SPECIAL RELATIVITY

PARABLE OF THE SURVEYORS

Daytime Surveyors
Compass

Nighttime Surveyors
North star
PARABLE OF THE SURVEYORS
Place

Town Square 0, 0 0, 0

Gate A
Gate B

principle of the invariance of distance

PARABLE OF THE SURVEYORS

INERTIAL REFERENCE FRAME

A reference frame is said to be inertial in a certain
region of space and time when, throughout that
region of spacetime, and within some specified
accuracy, every test particle that is initially at rest
remains at rest, and every test particle that is
initially in motion continues that motion without
change in speed or in direction
Goodbye to the force of gravity
1959 Pound & Rebka Gravitational Red-Shift in Nuclear
Resonance
INERTIAL REFERENCE FRAME
A reference frame is said to be inertial in a certain
region of space and time when, throughout that
region of spacetime, and within some specified
accuracy,
Inertial frames are local
Limited to a certain region of spacetime
THE PRINCIPLE OF RELATIVITY

All the laws of physics are the same in

every inertial reference frame.
Principle of relativity (Einsteins First
Postulate)
The speed of light in vacuum is the same in
all inertial frame of reference and is
independent of the motion of the source.
THE PRINCIPLE OF RELATIVITY
Two overlapping free-float frames are in uniform relative
motion. According to the Principle of Relativity, which of the
quantities/laws/equations on the following list must
necessarily be the same as measured in two frames?

Numerical value of the speed of Value of the electric field at a given

light in a vacuum
Speed of an electron
Value of the charge on the
electron
Kinetic energy of a proton
point
Time between two events
Order of elements in the Periodic
Table
Maxwells equations
NATURAL UNITS

EXAMPLES
1 microsecond to meters
1 Joule
Momentum in natural units
1 eV
NATURAL UNITS
A speeding rock from space streaks through
Earths outer atmosphere, creating a short fiery
trail (Event 1) and continues on its way to crash
into Sun (Event 2) 10 minutes later as observed in
the Earth frame. Take Sun to be 1.4960 x 1011
meters from Earth. In the Earth frame, what are
the space and time separations between Event 1
and Event 2 in minutes? What are the space and
time separations between the events in the frame
of the rock?
QUIZ
A proton moving at light You are launched upward inside a
speed passes through two
detectors 2 meters apart.
Events 1 and 2 are the
transits through the two
detectors. What are the
laboratory space and time
separations between the two
events, in meters? What are
the space and time
separations between the
events in the proton frame?
railway coach in a horizontal
position with respect to the surface
of Earth. (a) After the launch, but
while the coach is still rising, you
release two ball bearings at
opposite ends of the train and at
rest with the train. Will you observe
the distance bet. the ball bearings
to increase or decrease? (b) If the
coach is now falling, will you
observe the distance to increase or
decrease? (c) & (d): Repeat the
above case for a railway coach in a
vertical position.
QUIZ #2 (A) & (B)
QUIZ #2 (C) & (D)
EVENTS AND MEASUREMENTS
Surveying: Place :: Physics : Event
Latticework of meter sticks
and clocks
Sychronized
reference flash
Recording
Observer
Collection of recording
clocks
EVENTS AND MEASUREMENTS

Lab Frame Rocket Frame

y & z coordinate is same in lab and rocket frames

INVARIANCE OF THE INTERVAL

Invariance of Transverse Distances

Invariance of the Speed of Light in Vacuum
IRF dependence of Space and Time Coordinates
Invariance of Interval
EXAMPLE
A proton moving at light speed passes
through two detectors 2 meters apart. Events
1 and 2 are the transits through the two
detectors. What are the laboratory space and
time separations between the two events, in
meters? What are the space and time
separations between the events in the proton
frame?
EXAMPLE
A beam of unstable K+ mesons, traveling at a
speed of v = 0.868, passes through two counters 9
meters apart. The particles suffer negligible loss of
speed and energy in passing through the counters
but give electrical pulses that can be counted. The
first counter records 1000 pulses (1000 passing
particle); the second records 250 counts (250
passing particles). This decrease arises almost
entirely from decay of particles in flight.
Determine the half-life of the K+ mesons in its own
rest frame.
PROBSET
Write your answers for #s
34-42 of Long Probset 1 in a
SEPARATE sheet of yellow
pad paper.
 In the laboratory frame, event 1 occurs at x = 0 light-years,
t = 0 years. Event 2 occurs at x = 6 light years, t = 10 years.
In all rocket frames event 1 also occurs at the position 0
light-years and the time 0 years. The y- and z- coordinates
of both events are zero in both frames.
1. In rocket frame A event 2 occurs at time t = 14 years. At
what position x will event 2 occur in this frame?
2. In rocket frame B, event 2 occurs at position x = 5 light-
years. At what time t will event 2 occur in this frame?
3. How fast must rocket frame C (wrt lab frame) move if
events 1 and 2 occur at the same place in this rocket
frame?
4. What is the time between events 1 and 2 in rocket frame
C?
 Principle of Relativity

