Transformation or Lorentz-Fitzgerald Transformation
Transformation or Lorentz-Fitzgerald Transformation
Transformation or Lorentz-Fitzgerald Transformation
Lorentz transformation
In physics, the Lorentz transformation or Lorentz-Fitzgerald transformation describes how, according to the theory of special relativity, different measurements of space and time by two observers can be converted into the measurements observed in either frame of reference. It is named after the Dutch physicist Hendrik Lorentz. It reflects the fact that observers moving at different velocities may measure different distances, elapsed times, and even different orderings of events. The Lorentz transformation was originally the result of attempts by Lorentz and others to explain how the speed of light was observed to be Lorentz transformations on the Minkowski light cone spacetime diagram, for one spatial independent of the reference frame, dimension. The greater the relative speed between the inertial frames, the more "warped" and to understand the symmetries of the axes become. The red diagonal lines are world lines for light - the relative velocity the laws of electromagnetism. Albert cannot exceed c. The hyperbolae indicate this is a hyperbolic rotation, the hyperbolic angle is called rapidity - see below. Einstein later re-derived the transformation from his postulates of special relativity. The Lorentz transformation supersedes the Galilean transformation of Newtonian physics, which assumes an absolute space and time (see Galilean relativity). According to special relativity, the Galilean transformation is a good approximation only at relative speeds much smaller than the speed of light. If space is homogeneous, then the Lorentz transformation must be a linear transformation. It may include a rotation of space; a rotation-free Lorentz transformation is called a Lorentz boost. Since relativity postulates that the speed of light is the same for all observers, the Lorentz transformation must preserve the spacetime interval between any two events in Minkowski space. The Lorentz transformation describes only the transformations in which the spacetime event at the origin is left fixed, so they can be considered as a hyperbolic rotation of Minkowski space. The more general set of transformations that also includes translations is known as the Poincar group.
History
See also History of Lorentz transformations. Many physicists, including Woldemar Voigt, George FitzGerald, Joseph Larmor, Hendrik Lorentz had been discussing the physics behind these equations since 1887.[1][2] Larmor and Lorentz, who believed the luminiferous ether hypothesis, were seeking the transformation under which Maxwell's equations were invariant when transformed from the ether to a moving frame. Early in 1889, Oliver Heaviside had shown from Maxwell's equations that the electric field surrounding a spherical distribution of charge should cease to have spherical symmetry once the charge is in motion relative to the ether. FitzGerald then conjectured that Heavisides distortion result might be
Lorentz transformation applied to a theory of intermolecular forces. Some months later, FitzGerald published his conjecture in Science to explain the baffling outcome of the 1887 ether-wind experiment of Michelson and Morley. This idea was extended by Lorentz[3] and Larmor[4] over several years, and became known as the FitzGerald-Lorentz explanation of the Michelson-Morley null result, known early on through the writings of Lodge, Lorentz, Larmor, and FitzGerald.[5] Their explanation was widely known before 1905.[6] Larmor is also credited to have been the first to understand the crucial time dilation property inherent in his equations.[7] In 1905, Henri Poincar was the first to recognize that the transformation has the properties of a mathematical group, and named it after Lorentz.[8] Later in the same year Einstein derived the Lorentz transformation under the assumptions of the principle of relativity and the constancy of the speed of light in any inertial reference frame,[9] obtaining results that were algebraically equivalent to Larmor's (1897) and Lorentz's (1899, 1904), but with a different interpretation. Paul Langevin (1911) said of the transformation:[10] "It is the great merit of H. A. Lorentz to have seen that the fundamental equations of electromagnetism admit a group of transformations which enables them to have the same form when one passes from one frame of reference to another; this new transformation has the most profound implications for the transformations of space and time".
An observer O, situated at the origin of a local set of coordinates - a frame of reference F. The observer in this frame uses the coordinates (x, y, z, t) to describe a spacetime event, shown as a star.
