Time dilation in relativistic two-particle interactions
- Intense Laser Physics Theory Unit and Department of Physics, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790-4560 (United States)
- 2255 Showers Drive, Unit 153, Mountain View, California 94040 (United States)
We study the orbits of two interacting particles described by a fully relativistic classical mechanical Hamiltonian. We use two sets of initial conditions. In the first set (dynamics 1) the system's center of mass is at rest. In the second set (dynamics 2) the center of mass evolves with velocity V. If dynamics 1 is observed from a reference frame moving with velocity -V, the principle of relativity requires that all observables must be identical to those of dynamics 2 seen from the laboratory frame. Our numerical simulations demonstrate that kinematic Lorentz space-time transformations fail to transform particle observables between the two frames. This is explained as a result of the inevitable interaction dependence of the boost generator in the instant form of relativistic dynamics. Despite general inaccuracies of the Lorentz formulas, the orbital periods are correctly predicted by the Einstein's time dilation factor for all interaction strengths.
- OSTI ID:
- 21528573
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. A, Vol. 82, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.82.052116; (c) 2010 The American Physical Society; ISSN 1050-2947
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Positive energy dynamics and scattering theory for directly interacting relativistic particles
Nonrelativistic limit of quantum field theory in inertial and noninertial frames and the principle of equivalence
Related Subjects
GENERAL PHYSICS
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
CENTER-OF-MASS SYSTEM
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
HAMILTONIANS
PARTICLE INTERACTIONS
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
SPACE-TIME
TIME DEPENDENCE
TWO-BODY PROBLEM
ENERGY RANGE
INTERACTIONS
MANY-BODY PROBLEM
MATHEMATICAL OPERATORS
QUANTUM OPERATORS
SIMULATION