All the laws of physics are

No test of the laws of physics provides
the same in every inertial
any way whatsoever to distinguish one
reference frame.
free-float from another

Invariance of the Speed of Invariance of Transverse Distances

Light in Vacuum

Invariance of the Interval

Dependence of the space & time coordinates upon

the frame of reference


Conversion Factor
INVARIANCE OF TRANSVERSE
DISTANCE
Speeding-Train Thought Experiment

No test of the laws of physics

Earth Frame provides any way whatsoever to
Train Frame
distinguish one free-float from
another
 In the laboratory frame, event 1 occurs at x = 0 light-years,
t = 0 years. Event 2 occurs at x = 6 light years, t = 10 years.
In all rocket frames event 1 also occurs at the position 0
light-years and the time 0 years. The y- and z- coordinates
of both events are zero in both frames.
1. In rocket frame A event 2 occurs at time t = 14 years. At
what position x will event 2 occur in this frame?
2. In rocket frame B, event 2 occurs at position x = 5 light-
years. At what time t will event 2 occur in this frame?
3. How fast must rocket frame C (wrt lab frame) move if
events 1 and 2 occur at the same place in this rocket
frame?
4. What is the time between events 1 and 2 in rocket frame
C?
SPACETIME DIAGRAMS
Position horizontal axis - Emission - Reception

Time vertical axis

t t'
Invariant Hyperbola

x x'

Lab Frame Rocket Frame

SPACETIME DIAGRAMS

Interval2 Name
Positive Timelike Interval
Zero Lightlike Interval
Negative Spacelike Interval
WORLDLINE
Position vs. Time in a Spacetime Diagram
t
B
C

Worldline of a Light Ray

Worldline of a Particle
x
A
WORLDLINE
t

B
Light Cone
C

F
x
A

D
 PROPER TIME
t

For a given worldline of a

particle, will the
calculated proper time
C
depend on the inertial
frame of reference?

x
A
RELATION BETWEEN EVENTS
Events A, B, and C are plotted in the
laboratory spacetime diagram of the
following figure. For the pair of events A
and B:
a) Is the interval between the two events
timelike, lightlike, or spacelike?
b) What is the proper time (or proper
distance) between the two events?
c) Is it possible that one of the events
caused the other event?
Quiz: Answer the above questions
for pairs (i) A & C (ii) B & C
PROPER TIME
t

Proper time between two events B

Wristwatch time
Proper time along a worldline
Worldline D
C
pos. vs time graph of a particle (or a
light ray) in a spacetime diagram
Series of events

x
A
TREKKING THROUGH SPACETIME

How do we locate an event?

Specify another event and the corresponding
interval
Setup a free-float of latticework of clocks &
meter sticks
Reference flash
LORENTZ TRANSFORMATION

Invariance of
Transverse Distances
LORENTZ TRANSFORMATION

Key Concepts:
Transformation must be linear
Invariance of the Interval
LORENTZ TRANSFORMATION

LORENTZ TRANSFORMATION

Invariance of the Interval

LORENTZ TRANSFORMATION

INVERSE LORENTZ
TRANSFORMATION

GALILEAN TRANSFORMATION: LIMITING

CASE OF LORENTZ TRANSFORMATION

Lorentz Transformation Galilean Transformation

(natural units) (conventional units)
THE PAST IS PAST, THE FUTURE UNFORMED
t

A B

x
O

t'

x'
O B
RELATIVITY OF SIMULTANEITY
t

Lab Frame

x
A B

Invariant hyperbola
t' for event B

B
x' Rocket Frame
A

B
RELATIVE SYNCHRONIZATION OF
CLOCKS

30 mins

What show is on?

