck w ise d irectio n (w h en v iew ed fro m th e to p ) w ith
a freq u en cy ! = − co s μ , w h ere − is th e a n g u la r fre-
q u en cy o f E a rth 's ro ta tio n a n d μ is th e co -la titu d e o f
P a ris. (T h a t is, μ is th e sta n d a rd p o la r a n g le in sp h er-
ica l p o la r co o rd in a tes w ith th e z-a x is b ein g th e a x is o f
ro ta tio n o f E a rth . S o ¼ = 2 ¡ μ is th e g eo g ra p h ica l la ti-
tu d e). F o u ca u lt cla im ed , q u ite co rrectly, th a t th is e® ect
a rises d u e to th e ro ta tio n o f th e E a rth a n d th u s sh ow ed
th a t o n e ca n d em o n stra te th e ro ta tio n o f th e E a rth b y a n
in situ ex p erim en t w ith o u t lo o k in g a t celestia l o b jects.
T h is resu lt is q u ite ea sy to u n d ersta n d if th e ex p erim en t
w a s p erfo rm ed a t th e p o les o r eq u a to r (in stea d o f P a ris!).
T h e situ a tio n a t th e N o rth P o le is a s sh ow n in F igu re 1 .
H ere w e see th e E a rth a s ro ta tin g (fro m w est to ea st, in
th e co u n ter-clo ck w ise d irectio n w h en v iew ed fro m th e
to p ) u n d ern ea th th e p en d u lu m , m a k in g o n e fu ll tu rn
in 2 4 h o u rs. It seem s rea so n ab le to d ed u ce fro m th is
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Figure 1.

th a t, a s v iew ed fro m E a rth , th e p la n e o f o scilla tio n o f

th e p en d u lu m w ill m a k e o n e fu ll ro ta tio n in 2 4 h o u rs;
so th e a n g u la r freq u en cy ! o f th e ro ta tio n o f th e p la n e
o f th e F o u ca u lt p en d u lu m is ju st ! = − . (T h ro u g h -
o u t th e d iscu ssio n w e a re co n cern ed w ith th e ro ta tio n
o f th e p la n e o f o scilla tio n o f th e p en d u lu m ; n o t th e p e-
rio d o f th e p en d u lu m 2 ¼ = º , w h ich { o f co u rse { is g iv en
b y th e sta n d a rd fo rm u la in v o lv in g th e len g th o f th e su s-
p en sio n w ire, etc.). A t th e eq u a to r, o n th e o th er h a n d ,
th e p la n e o f o scilla tio n d o es n ot ro ta te. S o th e fo rm u la , Jean Bernard Lèon
! = − co s μ , ca p tu res b o th th e resu lts co rrectly. Foucault (1819 –1868)
was a French
It is triv ia l to w rite d ow n th e eq u a tio n s o f m o tio n fo r th e physicist, famous for
p en d u lu m b o b in th e ro ta tin g fra m e o f th e E a rth a n d the demonstration of
so lv e th em to o b ta in th is resu lt [1 , 2 ] a t th e lin ea r o rd er Earth's rotation with
in − . E ssen tia lly, th e F o u ca u lt p en d u lu m e® ect a rises his pendulum.
d u e to th e C o rio lis fo rce in th e ro ta tin g fra m e o f th e Although Earth's
E a rth w h ich lea d s to a n a ccelera tio n 2 v £ − , w h ere v , rotation was not
th e v elo city o f th e p en d u lu m b o b , is d irected ta n g en tia l
unknown then, but this
to th e E a rth 's su rfa ce to a g o o d a p p rox im a tio n . If w e
easy-to-see
ch o o se a lo ca l co o rd in a te sy stem w ith th e Z -a x is p o in t-
experiment caught
in g n o rm a l to th e su rfa ce o f th e E a rth a n d th e X ;Y
everyone's
co o rd in a tes in th e ta n g en t p la n e a t th e lo ca tio n , th en
imagination.
it is ea sy to sh ow th a t th e eq u a tio n s o f m o tio n fo r th e

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p en d u lu m b o b a re w ell a p p rox im a ted b y

