Lecture 4

Relativity of Simultaneity Revisited

ct
x
O
0 = v
A B C
x
ct
O
0 ! v
A B C
vt x x
i
+ =
ct
x
Two events simultaneous in one inertial frame are not simultaneous
in any other inertial frame moving relative to the first.
OR
Clocks synchronized in one inertial frame are not synchronized
in any other inertial frame moving relative to the first.
Lecture 4
Lorentz Transformation
Requirements:
Transformation must be linear in both space and time
coordinates
Transformation must reduce to Galilean transformation
for sufficiently small values of the relative speed between
two inertial frames
Mathematically, we have
bt ax x
t b x a x
! =
"
"
+
"
=
a
b
v =
0 = x
0 =
!
x
Lecture 4
Lorentz Transformation-Contd
Now, consider the motion of a light pulse originating at the
origin of both inertial frames
t c x
ct x
!
=
!
=
t b ac bt ct a t c
t b ac t b t c a ct
) ( ) (
) ( ) (
! = ! =
"
"
+ =
"
+
"
=
b ac
c
t
t
c
b ac
!
=
"
=
+
) (
2 2 2
2 2 2 2
v c a
b c a c
! =
! =
Lecture 4
Lorentz Transformation-Contd
2
2
1
1
) (
c
v
a v
!
= " #
abt x a abt x a x
bt ax a x x a x t b
+ ! = + ! =
! ! =
"
! =
"
) 1 (
) (
2 2
at x
b
a
t +
!
=
"
2
1
!
!
2
2 2
2 2
2 2 2 2 2
/ 1
/ 1
/ 1
1
1
1
c
v
v
c v
c v
c v
v
c v
b
a
" =
"
"
"
=
"
"
=
"
Lorentz factor
Lecture 4
Lorentz Transformation-Contd
To summarize
) (
) (
2
c
x v
t t
z z
y y
t v x x
!
+
!
=
!
=
!
=
!
+
!
=
"
"
) (
) (
2
c
vx
t t
z z
y y
vt x x
! =
"
=
"
=
"
! =
"
#
#
!
"
#
$
%
&
' = + ' =
(
2 2
c
vx
t t x
c
v
t ) ) )
Lecture 4
x
ct ct
x
O
O
The time axis in S follows:
) )( / (
0 ) (
ct c v vt x
vt x x
= = !
" # =
$
%
x ct ) / 1 ( ! =
The spatial axis in S follows:
2
2
/
0 ) / (
c vx t
c vx t t
= !
" # =
$
%
x ct ! =
Relationship between Inertial Frames
Lecture 4
Coupling of Space and Time
) (
) (
2
c
vx
t t
vt x x
! =
"
! =
"
#
#
(x
1
, t
1
)

(x
2
, t
2
)

[ ]
!
"
#
$
%
&
'
' ' =
(
'
(
' ' ' =
(
'
(
2
1 2
1 2 1 2
1 2 1 2 1 2
) (
) (
) ( ) (
c
x x v
t t t t
t t v x x x x
)
)
Lecture 4
Length Contraction
A rod is at rest in S, and lies along the x-axis. Let its two ends be
denoted by space-time coordinates (x
1
, t
1
) and (x
2
, t
2
), then the
length of the rod is always measured as

Now, what is the length of the rod as measured by an observer in
S ?
! x
1
= " (x
1
# vt )
! x
2
= " (x
2
# vt )
L = x
2
(t ) ! x
1
(t )
! x
2
" ! x
1
= # (x
2
" x
1
)
L = L
p
1"
v
2
c
2
L
p
= ! x
2
" ! x
1
Proper Length
Lecture 4
Time Dilation
A clock is at rest in S. Consider two events corresponding to
different readings of the clock, (x

, t
1
) and (x

, t
2
). The time
interval between the two events in S is denoted by

!
p
= " t
2
# " t
1
what is the time interval between the same two events as
measured by an observer in S ?
Proper Time
t
1
= ! ( " t
1
+
v " x
c
2
)
t
2
= ! ( " t
2
+
v " x
c
2
)
t
2
! t
1
= " ( # t
2
! # t
1
)
$ =
$
p
1!
v
2
c
2
Lecture 4
Relativistic Doppler Effect
!
"
#
$
%
&
'
+
'
= x
c
v
t t
2
(
!
"
#
$
%
&
'
( +
'
( = ( x
c
v
t t
2
)
!
"
#
$
%
&
'
( +
'
( = ( ) (
2
t c
c
v
t t )
light If the time interval represents
the period of the light wave,
!t =
1
f
, ! " t =
1
f
p
f =
1!
v
c
1+
v
c
f
p
f
p
: proper frequency, if the
source of light is at rest
in S.
Lecture 4
Redshift and Blueshift
beta value
c
v
= !
2
1
1
!
"
#
=
Lorentz factor
We define z !
( f
p
" f )
f
1 ) 1 (
1 ) 1 (
2
2
+ +
! +
=
z
z
"
f =
1! "
1+ "
f
p
z ! "
If
! <<1,
z > 0
z < 0
redshift
blueshift
Lecture 4
General formula for Doppler shift:
f =
f
p
!
1
1" # cos$
Transverse Doppler Effect
!t = " ! # t +
v
c
2
! # x
$
%
&
'
(
)
! " x = 0
!t = " (! # t )
!t =
1
f
, ! " t =
1
f
p
f =
f
p
!
Transverse Doppler shift always represents
redshift!
Lecture 4
Reading Assignments
Chapter 1, 1-6