LORENTZ CONTRACTION

Your IRF

x
A B

Spear Enthusiast
LORENTZ CONTRACTION
Case 2: The actual length of Xins spear (as measured by
Xin himself) is 2 meters.
Question 2: Using the method described previously, what
will be your measured length for Xins spear?
t'

Proper Length
Xins IRF
Length measured from the
objects rest frame
A x'

B
TIME DILATION

Santas Late
SUMMARY & TIPS
Consequences of Invariance of the Interval (and/or) Lorentz
Transformation
Relativity of Simultaneity
Relative Synchronization of Clocks
Lorentz Contraction
Time Dilation
Dont memorize formula of these!
First Principle Equations are the most vital concepts
Recognize how the problem of length of an object & time elapsed is
dissected into the problem of measuring space & time separation
between two events.
Classical intuition fails. Open your mind young padawan.
SOME OTHER STUFF

SOME OTHER STUFF

Long Probset #s 1-12 due TOMORROW
ACLE
Classes will be suspended on Thursday, 16 Jan. 2014 from
12nn 5 pm.
Attend any one ACLE offered by any organization.
Write a reflection paper (1 page min, Single Line Spacing,
Calibri 11, 1 margin ALL, A4 Paper)
What was the ACLE about?
HPS: 5 pts
How was it handled? Deductions:
What did you learn from it? -1 wrong format
Interesting stuffs. -1 no ACLE
Jan. 17, 2014 -5 no reflection paper
QUIZ
A meter stick moves past you at great speed. Its motion relative to you
is parallel to its long axis. If you measure the length of the moving
meter stick to be 1.00 ft (1 ft = 0.3048 m) for example, by comparing
it to a 1-foot ruler that is at rest relative to you.
(a) At what speed is the meter stick moving relative to you?
(b) Sketch the worldline of the meterstick & the 1-foot ruler as
observed by your IRF.
Set your origin as the event when the front end of the meter stick
and the back end of the 1-foot ruler are in the same position.
Show using a horizontal dashed line that at some time t,
simultaneously both the ends of the two ruler coincide with each
other.
WORLDLINE (REVIEW)
Position vs. Time in a Spacetime Diagram
Where is the particle at a particular instant?

Worldline of a
light ray

Worldline of a particle
Worldline of an
at rest
accelerating
particle

x
x = 10 meters
EXERCISE 1
A SUMMER EVENINGS FANTASY

You are standing alone outdoors at dusk on the first day of

summer. You see Sun setting due west and the planet Venus
in the same direction. On the opposite horizon the full Moon
is rising due east.
EXERCISE 1
A SUMMER EVENINGS FANTASY
Proxima
Centauri

Atconfirmation,
An
In
Youthe
They
aliensame
say
warnship
they
agreed
grab instant
that
approaches
have
and
a passing Suns that
been
shortly
set the
human the
of aliens
explosion
travelling
from
after
dials tothe
the
the land,
emitted
east
aliens
flee you
straight
and
an
land
in an
opposite see
immense
to
lands Sun
Earth
you
easterly
sex beside
and
pulse
andnotice that
you.
that
direction
plead of
with
explode.
The
their
particles
the
awayplanet
from
aliens The
occupants
reduced
movingaliens
approach
Venus,
Sun
to takeinform
atat admit
half
lying
top
you you
the
in to
speed
the
speed,
both you,
that
speed that
within
they ofare
direction
with
away time
from earlier,
light
thefrom
of solar
that
the
stretch
Earth inon
willtheir
Proxima
system
Sun,
gamma
order blow
toway
was to
away
suddenly
factor
Earth,
changes they
Centauri,
such
Earths
that
establish shot
atmosphere.
which
the
color.
of 5/3. Thethetaketime
human a
lies
Do
laser
stretch
due
off isgene
YOU
light
east pulse
factor
to bepool
make
beyond at
gamma
7 minutes Sun,
the
it?
which
during
rising
after
elsewhere. caused
the Moon.
the
alien this
approach
landing
explosion.
was 5/3.
on Earth.
EXERCISE 1
A SUMMER EVENINGS FANTASY
Plot EVENTS labeled with
the following NUMBERS.
0. your location (at the
origin)
1. Sun explodes (at t = 0)
2. Light from Sun explosion
reaches you
3. Venus atmosphere
blown away
4. Light from event 3
reaches you
5. You & aliens depart Earth
(you hope!)
6. Earth atmosphere blown
away
Plot WORLDLINES labeled with the
following CAPITAL LETTERS
A. Worldline of Sun (BLACK)
B. Worldline of Venus (BLACK)
C. Worldline of light from Suns
explosion (RED Dashed)
D. Worldline of speed-one-half
pulse of particles from Suns
explosion (BLACK)
E. Worldline of light emitted when
venus loses atmosphere (RED
Dashed)
F. Your worldline (BLUE)
G. Aliens Worldline (RED)
TWO OBSERVER SPACETIME
DIAGRAMS
How do we construct the rocket frame coordinate axes in
the lab frame spacetime diagram?
t t'

