Which Twin is Older ?

Question: Who is correct?

 Which Twin is Older ?

Solution: The situation is not symmetric ! Each person will measure the same time
dilation effect for the other’s clock, but the length of the journey is not measured to
be the same by both. The answer lies in carefully taking time dilation and length
contraction into account…
 Which Twin is Older ?
Analysis:

Assume acceleration and deceleration time of rocket is negligible, so rocket

travels at constant speed during the roundtrip.
Let each person have a clock that sends out a flash of light every month.

Outbound trip: Each person computes that the other’s clock is running slower
(time dilation). Time between flashes:
"t = #"t $ = 3.2months
In each person’s frame, the other is receding at speed v= 0.95c. So each
consecutive flash must travel an additional distance of vΔt.
!
Total time between flashes received by each person:
v % v(
"#t + "#t = '1+ *"#t $ = 6.2months
$ $
c & c)

!
 Which Twin is Older ?
Analysis:

Assume acceleration and deceleration time of rocket is negligible.

Let each person have a clock that sends out a flash of light every year:

Return trip: Each person computes that the other’s clock is running slower (time
dilation). Time between flashes:
"t = #"t $ = 3.2months
In each person’s frame, the other is approaching at speed v=0.95c. So each
flash must travel a smaller distance vΔt
!
Total time between flashes received by each person:

v & v)
"#t % "#t = (1% +"#t $ = 0.16months
$ $
c ' c*

!
 Which Twin is Older ?
Analysis:
Number of flashes seen by Helen = Helen’s measurement of George’s age :
(this measurement should agree with George’s measurement of his own age)

Distance traveled during outbound trip: L " (Length contraction)

Time taken for outbound trip: L "v = 3.12yrs
Number of flashes: Time of trip/time between flashes
!
3.12yrs /6.2months " 6
!
Time taken for return trip L "v = 3.12yrs
! Time of trip/time between flashes
Number of flashes:

! 3.12yrs /0.16months " 234

Helen concludes that George has aged 20 yrs since she received 240 flashes.
This agrees with the time George computes that Helen will be away:
! 2(0.95)ly 0.95c = 20yrs
 Which Twin is Older ?
Analysis:
Number of flashes seen by George = George’s measurement of Helen’s age:
(this measurement should agree with Helen’s measurement of her own age)
Distance traveled during outbound trip: L = 9.5ly Time of trip: L v = 10yrs
Time George measures for outbound trip: Time of trip + time for light to reach
George:
10yrs + 9.5yrs = 19.5yrs
! !
Number of flashes: Outbound time/time between flashes
19.5yrs /6.2months " 38
!
Time George measures for return trip 0.5yrs

! Return time /time between flashes

Number of flashes:
! /0.16months " 37
0.5yrs
George concludes that Helen has aged 6.25 yrs since he received 75 flashes.
This agrees with the time that Helen computes for her trip.
!
 Relativistic Doppler Shift
The Doppler effect is the shift in frequency for waves emitted by a stationary
versus moving source. (Recall classical Doppler shift: sound)
If an observer approaches a source (or vice versa), more waves are crossed per
unit time. Frequency will increase
If an observer moves away a source (or vice versa), less waves are crossed per
unit time. Frequency will decrease.
 Relativistic Doppler Shift
(Recall analysis of light flashes for the twin paradox):

Observer receding from source: Time between flashes (or successive wavefronts):
v % v( 1+ v c
"#t $ + "#t $ = '1+ *"#t $ = #t $
c & c) 1+ v c
Frequency=1/time:
1" v c 1 1" v c
f obs = = f source
! 1+ v c #t $ 1+ v c

Observer approaching source: Time between flashes (or successive wavefronts):

v & v) 1% v c
! "#t $ % "#t $ = (1% +"#t $ = #t $
c ' c* 1+ v c
Frequency = 1/time
1+ v c 1 1+ v c
f obs = = f source
! 1" v c #t $ 1" v c
 Relativistic Doppler shift
Red shift of absorption spectra for far-off galaxies: The light from a galaxy is
observed to be shifted toward the red by 5% (f = 0.95 f o). Is it approaching or
receding from the earth? How fast is it moving?
 Relativistic Doppler shift
Red shift of absorption spectra for far-off galaxies: The light from a galaxy is
observed to be shifted toward the red by 5% (f = 0.95 f o). Is it approaching or
receding from the earth? How fast is it moving?