XÄ + º 2 X = 2 − z Y_ ; YÄ + º 2 Y = ¡ 2 − z X_ ; (1 )
w h ere º is th e p erio d o f o scilla tio n o f th e p en d u lu m a n d
− z = − co s μ is th e n o rm a l co m p o n en t o f th e E a rth 's
a n g u la r v elo city. In a rriv in g a t th ese eq u a tio n s w e h av e
ig n o red th e term s q u a d ra tic in − a n d th e v ertica l d is-
p la cem en t o f th e p en d u lu m . T h e so lu tio n to th is eq u a -
tio n is o b ta in ed ea sily b y in tro d u cin g th e va ria b le q (t) ´
X (t) + iY (t): T h is sa tis¯ es th e eq u a tio n
qÄ + 2 i− z q_ + º 2 q = 0 : (2 )
T h e so lu tio n , to th e o rd er o f a ccu ra cy w e a re w o rk in g
w ith , is g iv en b y
q = X (t) + iY (t) = (X 0 (t) + iY 0 (t)) ex p (¡ i− z t); (3 )
w h ere X 0 (t);Y 0 (t) is th e tra jecto ry o f th e p en d u lu m in
th e a b sen ce o f E a rth 's ro ta tio n . It is clea r th a t th e n et
e® ect o f ro ta tio n is to ca u se a sh ift in th e p la n e o f ro ta -
tio n a t th e ra te − z = − co s μ . B a sed o n th is k n ow led g e
a n d th e resu lts fo r th e p o le a n d th e eq u a to r o n e ca n g iv e
a `p la in E n g lish ' d eriva tio n o f th e resu lt fo r in term ed ia te
la titu d es b y say in g so m eth in g lik e: \ O b v io u sly, it is th e
co m p o n en t o f − n o rm a l to th e E a rth a t th e lo ca tio n o f
th e p en d u lu m w h ich m a tters a n d h en ce ! = − co s μ ."
T h e ¯ rst-p rin cip le a p p ro a ch , b a sed o n (1 ), o f co u rse h a s
th e a d va n ta g e o f b ein g rig o ro u s a n d a lg o rith m ic; fo r ex -
a m p le, if y o u w a n t to ta k e in to a cco u n t th e e® ects o f
ellip ticity o f E a rth , y o u ca n d o th a t if y o u w o rk w ith
th e eq u a tio n s o f m o tio n . B u t it d o es n o t g iv e y o u a n in -
tu itiv e u n d ersta n d in g o f w h a t is g o in g o n , a n d m u ch less
a u n i¯ ed v iew o f a ll rela ted p ro b lem s h av in g th e sa m e
stru ctu re. W e sh a ll n ow d escrib e a n a p p ro a ch to th is
p ro b lem w h ich h a s th e a d va n ta g e o f p rov id in g a clea r
g eo m etrica l p ictu re a n d co n n ectin g it u p { so m ew h a t
q u ite su rp risin g ly { w ith T h o m a s p recessio n d iscu ssed
in th e la st in sta llm en t.

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O n e p o in t w h ich ca u ses so m e co n fu sio n a s reg a rd s th e

F o u ca u lt p en d u lu m is th e fo llow in g . W h ile a n a ly zin g
th e b eh av io r o f th e p en d u lu m a t th e p o le, o n e a ssu m es
th a t th e p la n e o f ro ta tio n rem a in s ¯ x ed w h ile th e E a rth
ro ta tes u n d ern ea th it. If w e m a k e th e sa m e cla im fo r a
p en d u lu m ex p erim en t d o n e a t a n in term ed ia te la titu d e,
{ i.e., if w e say th a t th e p la n e o f o scilla tio n rem a in s
in va ria n t w ith resp ect to , say, th e \ ¯ x ed sta rs" a n d th e A
E a rth ro ta tes u n d ern ea th it { it seem s n a tu ra l th a t th e
p erio d o f ro ta tio n o f th e p en d u lu m p la n e sh o u ld a lw ay s
b e 2 4 h o u rs irresp ectiv e o f th e lo ca tio n ! T h is, o f co u rse,
is n o t tru e a n d it is a lso in tu itiv ely o b v io u s th a t n o th in g
h a p p en s to th e p la n e o f ro ta tio n a t th e eq u a to r. In th is
w ay o f a p p ro a ch in g th e p ro b lem , it is n o t v ery clea r h ow
ex a ctly th e E a rth 's ro ta tio n in ° u en ces th e m o tio n o f th e
p en d u lu m . Figure 2.

