Lorentz transformations in the context of Linear transformation


Lorentz transformations in the context of Linear transformation

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⭐ Core Definition: Lorentz transformations

In physics, the Lorentz transformations are a six-parameter family of linear transformations from a coordinate frame in spacetime to another frame that moves at a constant velocity relative to the former. The respective inverse transformation is then parameterized by the negative of this velocity. The transformations are named after the Dutch physicist Hendrik Lorentz.

The most common form of the transformation, parametrized by the real constant representing a velocity confined to the x-direction, is expressed aswhere (t, x, y, z) and (t′, x′, y′, z′) are the coordinates of an event in two frames with the spatial origins coinciding at t = t′ = 0, where the primed frame is seen from the unprimed frame as moving with speed v along the x-axis, where c is the speed of light, and is the Lorentz factor. When speed v is much smaller than c, the Lorentz factor is negligibly different from 1, but as v approaches c, grows without bound. The value of v must be smaller than c for the transformation to make sense.

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Lorentz transformations in the context of Annus mirabilis papers

The annus mirabilis papers (from Latin: annus mirabilis, lit.'miraculous year') are four papers that Albert Einstein published in the scientific journal Annalen der Physik (Annals of Physics) in 1905. As major contributions to the foundation of modern physics, these scientific publications were the ones for which he gained fame among physicists. They revolutionized science's understanding of the fundamental concepts of space, time, mass, and energy.

  1. The first paper explained the photoelectric effect, which established the energy of the light quanta , and was the only specific discovery mentioned in the citation awarding Einstein the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics.
  2. The second paper explained Brownian motion, which established the Einstein relation and compelled physicists to accept the existence of atoms.
  3. The third paper introduced Einstein's special theory of relativity, which proclaims the constancy of the speed of light and derives the Lorentz transformations. Einstein also examined relativistic aberration and the transverse Doppler effect.
  4. The fourth, a consequence of special relativity, developed the principle of mass–energy equivalence, expressed in the equation and which led to the discovery and use of nuclear power decades later.

These four papers, together with quantum mechanics and Einstein's later general theory of relativity, are the foundation of modern physics.

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Lorentz transformations in the context of Velocity-addition formula

In relativistic physics, a velocity-addition formula is an equation that specifies how to combine the velocities of objects in a way that is consistent with the requirement that no object's speed can exceed the speed of light. Such formulas apply to successive Lorentz transformations, so they also relate different frames. Accompanying velocity addition is a kinematic effect known as Thomas precession, whereby successive non-collinear Lorentz boosts become equivalent to the composition of a rotation of the coordinate system and a boost.

Standard applications of velocity-addition formulas include the Doppler shift, Doppler navigation, the aberration of light, and the dragging of light in moving water observed in the 1851 Fizeau experiment.

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