The galaxy is receding from the earth because the frequency is shifted to a lower
value.

f 1" ! v
= where f = 0.95 f o and solve for ! =
fo 1+ ! c
2 2 2
(f f o ) (1 + ! ) = 1 " ! % (f f o ) " 1 = " ! #( f f o ) + 1$
& '
2 2
1 " ( f fo ) 1 " (0.95 f o f o ) 0.0975
! = 2
= 2
=
1 + ( f fo ) 1 + (0.95 f o f o ) 1.9025
! = 0.0512 (1.54 ( 107 m/s)
 Lorentz Transformations
How to modify the Galilean transformations to agree with the principle of
relativity? Try
( )
x ! = " x # vt $
t ! = " &t +
( )
1# " 2 x '
)
x = " ( x ! + vt ! ) & " v)
2
% (
Differential forms of x’ and t’:
dx ! = " (dx # vdt) dx ! dx vdt
u! = = "
$ 1 # " 2 dx ' dt ! dt + 1" # dx dt + 1" # dx
dt ! = " & dt +
% " 2 v )( #2 v #2 v

For the case of light, we can substitute dx = dx ! = c typo: should be

dt dt ! squared

1 Since we obtain the right γ, this

Solving for γ, != confirms that the above guess for
1" v 2 c 2 the transformations are correct
 Lorentz Transformations
Lorentz transformation for spacetime coordinates:
x ! = " (x # vt)
y! = y
z! = z
$ vx '
t ! = "& t # 2 )
% c (
Inverse Lorentz transformation for spacetime coordinates:
x = ! ( x " # vt " )
y = y"
z = z"
$ vx " '
t = ! & t" + 2 )
% c (
Note: When v<< c, we recover the Galilean transformations. Check.
 Lorentz Transformations
Length contraction from Lorentz transformations:

Coordinates of the beginning and endpoints of x1# = ! (x1 " vt1 )

an object in a frame moving with the object: x2# = ! (x2 " vt2 )

Proper length of the object x2# " x1# = ! (x2 " x1 )

1
Length contraction: L' = ! L or L = L'
!

Review example 1.7 for obtaining time dilation from the Lorentz tranforms
 Lorentz Transformations
Lorentz transformations of velocity:

dx ! d (" (x # vt))
u!x = =
dt ! d (" (t # vx c 2 )

dx ! " (dx # vdt) dx dt # v

u!x = = =
dt ! " (dt # vdx c 2 1# v ( dx dt ) c 2

ux " v u!x + v
u!x = ux =
1" ux v c 2 1+ u!y v c 2

dy! dy dy dt
u y! = = =
(
dt ! " dt # vdx c 2 ) (
" dt / dt # v c 2 dx / dt ( ) )
uy uz
u y! = uz! =
" (1 # u x v c 2 ) (
" 1 # ux v c2 )
 Lorentz Transformations
Relative velocities: Two spaceships are approaching each other at the same speeds
(0.99c) relative to the Earth. Find their relative speed.
 Lorentz Transformations
Relative velocities: Two spaceships are approaching each other at the same speeds
(0.99c) relative to the Earth. Find their relative speed.
S: rest frame of the Earth
S’: frame of the spaceship moving at speed v to the right relative to Earth.
2nd spaceship moving to the left is with speed u = -v relative to the earth.
Speed u’ of 2nd spaceship in the S’ reference frame:

v = 0.99c ux = – 0.99c
y S’

S = earth
x

ux ! v !0.99c ! 0.99c !1.98c

u x' = = = = !0.99995c
2 2 1.9801
1 ! vu x c 1 ! (0.99c )(!0.99c ) c
 Spacetime Interval
The spacetime interval Δs is defined to be
2 2 2 2 2
("s) = (c"t ) # ("x ) # ("y ) # ("z)
Using the Lorentz transformations,
2 2 2 2 2
! ("s#) = (c"t #) $ ("x #) $ ("y #) $ ("z#)
2
= ("s)

The spacetime interval is invariant in all inertial reference frames.

Minkowski
! diagrams show the history (world line) of a particle in spacetime:

World line of the orbit of the

earth in 2-D
 Spacetime Interval
In 1-D, 2 2 2 ct
("s) = (c"t ) # ("x )
x=-ct x=ct
•B
•C
! •D
•A
x

Events for which Δs > 0 lie inside the light cone (red lines) and are timelike
separated (Example: A & B). A signal from A to B can connect them causally.
Events for which Δs = 0 lie on the light cone (red lines) and are lightlike
separated (Example: A & C).
Events for which Δs < 0 lie outside the light cone (red lines) and are spacelike
separated (Example: A & D). A signal between A and D cannot connect them
causally.