Phys 481 Theory of Relativity I Homework 1 B.

. Ozg ur Saro glu due: Nov 4, 2013; Monday lecture This is a one time reminder: You are NOT allowed to talk to anyone and especially to each other about the questions. It is very important that you write your solutions on your own, and you better do this neatly and carefully. It is also important that you explain your reasoning in each question! 1-a) Consider two inertial frames S and S in standard conguration. In S the standard lattice clocks all emit a ash at noon. Prove that in S this ash occurs on a plane orthogonal to the x-axis and traveling in the positive x-direction at speed c2 /v . b) Prove that at any instant there is just one plane in S on which the clocks of S agree with the clocks of S , and that this plane moves with velocity (c2 /v )(1 1/ ). c) Illustrate on a Minkowski diagram a situation similar to that of part a) above: A ash occurs everywhere at once on the spatial x -axis of the frame S at some instant t = t0 . Show that in the usual second frame S , this ash is a bright spot traveling forward along the spatial x-axis at superluminal speed c2 /v . 2-a) Establish the approximation (v ) 10n when v/c = 0.99 . . . 995 (with 2n nines). Show also that i) v = c( 2 1)1/2 , ii) c2 d = 3 vdv , iii) d(v ) = 3 dv . We will use the latter identities later in our lectures, so these are important! b) A spaceship travels to a star 5 light-years away, in a time its crew considers to be 5 years. What is the ships speed? [This is a former GRE question and was used in an earlier PhD qualifying exam in our department!] 3- Consider the Cin Ali observing two planes example we had in class. Take the proper length of each plane to be L. i) Deduce that the relative velocity between the two planes is given by v = L/3 7 in the time units the clocks indicated in class. ii) If these units are 10 s, prove that v = 2 2c/3 and L = 85 m. iii) What is the velocity of each plane relative to the ground? 4-a) Prove the following additional relations between the rapidity and the velocity v : cosh = , sinh = v , c tanh = v . c

b) Three inertial frames S , S , S are in standard conguration with each other; S has velocity v1 relative to S , and S has velocity v2 relative to S . Prove that in this case S must have velocity (v1 + v2 )/(1 + v1 v2 /c2 ) relative to S . 5- In an inertial frame S a train of plane light waves of wavelength travels in the negative xdirection towards the observer at the origin. The loci of the wavecrests then satisfy an equation of the form x = ct + n , with n an integer. Sketch a few of such loci on a Minkowski diagram and then apply an active Lorentz transformation to deduce that in the usual second frame S , the wavelength will be given by cv . = c+v This is a relativistic Doppler formula, which we will later have more to say about. 6- A stellar object at some known large distance ejects a jet at speed v towards an observer obliquely, making an angle with the line of sight. To the observer the jet appears to be ejected sideways at speed V . Prove that V = c sin /(c/v cos ), and show that V can exceed c, e.g. when = /4.