T o p rov id e a g eo m etrica l a p p ro a ch to th is p ro b lem , w e

w ill rep h ra se it a s fo llow s [3 , 4 ]. T h e p la n e o f o scilla -
tio n o f th e p en d u lu m ca n b e ch a ra cterized b y a v ecto r
n o rm a l to it o r eq u iva len tly b y a v ecto r w h ich is ly in g
in th e p la n e an d ta n g en tia l to th e E a rth 's su rfa ce. L et
u s n ow in tro d u ce a co n e w h ich is co a x ia l w ith th e a x is
o f ro ta tio n o f th e E a rth a n d w ith its su rfa ce ta n g en tia l
to th e E a rth a t th e la titu d e o f th e p en d u lu m (see F ig-
u re 2 ). T h e b a se ra d iu s o f su ch a co n e w ill b e R sin μ ,
w h ere R is th e ra d iu s o f th e E a rth a n d th e sla n t h eig h t
o f th e co n e w ill b e R ta n μ . S u ch a co n e ca n b e b u ilt
o u t o f a secto r o f a circle (a s sh ow n in F igu re 3 ) h av in g Figure 3.
th e circu m feren ce 2 ¼ R sin μ a n d ra d iu s R ta n μ b y id en -
tify in g th e lin es O A a n d O B . T h e `d e¯ cit a n g les' o f th e
co n e, ® a n d ¯ ´ 2 ¼ ¡ ® , sa tisfy th e rela tio n s: C

(2 ¼ ¡ ® )R ta n μ = 2 ¼ R sin μ (4 )
O
w h ich g iv es
® = 2 ¼ (1 ¡ co s μ ); ¯ = 2 ¼ co s μ : (5 )
A B
T h e b eh av io r o f th e p la n e o f th e F o u ca u lt p en d u lu m

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ca n b e u n d ersto o d v ery ea sily in term s o f th is co n e. In i-

The plane of
tia lly, th e F o u ca u lt p en d u lu m is sta rted o u t o scilla tin g
oscillation of the
in so m e a rb itra ry d irectio n a t th e p o in t A , say. T h e d i-
pendulum will rotate
rectio n o f o scilla tio n ca n b e in d ica ted b y so m e stra ig h t
with respect to a
lin e d raw n a lo n g th e su rfa ce o f th e co n e (lik e A C in F ig-
coordinate system
u re 3 ). W h ile th e p la n e o f o scilla tio n o f th e p en d u lu m
fixed on the Earth,
w ill ro ta te w ith resp ect to a co o rd in a te sy stem ¯ x ed o n
but it will always th e E a rth , it w ill a lw ay s co in cid e w ith th e lin es d raw n o n
coincide with the lines th e co n e w h ich rem a in ¯ x ed rela tiv e to th e ¯ x ed sta rs.
drawn on the cone W h en th e E a rth m a k es o n e ro ta tio n , w e m ov e fro m A
which remain fixed to B in th e ° a tten ed o u t co n e in F igu re 3 . P h y sica lly, o f
relative to the fixed co u rse, w e id en tify th e tw o p o in ts A a n d B w ith th e sa m e
stars. (Figures 2,3) lo ca tio n o n th e su rfa ce o f th e E a rth . B u t w h en a v ecto r
is m ov ed a ro u n d a cu rv e a lo n g th e lin es d escrib ed a b ov e,
o n th e cu rv ed su rfa ce o f E a rth , its o rien ta tio n d o es n o t
retu rn to th e o rig in a l va lu e. It is o b v io u s fro m F igu re 3
th a t th e o rien ta tio n o f th e p lan e o f ro ta tio n (in d ica ted
b y a v ecto r in th e p la n e o f ro ta tio n a n d ta n g en tia l to
th e E a rth 's su rfa ce a t B ) w ill b e d i® eren t fro m th e co r-
resp o n d in g v ecto r a t A . (T h is p ro cess is ca lled p a ra llel
tra n sp o rt a n d th e fa ct th a t a vecto r ch a n g es o n p a ra llel
tra n sp o rt a ro u n d a n a rb itra ry clo sed cu rv e o n a cu rv ed
su rfa ce is a w ell-k n ow n resu lt in d i® eren tia l g eo m etry
a n d g en era l rela tiv ity.)
C lea rly, th e o rien ta tio n o f th e vecto r ch a n g es b y a n a n g le
¯ = 2 ¼ co s μ d u rin g o n e ro ta tion o f E a rth w ith p erio d T .
S in ce th e ra te o f ch a n g e is u n ifo rm th ro u g h o u t b eca u se
o f th e stea d y sta te n a tu re o f th e p ro b lem , th e a n g u la r
v elo city o f th e ro ta tio n o f th e p en d u lu m p la n e is g iv en
by
¯ 2¼
! = = co s μ = − co s μ : (6 )
T T
T h is is p recisely th e resu lt w e w ere a fter. T h e k ey g eo -
m etrica l id ea w a s to rela te th e ro ta tio n o f th e p la n e o f
th e F o u ca u lt p en d u lu m to th e p a ra llel tra n sp o rt o f a
v ecto r ch a ra cterizin g th e p la n e, a ro u n d a clo sed cu rv e
o n th e su rfa ce o f E a rth . W h en th is clo sed cu rv e is n o t