Lorentz transformation
Below the Lorentz transformations are called "boosts" in the stated directions.
where: v is the relative velocity between frames in the x-direction, c is the speed of light, is the Lorentz factor (Greek lowercase gamma), (Greek lowercase beta), again for the x-direction.
The space-time coordinates of an event, as measured by each observer in their inertial reference frame (in standard configuration) are shown in the speech bubbles.Top: frame F' moves at velocity v along the x-axis of frame F.Bottom: frame F moves at velocity v along the x'-axis of frame F'.University Physics With Modern Physics (12th Edition), H.D. Young, R.A. Freedman (Original edition), Addison-Wesley (Pearson International), 1st Edition: 1949, 12th Edition: 2008, ISBN (10-) 0-321-50130-6, ISBN (13-) 978-0-321-50130-1
The use of and is standard throughout the literature.[14] For the remainder of the article - they will be also used throughout unless otherwise stated. Since the above is a linear system of equations (more technically a linear transformation), they can be written in matrix form:
summarized by
Lorentz transformation where v and so are now in the y-direction. For the z-direction:
summarized by
where v and so are now in the z-direction. These are easily obtained by Cyclic permutations of x, y, z. If we couldn't do this - it would imply the laws of physics would be different in each direction. This is not the case, by experimentation and observation. The Lorentz or boost matrix is usually denoted by (Greek capital lambda). Above the transformations have been applied to the four-position R,
The Lorentz transform for a boost in one of the above directions can be compactly written as a single matrix equation: However, the transformation matrix is universal for all four-vectors.[15] If A is any four-vector, then:
where: x0 is the time coordinate, xi, xj, xk are spatial coordinates, i and vi are in the direction of relative motion, The indices i, j, k each correspond a direction mutually perpendicular to the others, so xi is mutually perpendicular to xj and xk, xj mutually perpendicular to xi and xk etc., for all cyclic permutations of i, j, k.
Lorentz transformation
where: (cartesian notation) equivalently written equivalently written equivalently written where applies for the resultant velocity v, not only one component. (component notation),
Although the matrix is symmetric, it appears daunting and unwieldy. To make it easier to remember and use, we could simply write the matrix in terms of components.[15] The above transformation has the structure:
Note that this transformation is only the "boost," i.e., a transformation between two frames whose x, y, and z axis are parallel and whose spacetime origins coincide (see The "Standard configuration" Figure). The most general proper Lorentz transformation also contains a rotation of the three axes, because the composition of two boosts is not a pure boost but is a boost followed by a rotation. The rotation gives rise to Thomas precession. The boost is given by a symmetric matrix, but the general Lorentz transformation matrix need not be symmetric.
Lorentz transformation
If the 33 matrix form of the rotation applied to spatial coordinates is given by gyr[u,v], then the 44 matrix rotation applied to 4-coordinates is given by: .[16] For a boost in an arbitrary direction with velocity , it is convenient to decompose the spatial vector into components perpendicular and parallel to the velocity : . Then only the component in the direction of is 'warped' by the gamma factor:
Views of spacetime along the world line of a rapidly accelerating observer (center) moving in a 1-dimensional (straight line) "universe". The vertical direction indicates time, while the horizontal indicates distance, the dashed line is the spacetime trajectory ("world line") of the observer. The small dots are specific events in spacetime. If one imagines these events to be the flashing of a light, then the events that pass the two diagonal lines in the bottom half of the image (the past light cone of the observer in the origin) are the events visible to the observer. The slope of the world line (deviation from being vertical) gives the relative velocity to the observer. Note how the view of spacetime changes when the observer accelerates.
where now
where I is the identity matrix, v is velocity written as a column vector, vT is its transpose (a row vector) and versor.
is its
Lorentz transformation
Rapidity
The Lorentz transformation can be cast into another useful form by defining a parameter instance of hyperbolic angle) such that called the rapidity (an
so that
Equivalently:
and therefore,
Thus, the Lorentz transformation can be seen as a hyperbolic rotation of coordinates in Minkowski space, where the parameter represents the hyperbolic angle of rotation, often referred to as rapidity. This transformation is sometimes illustrated with a Minkowski diagram, as shown at the beginning of the article.