Rocket frame origin

x'

x
Lab Frame
TWO OBSERVER SPACETIME
DIAGRAMS t t t'
How do we calibrate the
rocket frame axis on the
lab frame spacetime t'' = 1 t = 1 t' = 1
diagram?
x'

x' = 1
x=1 x

x'' = 1 x
TWO OBSERVER SPACE TIME
DIAGRAM

W R Z
L D

C S Q
M
O G I T
T
X
Y F
B K
A

E J H
U
N P
Y V
EXERCISE 2 POLE & BARN
PARADOX
A worried student writes: Relativity must be wrong. Consider a 20-meter
pole carried so fast in the direction of its length
that it appears to be only 10 meters long in the
laboratory frame of reference. Let the runner
who carries the pole enter a barn 10 meters long,
as shown in the figure. At some instant the
farmer can close the front door and the pole will
be entirely enclosed in the barn. However, look at
the same situation in the frame of reference of
the runner. To him the barn appears to be
contracted to half its length. How can a 20- meter
pole possibly fit into a 5-meter barn? Does not
this unbelievable conclusion prove that relativity
contains somewhere a fundamental logical
inconsistency?
EXERCISE 2 POLE & BARN
PARADOX
Write a reply to the worried student explaining
clearly and carefully how the pole and barn are
treated by relativity without internal
contradiction.
1. Make a carefully labeled spacetime diagram
for the barn rest frame, Referring to the
figure, take the event Q coincides with A to
be at the origin. Plot the worldlines of A, B, P,
and Q (using Black ballpen). Pay attention to
the scale of the diagram.
2. Using a blue ballpen, draw the line of
simultaneity for the event P coincides with A
with respect to the lab frame.
3. Using a red ballpen, draw the line of
simultaneity for the event P coincides with A
and Q coincides with B with respect to the
poles rest frame.
4. Which event occurs first for the pole frame, P
coincides with A or Q coincides with B?
 EXERCISE 1
A SUMMER EVENINGS FANTASY
You are standing alone outdoors at dusk
on the first day of summer. You see Sun
setting due west and the planet Venus in
the same direction. On the opposite
horizon the full Moon is rising due east.
An alien ship approaches from the east
and lands beside you. The occupants
inform you that they are from Proxima
Centauri, which lies due east beyond the
rising Moon. They say they have been
travelling straight to Earth and that their
reduced approach speed within the solar
system was such that the time stretch
factor gamma during the approach was
5/4.
At the same instant that the aliens land, you
see Sun explode. The aliens admit to you, that
earlier, on their way to Earth, they shot a laser
light pulse at Sun, which caused this explosion.
They warn that Suns explosion emitted an
immense pulse of particles moving at half the
speed of light that will blow away Earths
atmosphere. In confirmation, shortly after the
aliens land you notice that the planet Venus,
lying in the direction of the Sun, suddenly
changes color. You grab a passing human of the
opposite sex and plead with the aliens to take
you both away from Earth in order to establish
the human gene pool elsewhere. They agreed
and set the dials to flee in an easterly direction
away from Sun at top speed, with time stretch
gamma factor of 5/3. The take off is to be 7
minutes after the alien landing on Earth. Do
you make it?
A SUMMER EVENINGS FANTASY
t
D
6 E C
5
4
3

x
1 0
A B
POLE AND BARN PARADOX
Pole rest length Barn rest length

20 m
10 m

Barn Rest Frame

 POLE AND BARN PARADOX
Pole Rest Frame

Curios question: How can a 20- meter pole possibly fit into a 5-
meter barn? Does not this unbelievable conclusion prove that
relativity contains somewhere a fundamental logical
inconsistency?
Simple answer: The 20- meter pole does not fit into the 5-meter
barn. Two events that are simultaneous to one frame are not
necessarily simultaneous in another frame.
 POLE AND BARN PARADOX
t t'
Barn Rest Frame B
A

1 2
x'

x
0
P Q
DOPPLER SHIFT

3
1

1
0

0 x
ADDITION OF VELOCITIES

ADDITION OF VELOCITIES
t t'

x'

x
LORENTZ TRANSFORMATION
(ALTERNATIVE FORM)