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a g eo d esic { a n d w e k n ow th a t a cu rv e o f co n sta n t la t-
This derivation also
itu d e is n o t a g eo d esic { th e o rien ta tio n o f th is v ecto r
allows one to
ch a n g es w h en it co m p letes o n e lo o p . T h ere a re m o re
understand the
so p h istica ted w ay s o f ca lcu la tin g h ow m u ch th e o rien -
Thomas
ta tio n ch a n g es fo r a g iv en cu rv e o n a cu rv ed su rfa ce.
precession of the
B u t in th e ca se o f a sp h ere, th e trick o f a n en v elo p in g
spin of a particle.
co n e p rov id es a sim p le p ro ced u re. (W h en th e p en d u lu m
is lo ca ted in th e eq u a to r, th e clo sed cu rv e is th e eq u a -
to r itself; th is, b ein g a g rea t circle is a g eo d esic o n th e
sp h ere a n d th e v ecto r d o es n o t g et `d iso rien ted ' o n g o in g
a ro u n d it. S o th e p la n e o f th e p en d u lu m d o es n o t ro ta te
in th is ca se.)
T h is is g o o d , b u t a s I sa id , th in g s g et b etter. O n e ca n
sh ow th a t a n a lm o st id en tica l a p p ro a ch a llow s o n e to
d eterm in e th e T h o m a s p recessio n o f th e sp in o f a p a rticle
(say, a n electro n ) m ov in g in a circu la r o rb it a ro u n d a
n u cleu s [5 ].
W e saw in th e la st in sta llm en t [6 ] th a t th e ra te o f T h o m a s
p recessio n is g iv en , in g en era l, b y a n ex p ressio n o f th e
fo rm

! d t = (co sh  ¡ 1 ) (d n^ £ n^ ) ; (7 )

w h ere ta n h  = v = c a n d v is th e v elo city o f th e p a rticle.

In th e ca se o f a p a rticle m ov in g o n a circu la r tra jecto ry,
th e m a g n itu d e o f th e v elo city rem a in s co n sta n t a n d w e
ca n in teg ra te th is ex p ressio n to o b ta in th e n et a n g le o f
p recessio n d u rin g o n e o rb it. F o r a circu la r o rb it, d n^ is
a lw ay s p erp en d icu la r to n^ so th a t n^ £ d n^ is essen tia lly
d μ w h ich in teg ra tes to g iv e a fa cto r 2 ¼ . H en ce th e n et
a n g le o f T h o m a s p recessio n d u rin g o n e o rb it is g iv en b y

© = 2 ¼ (co sh  ¡ 1 ): (8 )