Lorentz transformation
distinguish between the spatial and temporal coordinates in Maxwell's equations. This yields the following transformations:
Spacetime interval
In a given coordinate system ( ), if two events and are separated by
This can be written in another form using the Minkowski metric. In this coordinate system,
or
It is a result of special relativity that the interval is an invariant. That is, shown Here,
[20]
that it is necessary (but not sufficient) for the coordinate transformation to be of the form is a constant vector and a constant matrix, where we require that
Such a transformation is called a Poincar transformation or an inhomogeneous Lorentz transformation.[21] The represents a spacetime translation. When transformation, or simply a Lorentz transformation. Taking the determinant of gives us , the transformation is called an homogeneous Lorentz
form a subgroup called proper Lorentz transformations which is . Those with are called improper Lorentz
transformations which is not a subgroup, as the product of any two improper Lorentz transformations will be a proper Lorentz transformation. From the above definition of it can be shown that , so either or , called orthochronous and non-orthochronous respectively. An important subgroup of
the proper Lorentz transformations are the proper orthochronous Lorentz transformations which consist purely of boosts and rotations. Any Lorentz transform can be written as a proper orthochronous, together with one or both of the two discrete transformations; space inversion ( ) and time reversal ( ), whose non-zero elements are:
The set of Poincar transformations satisfies the properties of a group and is called the Poincar group. Under the Erlangen program, Minkowski space can be viewed as the geometry defined by the Poincar group, which combines Lorentz transformations with translations. In a similar way, the set of all Lorentz transformations forms a group, called the Lorentz group. A quantity invariant under Lorentz transformations is known as a Lorentz scalar.
Lorentz transformation
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Special relativity
One of the most astounding consequences of Einstein's clock-setting method is the idea that time is relative. In essence, each observer's frame of reference is associated with a unique set of clocks, the result being that time passes at different rates for different observers.[22] This was a direct result of the Lorentz transformations and is called time dilation. We can also clearly see from the Lorentz "local time" transformation that the concept of the relativity of simultaneity and of the relativity of length contraction are also consequences of that clock-setting hypothesis. Lorentz transformations can also be used to prove that magnetic and electric fields are simply different aspects of the same force the electromagnetic force. If we have one charge or a collection of charges which are all stationary with respect to each other, we can observe the system in a frame in which there is no motion of the charges. In this frame, there is only an "electric field". If we switch to a moving frame, the Lorentz transformation will predict that a "magnetic field" is present. This field was initially unified in Maxwell's concept of the "electromagnetic field".
Derivation
The usual treatment (e.g., Einstein's original work) is based on the invariance of the speed of light. However, this is not necessarily the starting point: indeed (as is exposed, for example, in the second volume of the Course of Theoretical Physics by Landau and Lifshitz), what is really at stake is the locality of interactions: one supposes that the influence that one particle, say, exerts on another can not be transmitted instantaneously. Hence, there exists a theoretical maximal speed of information transmission which must be invariant, and it turns out that this speed coincides with the speed of light in vacuum. The need for locality in physical theories was already noted by Newton (see Koestler's The Sleepwalkers), who considered the notion of an action at a distance "philosophically absurd" and believed that gravity must be transmitted by an agent (such as an interstellar aether) which obeys certain physical laws. Michelson and Morley in 1887 designed an experiment, employing an interferometer and a half-silvered mirror, that was accurate enough to detect aether flow. The mirror system reflected the light back into the interferometer. If there were an aether drift, it would produce a phase shift and a change in the interference that would be detected. However, no phase shift was ever found. The negative outcome of the Michelson-Morley experiment left the concept of aether (or its drift) undermined. There was consequent perplexity as to why light evidently behaves like a wave, without any detectable medium through which wave activity might propagate. In a 1964 paper,[23] Erik Christopher Zeeman showed that the causality preserving property, a condition that is weaker in a mathematical sense than the invariance of the speed of light, is enough to assure that the coordinate transformations are the Lorentz transformations.
