Related papers: An approach to directly probe simultaneity
We present a derivation of the relativistic length-contraction formula based on Lorentz space-time transformations on non-simultaneous events. Our derivation avoids the disputable story about the stationary observer and its simultaneous…
Can a simple microscopic model of space and time demonstrate Special Relativity as the macroscopic (aggregate) behavior of an ensemble ? The question will be investigated in three parts. First, it is shown that the Lorentz transformation…
In a recent article [1] we have explored alternative decompositions of the Lorentz transformation by adopting the synchronization convention of the target frame at the end and alternately at the outset. In this note we develop the…
In the special theory of relativity, Lorentz invariance is extended in Minkowski spacetime from ideal inertial observers to actual observers by means of the hypothesis of locality, which postulates that accelerated observers are always…
As we approach the 125th anniversary of the Michelson-Morley experiment in 2012, we review experiments that test the isotropy of the speed of light. Previous measurements are categorized into one-way (single-trip) and two-way (round-trip…
We have developed an apparatus to search for the higher-order Lorentz violation in photons by measuring the resonant frequency difference between two counterpropagating directions of an asymmetric optical ring cavity. From the year-long…
Phase compensated optical fiber links enable high accuracy atomic clocks separated by thousands of kilometers to be compared with unprecedented statistical resolution. By searching for a daily variation of the frequency difference between…
High-precision tests of local Lorentz invariance, via monitoring of the sidereal time variation of the photon energies emitted by ultrarelativistic heavy-ion beams and of the beam momentum, are proposed. This paper includes descriptions of…
Recent proposals for improved optical tests of Special Relativity have renewed interest in the interpretation of such tests. In this paper we discuss the interpretation of modern realizations of the Michelson-Morley experiment in the…
We present a didactic derivation of the special theory of relativity in which Lorentz transformations are `discovered' as symmetry transformations of the Klein-Gordon equation. The interpretation of Lorentz boosts as transformations to…
Space-time intervals corresponding to different events on the worldline of any ponderable object (for example a clock) are time-like. In consequence, in the analysis of any space-time experiment involving clocks only the region for $c\Delta…
Many authors noted that the principle of relativity together with space-time homogeneity and isotropy restrict the form of the coordinate transformations from one inertial frame to another to being Lorentz-like. The equations contain a free…
An orbiting `photon clock' is proposed to test directly the relativity of simultaneity of special relativity. This is done by comparison of the arrival times at a ground station of three microwave signals transmitted by two satellites…
Lorentz symmetry is a foundational property of modern physics, underlying the standard model of particles and general relativity. It is anticipated that these two theories are low energy approximations of a single theory that is unified and…
The determination of whether two distant events are simultaneous depends on the velocity of the observer. This velocity dependence is typically explained in terms of the relativity of space and time in a counterintuitive manner by the…
Modern experiments on neutron and allowed nuclear $\beta$ decay search for new semileptonic interactions, beyond the ``left-handed'' electroweak force. We show that ongoing and planned $\beta$-decay experiments, with isotopes at rest and in…
Questioning the presumably most basic assumptions about the structure of space and time has revolutionized our understanding of Nature. State-of-the-art atomic clocks make it possible to precisely test fundamental symmetry properties of…
A geometric illustration of the Lorentz transformations is given. According to similarity between space and time and correspondence between a ruler and a clock, like the division number in a moving ruler, the tick number of a moving clock…
The Lorentz transformation is entirely derived from length contraction, itself established through the known light-clock thought experiment . This makes the derivation accessible to beginning students once Eintein's two postulates have been…
Lorentz symmetry is the fundamental symmetry of Einstein's theory of Special Relativity and has been tested to great precision. Nevertheless, the possibility remains that it is violated at the Planck scale, as predicted by some theories of…