T h e sim ila rity b etw een th e n et a n g le o f tu rn o f th e F o u -

ca u lt p en d u lu m a n d th e n et T h o m a s p recessio n a n g le is
n ow o b v io u s w h en w e co m p a re (8 ) w ith (5 ). W e k n ow
th a t in th e ca se o f L o ren tz tra n sfo rm a tio n s, o n e rep la ces

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rea l a n g les b y im a g in a ry a n g les w h ich a cco u n ts fo r th e

It will turn out that
d i® eren ce b etw een th e co s a n d co sh fa cto rs. W h a t w e
the sphere and the
n eed to d o is to m a k e th is a n a lo g y m a th em a tica lly p re-
cone we
cise w h ich w ill b e o u r n ex t ta sk . It w ill tu rn o u t th a t
introduced in the
th e sp h ere a n d th e co n e w e in tro d u ced in th e rea l sp a ce,
real space, to
to stu d y th e F o u ca u lt p en d u lu m , h av e to b e in tro d u ced
study the Foucault
in th e v elo city sp a ce to a n a ly ze T h o m a s p recessio n .
pendulum, have to
be introduced in A s a w a rm -u p to ex p lo rin g th e rela tiv istic v elo city sp a ce,
the velocity space let u s sta rt b y a sk in g th e fo llow in g q u estio n : C o n sid er
to analyze Thomas tw o fra m es S 1 a n d S 2 w h ich m ov e w ith v elo cities v 1 a n d
precession. v 2 w ith resp ect to a th ird in ertia l fra m e S 0 . W h a t is
th e m a g n itu d e o f th e rela tiv e v elo city b etw een th e tw o
fra m es? T h is is m o st ea sily d o n e u sin g L o ren tz in va ri-
a n ce a n d fo u r-v ecto rs (a n d to sim p lify n o ta tio n w e w ill
u se u n its w ith c = 1 ). W e ca n a sso cia te w ith th e 3 -
v elo cities v 1 a n d v 2 , th e co rresp o n d in g fo u r-v elo cities,
g iv en b y u i1 = (° 1 ;° 1 v 1 ) a n d u i2 = (° 2 ;° 2 v 2 ) w ith a ll th e
co m p o n en ts b ein g m ea su red in S 0 . O n th e o th er h a n d ,
w ith resp ect to S 1 , th is fo u r-v ecto r w ill h av e th e co m -
p o n en ts u i1 = (1 ;0 ) a n d u i2 = (° ;° v ), w h ere v (b y d ef-
in itio n ) is th e rela tiv e v elo city b etw een th e fra m es. T o
d eterm in e th e m a g n itu d e o f th is q u a n tity, w e n o te th a t
in th is fra m e S 1 w e ca n w rite ° = ¡ u 1 iu i2 . B u t sin ce
th is ex p ressio n is L o ren tz in va ria n t, w e ca n eva lu a te it
in a n y in ertia l fra m e. In S 0 , w ith u i1 = (° 1 ;° 1 v 1 );u i2 =
(° 2 ;° 2 v 2 ) th is h a s th e va lu e
° = (1 ¡ v 2 )¡ 1 = 2 = ° 1 ° 2 ¡ ° 1 ° 2 v 1 ¢ v 2 : (9 )
S im p lify in g th is ex p ressio n w e g et
(1 ¡ v 1 ¢ v 2 )2 ¡ (1 ¡ v 12 )(1 ¡ v 22 )
v2 =
(1 ¡ v 1 ¢ v 2 )2

(v 1 ¡ v 2 )2 ¡ (v 1 £ v 2 )2
= : (1 0 )
(1 ¡ v 1 ¢ v 2 )2

L et u s n ex t co n sid er a 3 -d im en sio n a l a b stra ct sp a ce in

w h ich ea ch p o in t rep resen ts a v elo city o f a L o ren tz fra m e

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m ea su red w ith resp ect to so m e ¯ d u cia l fra m e. W e a re

in terested in d e¯ n in g th e n o tio n o f `d ista n ce' b etw een
tw o p o in ts in th is v elo city sp a ce. C o n sid er tw o n ea rb y
p o in ts w h ich co rresp o n d to v elo cities v a n d v + d v th a t
d i® er b y a n in ¯ n itesim a l q u a n tity. B y a n a lo g y w ith th e
u su a l 3 -d im en sio n a l ° a t sp a ce, o n e w o u ld h av e a ssu m ed
th a t th e `d ista n ce' b etw een th ese tw o p o in ts is ju st