Lorentz transformation
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is the same, . 3. Identity element: there is an identity element, a transformation . 4. Inverse element: for any transformation there exists an inverse transformation Transformation matrices consistent with group axioms
Let us consider two inertial frames, K and K', the latter moving with velocity with respect to the former. By rotations and shifts we can choose the z and z' axes along the relative velocity vector and also that the events (t=0,z=0) and (t'=0,z'=0) coincide. Since the velocity boost is along the z (and z') axes nothing happens to the perpendicular coordinates and we can just omit them for brevity. Now since the transformation we are looking after connects two inertial frames, it has to transform a linear motion in (t,z) into a linear motion in (t',z') coordinates. Therefore it must be a linear transformation. The general form of a linear transformation is
where
and
Let us now consider the motion of the origin of the frame K'. In the K' frame it has coordinates (t',z'=0), while in the K frame it has coordinates (t,z=vt). These two points are connected by our transformation
from which we get . Analogously, considering the motion of the origin of the frame K, we get
from which we get . Combining these two gives and the transformation matrix has simplified a bit,
Now let us consider the group postulate inverse element. There are two ways we can go from the system to the coordinate system. The first is to apply the inverse of the transform matrix to the
coordinate coordinates:
Lorentz transformation
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The second is, considering that the system, the Replacing with
relative to the
coordinate
relative to the
coordinate system.
relativistic contraction and time dilation. These two (in an isotropic world of ours) cannot depend upon the direction of . Thus, and comparing the two matrices, we get
According to the closure group postulate a composition of two coordinate transformations is also a coordinate transformation, thus the product of two of our matrices should also be a matrix of the same form. Transforming to and from to gives the following transformation matrix to go from to :
In the original transform matrix, the main diagonal elements are both equal to
matrix above to be of the same form as the original transform matrix, the main diagonal elements must also be equal. Equating these elements and rearranging gives:
is always nonzero, as
identity matrix which coincides with putting v=0 in the matrix we get at the end of this derivation for the other values of v, making the final matrix valid for all nonnegative v. For the nonzero v, this combination of function must be a universal constant, one and the same for all inertial frames. Let's define this constant as where has the dimension of . Solving
we finally get
and thus the transformation matrix, consistent with the group axioms, is given by
If
coordinate and vice versa. We exclude this on physical grounds, because time can only run in the positive direction. Thus two types of transformation matrices are consistent with group postulates: i) with the universal constant =0 and ii) with <0.
Lorentz transformation Galilean transformations If then we get the Galilean-Newtonian kinematics with the Galilean transformation,
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which becomes the invariant speed, the speed of light in vacuum. This
yields
where the speed of light is a finite universal constant determining the highest possible relative velocity between inertial frames. If the Galilean transformation is a good approximation to the Lorentz transformation.
Only experiment can answer the question which of the two possibilities, =0 or <0, is realised in our world. The experiments measuring the speed of light, first performed by a Danish physicist Ole Rmer, show that it is finite, and the MichelsonMorley experiment showed that it is an absolute speed, and thus that <0.
The Lorentz transformation becomes the Galilean transformation when = B = 1 , b = -v and A = 0. An object at rest in the R' frame at position x=0 moves with constant velocity v in the R frame. Hence the transformation must yield x=0 if x=v t. Therefore, b=- v and the first equation is written as:
Lorentz transformation Principle of relativity According to the principle of relativity, there is no privileged Galilean frame of reference. Therefore, the inverse transformation for the position from frame R to frame R must be
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with the same value of (which must therefore be an even function of v). The speed of light is constant Since the speed of light is the same in all frames of reference, for the case of a light signal, the transformation must guarantee that t= x/c and t'=x'/c. Substituting for t and t in the preceding equations gives:
At any time after t = t' = 0, xx' is not zero, so dividing both sides of the equation by xx' results in
which is called the "Lorentz factor". Transformation of time The transformation equation for time can be easily obtained by considering the special case of a light signal, satisfying
Substituting term by term into the earlier obtained equation for the spatial coordinate
gives
so that
So A and B are the unique coefficients necessary to preserve the constancy of the speed of light in the primed system of coordinates.
