English

Non-coordinate time/velocity pairs in special relativity

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2008-02-03 v1 Physics Education

Abstract

Motions with respect to one inertial (or ``map'') frame are often described in terms of the coordinate time/velocity pair (or ``kinematic'') of the map frame itself. Since not all observers experience time in the same way, other time/velocity pairs describe map-frame trajectories as well. Such coexisting kinematics provide alternate variables to describe acceleration. We outline a general strategy to examine these. For example, Galileo's acceleration equations describe unidirectional relativistic motion {\it exactly} if one uses V=dxdTV=\frac{dx}{dT}, where xx is map-frame position and TT is clock time in a chase plane moving such that γ=γ2γ+1\gamma ^{\prime }=\gamma \sqrt{\frac 2{\gamma +1}}. Velocity in the traveler's kinematic, on the other hand, has dynamical and transformational properties which were lost by coordinate-velocity in the transition to Minkowski space-time. Its repeated appearance with coordinate time, when expressing relationships in simplest form, suggests complementarity between traveler and coordinate kinematic views.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.gr-qc/9607038,
  title  = {Non-coordinate time/velocity pairs in special relativity},
  author = {P. Fraundorf},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:gr-qc/9607038},
  year   = {2008}
}

Comments

RevTeX, full (3+1)D treatment w/5 tables, 1bw and 1greyscale figure. Mat'l on 1D origins at http://www.umsl.edu/~fraundor/a1toc.html

R2 v1 2026-07-22T12:51:47.942Z