ADVERTISEMENTS
Regarding ACLE paper
Its a bonus!
Long Probset #s 13 27 due tomorrow
For Recit Tomorrow:
Bring the ff:
Graphing Paper
Blue & Black Ballpen
Bonus Problem 1 to be uploaded today.
Submission Period: Jan. 23-30
QUIZ (POLE & BARN + BULLET)
1. Make a carefully labeled spacetime diagram
for the POLE rest frame, Referring to the
figure, take the event Q coincides with A
to be at the origin. Plot the worldlines of A,
B, P, and Q (using Black ballpen). Pay
attention to the scale of the diagram.
2. Using a blue ballpen, draw the line of
simultaneity for the event P coincides with
A with respect to the lab frame.
3. Using a red ballpen, draw the line of
simultaneity for the event P coincides with
A and Q coincides with B with respect to
the poles rest frame.
What is the speed of the bullet as
4. Which event occurs first for the pole frame, measured by the lab frame in the
P coincides with A or Q coincides with
B? section Addition of Velocities?
WHEN WE COLLIDE
ENERGY-MOMENTUM
NEWTONIAN MECHANICS DEFN

For low velocity

RELATIVISTIC EXPRESSION FOR
MOMENTUM

MOMENTUM ENERGY 4-VECTOR

Relativistic Energy

Relativistic Momentum
RELATIVISTIC ENERGY

Kinetic Energy
EXAMPLE
Convert 1 gram of mass into pure energy in Joules.
Take annual energy consumption per household to be 1000kWh.
RELATIVISTIC ENERGY AND
MOMENTUM
An object of mass 3 kilograms moves 8 meters
along the x-direction in 10 meters of time as
measured in the laboratory.
What is its energy and momentum?
Its rest energy?
Its kinetic energy?
36 + 29 = 62?
HOMEWORK
From Syllabus Planck hypothesis (reading assignment, Ex 72
Spacetime Physics)
Calculate the relativistic energy and momentum of a photon
given its velocity, frequency and Plancks constant.
QUIZ

MOMENTUM-ENERGY FOUR VECTOR

EXAMPLE

TRANSFORMATION OF MOMENERGY
4 VECTOR

TRANSFORMATION OF MOMENERGY
4 VECTOR
Answer: Lorentz Transformation
TRANSFORMATION OF MOMENERGY
4 VECTOR

INVARIANCE OF MASS
t

Momenergy 4-vector

x
INVARIANCE OF MASS
energy
(single particle: values
from several frames)

x-momentum
(single particle: values
from several frames)
INVARIANCE OF MASS

ENERGY AND MOMENTUM OF A

PHOTON

DOPPLER EQUATIONS

Lab

Rocket
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Problem Set, deadline will be Friday next week.
QUIZ

DOPPLER EQUATIONS

Lab

Rocket
CONSERVATION LAWS
Conservation of total momenergy of an isolated system
1. Total energy of the system before an interaction equals total
energy of the system after the interaction.
2. Total x-momentum of the system is the same before and after the
interaction.
3. Total y- momentum of the system is the same before and after
the interaction
4. Total z-momentum of the system is the same before and after the
interaction
ELASTIC COLLISION

Total momentum is conserved

Total energy is conserved
INELASTIC COLLISION

Energy is additive
Momentum is additive
Mass is not additive
INELASTIC COLLISION
Two non-interacting particles each of mass 8 kg, are in
relative motion. One moves with a velocity 3/5 to the right
and the other 3/5 to the left. What is the mass of the
system?

m = 8kg m = 8kg

v = 3/5 v = -3/5
PARTICLE CREATION
What is the minimum energy needed for two
photons to create an electron-positron pair, each
with mass 0.5MeV
 Two photons, each with energy 8.00GeV and travelling in
opposite directions, create a heavy particle X (among other
particles that is not of interest) at the spacetime origin.
Theorists predict that particle X will decay after time 5.00
attosecond at a distance 4.50 attosecond from the origin.
Unfortunately, the experimental instrument can only
resolved time intervals less than 4.00 attoseconds. A clever
experimentalist suggested using an asymmetric photon
beams instead. The right-moving photon will have an energy
1.44GeV while the left-moving photon will have an energy
5.12GeV. Calculate the new time interval between the two
events, creation and decay of particle X when this
asymmetric beam is used.
COMPTON SCATTERING

COMPTON SCATTERING

B C D
A

v=?
E = 2m E=m EC = ? m
Before After
 Exam will be on Monday 3-5pm
If there is a sched conflict, please sign the survey
CREATION OF MASS

C
-
A
-
B +
- v =?
E=? E=m
Before
After
QUIZ
Find the mass of the system for
the following systems:
(a)
Energy = E

Energy = 3E

(b)
T = 5m T = 5m

m m
 +
+ - v=?
mP mP
+ E=? + +

Before After