Lorentz transformation Einstein's popular derivation In his popular book[22] Einstein derived the Lorentz transformation by arguing that there must be two non-zero coupling constants and such that
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that correspond to light traveling along the positive and negative x-axis, respectively. For light x = ct if and only if x' = ct'. Adding and subtracting the two equations and defining
gives
Substituting x' = 0 corresponding to x = vt and noting that the relative velocity is v = bc/, this gives
The constant
References
[1] O'Connor, John J.; Robertson, Edmund F., A History of Special Relativity (http:/ / www-groups. dcs. st-and. ac. uk/ ~history/ HistTopics/ Special_relativity. html), [2] Sinha, Supurna (2000), "Poincar and the Special Theory of Relativity" (http:/ / www. ias. ac. in/ resonance/ Feb2000/ pdf/ Feb2000p12-15. pdf), Resonance 5 (2): 1215, doi:10.1007/BF02838818, [3] See History of Special Relativity. The work is contained within Lorentz, Hendrik Antoon (1895), Attempt of a Theory of Electrical and Optical Phenomena in Moving Bodies, Leiden, [The Netherlands]: E.J. Brill; Lorentz, Hendrik Antoon (1899), "Simplified Theory of Electrical and Optical Phenomena in Moving Systems", Proc. Acad. Science Amsterdam I: 427443; and Lorentz, Hendrik Antoon (1904), "Electromagnetic phenomena in a system moving with any velocity smaller than that of light", Proc. Acad. Science Amsterdam IV: 669678 [4] Larmor, J. (1897), "On a Dynamical Theory of the Electric and Luminiferous Medium, Part 3, Relations with material media", Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society 190: 205300, Bibcode1897RSPTA.190..205L, doi:10.1098/rsta.1897.0020 [5] Brown, Harvey R., Michelson, FitzGerald and Lorentz: the Origins of Relativity Revisited (http:/ / philsci-archive. pitt. edu/ id/ eprint/ 987), [6] Rothman, Tony (2006), "Lost in Einstein's Shadow" (http:/ / www. americanscientist. org/ libraries/ documents/ 200622102452_866. pdf), American Scientist 94 (2): 112f., [7] Macrossan, Michael N. (1986), "A Note on Relativity Before Einstein" (http:/ / espace. library. uq. edu. au/ view. php?pid=UQ:9560), Brit. Journal Philos. Science 37: 23234, [8] The reference is within the following paper: Poincar, Henri (1905), "On the Dynamics of the Electron", Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des sances de l'Acadmie des sciences 140: 15041508 [9] Einstein, Albert (1905-06-30), "Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Krper" (http:/ / www. pro-physik. de/ Phy/ pdfs/ ger_890_921. pdf), Annalen der Physik 17 (10): 891921, Bibcode1905AnP...322..891E, doi:10.1002/andp.19053221004, , retrieved 2009-02-02. [10] The citation is within the following paper: Langevin, P. (1911), "L'volution de l'space et du temps", Scientia X: 3154 [11] University Physics With Modern Physics (12th Edition), H.D. Young, R.A. Freedman (Original edition), Addison-Wesley (Pearson International), 1st Edition: 1949, 12th Edition: 2008, ISBN (10-) 0-321-50130-6, ISBN (13-) 978-0-321-50130-1 [12] Dynamics and Relativity, J.R. Forshaw, A.G. Smith, Manchester Physics Series, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, ISBN 978-0-470-01460-8 [13] http:/ / hyperphysics. phy-astr. gsu. edu/ hbase/ hframe. html. Hyperphysics, web-based physics matrial hosted by Georgia State University, USA. [14] Relativity DeMystified, D. McMahon, Mc Graw Hill (USA), 2006, ISBN 0-07-145545-0 [15] Gravitation, J.A. Wheeler, C. Misner, K.S. Thorne, W.H. Freeman & Co, 1973, ISBN 0-7167-0344-0 [16] Ungar, A. A: The relativistic velocity composition paradox and the Thomas rotation. (http:/ / www. springerlink. com/ content/ g157304vh4434413/ ) Found. Phys. 19, 13851396 (1989) [17] The relativistic composite-velocity reciprocity principle (http:/ / citeseerx. ist. psu. edu/ viewdoc/ download?doi=10. 1. 1. 35. 1131& rep=rep1& type=pdf), AA Ungar - Foundations of Physics, 2000 - Springer