jd v j2 = d v x2 + d v y2 + d v z2 = d v 2 + v 2 (d μ 2 + sin 2 μ d Á 2 );
(1 1 )

w h ere v = jv j a n d (μ ;Á ) d en o te th e d irectio n o f v . In
n o n -rela tiv istic p h y sics, th is d ista n ce a lso co rresp o n d s to
th e m a g n itu d e o f th e rela tiv e v elo city b etw een th e tw o
fra m es. H ow ev er, w e h av e ju st seen th a t th e rela tiv e
v elo city b etw een tw o fra m es in rela tiv istic m ech a n ics is
d i® eren t a n d g iv en b y (1 0 ). It is m o re n a tu ra l to d e¯ n e
th e d ista n ce b etw een th e tw o p o in ts in th e v elo city sp a ce
to b e th e rela tiv e v elo city b etw een th e resp ectiv e fra m es.
In th a t ca se, th e in ¯ n itesim a l `d ista n ce' b etw een th e tw o
p o in ts in th e v elo city sp a ce w ill b e g iv en b y (1 0 ) w ith
v 1 = v an d v 2 = v + d v . S o
(d v )2 ¡ (v £ d v )2
d lv2 = : (1 2 )
(1 ¡ v 2 )2
U sin g th e rela tio n s

(v £ d v )2 = v 2 (d v )2 ¡ (v ¢ d v )2 ; (v ¢ d v )2 = v 2 (d v )2
(1 3 )

a n d u sin g (1 1 ) w h ere μ , Á a re th e p o la r a n d a zim u th a l

a n g les o f th e d irectio n o f v , w e g et
dv2 v2
d lv2 = 2 2
+ 2
(d μ 2 + sin 2 μ d Á 2 ): (1 4 )
(1 ¡ v ) 1¡ v
If w e u se th e ra p id ity  in p la ce o f v th ro u g h th e eq u a -
tio n v = ta n h  , th e lin e elem en t in (1 4 ) b eco m es:

d lv2 = d  2 + sin h 2  (d μ 2 + sin 2 μ d Á 2 ): (1 5 )

RESONANCE ⎜ August 2008 713

 SERIES ⎜ ARTICLE

T h is is a n ex a m p le o f a cu rved sp a ce w ith in th e co n -
tex t o f sp ecia l rela tiv ity. T h is p a rticu la r sp a ce is ca lled
(th ree-d im en sio n a l) L o b a ch ev sk y sp a ce.
If w e n ow ch a n g e fro m rea l a n g les to th e im a g in a ry o n es,
b y w ritin g  = i´ , th e lin e elem en t b eco m es
¡ d lv2 = d ´ 2 + sin 2 ´ (d μ 2 + sin 2 μ d Á 2 ); (1 6 )
w h ich (ex cep t fo r a n ov era ll sig n w h ich is irreleva n t)
rep resen ts th e d ista n ces o n a 3 -sp h ere h av in g th e th ree
a n g les ´ ;μ a n d Á a s its co o rd in a tes.
O f th ese th ree a n g les, μ a n d Á d en o te th e d irectio n o f
v elo city in th e rea l sp a ce a s w ell. W h en a p a rticle m ov es
in th e x ¡ y p la n e in th e rea l sp a ce, its v elo city v ecto r
lies in th e μ = ¼ = 2 p la n e a n d th e releva n t p a rt o f th e
m etric red u ces to
d L 2v = d ´ 2 + sin 2 ´ d Á 2 (1 7 )
w h ich is ju st a m etric o n th e 2 -sp h ere. F u rth er, if th e
p a rticle is m ov in g o n a circu la r o rb it w ith co n sta n t m a g -
n itu d e fo r th e v elo city, th en it fo llow s a cu rv e o f ´ =
co n sta n t o n th is 2 -sp h ere. T h e a n a lo g y w ith th e F o u -
ca u lt p en d u lu m , w h ich m ov es o n a co n sta n t la titu d e
cu rv e, is n ow co m p lete. If th e p a rticle ca rries a sp in ,
th e o rb it w ill tra n sp o rt th e sp in v ecto r a lo n g th is cir-
cu la r o rb it. A s w e h av e seen ea rlier, th e o rien ta tio n o f
th e v ecto r w ill n o t co in cid e w ith th e o rig in a l o n e w h en
th e o rb it is co m p leted a n d w e ex p ect a d i® eren ce o f
2 ¼ (1 ¡ co s ´ ) = 2 ¼ (1 ¡ co sh  ). S o th e m a g n itu d e o f th e
T h o m a s p recessio n , ov er o n e p erio d is g iv en p recisely b y
(8 ). I w ill let y o u w o rk o u t th e d eta ils ex a ctly in a n a lo g y
w ith th e F o u ca u lt p en d u lu m a n d co n v in ce y o u rself th a t
th ey h av e th e sa m e g eo m etrica l in terp reta tio n .
W h en o n e m ov es a lo n g a cu rv e in th e v elo city sp a ce,
o n e is sa m p lin g d i® eren t (in sta n ta n eo u sly ) co -m ov in g
L o ren tz fra m es o b ta in ed b y L o ren tz b o o sts a lo n g d i® er-
en t d irectio n s. A s w e d escrib ed in th e la st in sta llm en t,

