Chapter 12: Q57P (page 570)
Show that the potential representation (Eq. 12.133) automatically satisfies [Suggestion: Use Prob. 12.54.]
Short Answer
The potential representation is automatically satisfied
Chapter 12: Q57P (page 570)
Show that the potential representation (Eq. 12.133) automatically satisfies [Suggestion: Use Prob. 12.54.]
The potential representation is automatically satisfied
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Get started for freeIn the past, most experiments in particle physics involved stationary targets: one particle (usually a proton or an electron) was accelerated to a high energy E, and collided with a target particle at rest (Fig. 12.29a). Far higher relative energies are obtainable (with the same accelerator) if you accelerate both particles to energy E, and fire them at each other (Fig. 12.29b). Classically, the energy of one particle, relative to the other, is just (why?) . . . not much of a gain (only a factor of ). But relativistically the gain can be enormous. Assuming the two particles have the same mass, m, show that
(12.58)
FIGURE 12.29
Suppose you use protons with . What do you get? What multiple of E does this amount to? [Because of this relativistic enhancement, most modern elementary particle experiments involve colliding beams, instead of fixed targets.]
(a) Equation 12.40 defines proper velocity in terms of ordinary velocity. Invert that equation to get the formula for u in terms of .
(b) What is the relation between proper velocity and rapidity (Eq. 12.34)? Assume the velocity is along the x direction, and find as a function of .
Check Eq. 12.29, using Eq. 12.27. [This only proves the invariance of the scalar product for transformations along the x direction. But the scalar product is also invariant under rotations, since the first term is not affected at all, and the last three constitute the three-dimensional dot product a-b . By a suitable rotation, the x direction can be aimed any way you please, so the four-dimensional scalar product is actually invariant under arbitrary Lorentz transformations.]
A car is traveling along the line in S (Fig. 12.25), at (ordinary) speed .
(a) Find the components and of the (ordinary) velocity.
(b) Find the componentsrole="math" localid="1658247416805" and of the proper velocity.
(c) Find the zeroth component of the 4-velocity, .
System is moving in the x direction with (ordinary) speed , relative to S. By using the appropriate transformation laws:
(d) Find the (ordinary) velocity components and in .
(e) Find the proper velocity components and in .
(f) As a consistency check, verify that
As an illustration of the principle of relativity in classical mechanics, consider the following generic collision: In inertial frame S, particle A (mass, velocity ) hits particle B (mass, velocity ). In the course of the collision some mass rubs off A and onto B, and we are left with particles C (mass, velocity ) and D (mass , velocity ). Assume that momentum is conserved in S.
(a) Prove that momentum is also conserved in inertial frame, which moves with velocity relative to S. [Use Galileo’s velocity addition rule—this is an entirely classical calculation. What must you assume about mass?]
(b) Suppose the collision is elastic in S; show that it is also elastic in .
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