Related papers: Special Relativity, Einstein Velocity Addition, an…
We present a comprehensive introduction to the kinematics of special relativity based on Minkowski diagrams and provide a graphical alternative to each and every topic covered in a standard introductory sequence. Compared to existing…
We have shown that Lorentz transformation is not necessary to present relativistic relative velocity. A modified definition of velocity together with Galilean transformation is equivalent to relativistic relative velocity. On the other…
Nature succeeds in accelerating extended and massive objects to relativistic velocities. Jets in Active Galactic Nuclei and in galactic superluminal sources and gamma-ray bursts fireballs have bulk Lorentz factors from a few to several…
This work analyzes the difficulties in learning and teaching Einstein's theory of special relativity. An extensive bibliographic review has been performed, considering articles published in the most relevant journals on science education,…
Einstein's general relativity is increasingly important in contemporary physics on the frontiers of both the very largest distance scales (astrophysics and cosmology) and the very smallest(elementary particle physics). This paper makes the…
This is a semipopular introduction to the Special and General Theory of Relativity, with special emphasis on the geometrical aspects of both theories and their physical implications.
Five topics: A rigid body does not exist in the special theory of relativity; distant simultaneity defined with respect to a given frame of reference without any reference to synchronized clocks; challenges on Einstein's connection of…
We give a critical analysis of the conceptual foundations of special relativity. We formulate a simple operational criterion for distinguishing between noninertial and inertial frames which is introduced prior to geometry. We associate the…
First, some superluminal phenomena and experiments are introduced briefly. Next, based on the basic principles of the special relativity, the Lorentz transformation (LT) with smaller velocity and the general Lorentz transformation (GLT)…
Was Einstein wrong? This paper provides a detailed technical review of Einstein's special and general relativity from an astrophysical perspective, including the historical development of the theories, experimental tests, modern…
This review presents an overview of various kinds of models -- physical, abstract, mathematical, visual -- that can be used to present the concepts and applications of Einstein's general theory of relativity at the level of undergraduate…
Special relativity beyond its basic treatment can be inaccessible, in particular because introductory physics courses typically view special relativity as decontextualized from the rest of physics. We seek to place special relativity back…
Under the assumption of closed-path velocity of light invariant, we show both the general expression of velocity of light in an ordinary inertial reference frame and the generalized Lorentz transformation between the ordinary inertial…
The goal of this lecture is to introduce the student to the theory of Special Relativity. Not to overload the content with mathematics, the author will stick to the simplest cases; in particular only reference frames using Cartesian…
A century ago, Einstein formulated his elegant and elaborate theory of General Relativity, which has so far withstood a multitude of empirical tests with remarkable success. Notwithstanding the triumphs of Einstein's theory, the tenacious…
In this article, we argue that the theory of special relativity, as formulated by Einstein, is a philosophical rather than a scientific theory. What is scientific and experimentally supported is the formalism of the relativistic mechanics…
Based on the principle of relativity and the postulate on universal invariant constants ($c,l$) as well as Einstein's isotropy conditions, three kinds of special relativity form a triple with a common Lorentz group as isotropy group under…
We discuss the most elementary properties of the hyperbolic trigonometry and show how they can be exploited to get a simple, albeit interesting, geometrical interpretation of the special relativity. It yields indeed a straightforword…
This paper presents some ideas which might assist teachers incorporating special relativity into an introductory physics curriculum. One can define the proper-time/velocity pair, as well as the coordinate-time/velocity pair, of a traveler…
We show that the transformation of relativistic velocities derived without using the Lorentz-Einstein transformation for the space-time coordinates of the same event and the fact that we can define the proper value of length, time interval,…