714 RESONANCE ⎜ August 2008

 SERIES ⎜ ARTICLE

L o ren tz b o o sts a lo n g d i® eren t d irectio n s d o n o t, in g en -

era l, co m m u te. T h is lea d s to th e resu lt th a t if w e m ov e
a lo n g a clo sed cu rv e in th e v elo city sp a ce (trea ted a s
rep resen tin g d i® eren t L o ren tz b o o sts) th e o rien ta tio n o f
th e sp a tia l a x es w o u ld h av e ch a n g ed w h en w e co m p lete
th e lo o p .
It tu rn s o u t th a t th e id ea s d escrib ed a b ov e a re a ctu a lly
o f fa r m o re g en era l va lid ity. W h en ev er a v ecto r is tra n s-
p o rted a ro u n d a clo sed cu rv e o n th e su rfa ce o f a sp h ere,
th e n et ch a n g e in its o rien ta tio n ca n b e rela ted to th e
so lid a n g le su b ten d ed b y th e a rea en clo sed b y th e cu rv e.
In th e ca se o f th e F o u ca u lt p en d u lu m , th e releva n t v ec-
to r d escrib es th e o rien ta tio n o f th e p la n e o f th e p en d u -
lu m a n d th e tra n sp o rt is a ro u n d a circle o n th e su rfa ce
o f th e E a rth . In th e ca se o f T h o m a s p recessio n , th e rel-
eva n t v ecto r is th e sp in o f th e p a rticle a n d th e tra n sp o rt
o ccu rs in th e v elo city sp a ce. U ltim a tely, b o th th e e® ects
{ th e F o u ca u lt p en d u lu m a n d T h o m a s p recessio n { a rise
b eca u se th e sp a ce in w h ich o n e is p a ra llel tra n sp o rtin g
th e v ecto r (su rfa ce o f E a rth , rela tiv istic v elo city sp a ce)
is cu rv ed .

Suggested Reading Address for Correspondence

T Padmanabhan
[1] L D Landau and E M Lifshitz, Mechanics, Pergamon Press, p.129, 1976. IUCAA, Post Bag 4
[2] T Padmanabhan, Theoretical Astrophysics: Astrophysical Processes, Pune University Campus
Cambridge University Press, Vol.1, p.50, 2000. Ganeshkhind
[3] J B Hart et al., Am. J. Phys, Vol.55, No.1, p.67, 1987. Pune 411 007, India.
[4] Jens von Bergmann, Gauss–Bonnet and Foucault, Email:
URL: http://www.nd.edu/~mathclub/foucault.pdf, 2007. paddy@iucaa.ernet.in
[5] M I Krivoruchenko, arXiv:0805.1136v1 [nucl-th], 2008. nabhan@iucaa.ernet.in
[6] T Padmanabhan, Resonance, Vol.13, No.7, p.610, July 2008.

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