Lorentz transformation
[18] eq. (55), Thomas rotation and the parameterization of the Lorentz transformation group, AA Ungar - Foundations of Physics Letters, 1988 [19] Daniel, Herbert (1997), "4.5.1" (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=8vAC8YG41goC), Physik: Elektrodynamik, relativistische Physik, Walter de Gruyter, pp.360361, ISBN3-11-015777-2, , Extract of pages 360-361 (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=8vAC8YG41goC& pg=PA360) [20] Weinberg, Steven (1972), Gravitation and Cosmology, New York, [NY.]: Wiley, ISBN0-471-92567-5: (Section 2:1) [21] Weinberg, Steven (1995), The quantum theory of fields (3 vol.), Cambridge, [England] ; New York, [NY.]: Cambridge University Press, ISBN0-521-55001-7 : volume 1. [22] Einstein, Albert (1916). "Relativity: The Special and General Theory" (http:/ / www. archive. org/ stream/ cu31924011804774#page/ n35/ mode/ 2up) (PDF). . Retrieved 2012-01-23. [23] Zeeman, Erik Christopher (1964), "Causality implies the Lorentz group", Journal of Mathematical Physics 5 (4): 490493, Bibcode1964JMP.....5..490Z, doi:10.1063/1.1704140 [24] http:/ / arxiv. org/ abs/ gr-qc/ 0107091 [25] Stauffer, Dietrich; Stanley, Harry Eugene (1995). From Newton to Mandelbrot: A Primer in Theoretical Physics (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=o8rvAAAAMAAJ) (2nd enlarged ed.). Springer-Verlag. p.80,81. ISBN978-3-540-59191-7. .
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Further reading
Einstein, Albert (1961), Relativity: The Special and the General Theory (http://www.marxists.org/reference/ archive/einstein/works/1910s/relative/), New York: Three Rivers Press (published 1995), ISBN0-517-88441-0 Ernst, A.; Hsu, J.-P. (2001), "First proposal of the universal speed of light by Voigt 1887" (http://psroc.phys. ntu.edu.tw/cjp/v39/211.pdf), Chinese Journal of Physics 39 (3): 211230, Bibcode2001ChJPh..39..211E Thornton, Stephen T.; Marion, Jerry B. (2004), Classical dynamics of particles and systems (5th ed.), Belmont, [CA.]: Brooks/Cole, pp.546579, ISBN0-534-40896-6 Voigt, Woldemar (1887), "ber das Doppler'sche princip", Nachrichten von der Kniglicher Gesellschaft den Wissenschaft zu Gttingen 2: 4151
External links
Derivation of the Lorentz transformations (http://www2.physics.umd.edu/~yakovenk/teaching/Lorentz.pdf). This web page contains a more detailed derivation of the Lorentz transformation with special emphasis on group properties. The Paradox of Special Relativity (http://casa.colorado.edu/~ajsh/sr/paradox.html). This webpage poses a problem, the solution of which is the Lorentz transformation, which is presented graphically in its next page. Relativity (http://www.lightandmatter.com/html_books/0sn/ch07/ch07.html) - a chapter from an online textbook Special Relativity: The Lorentz Transformation, The Velocity Addition Law (http://physnet.org/home/modules/ pdf_modules/m12.pdf) on Project PHYSNET (http://www.physnet.org) Warp Special Relativity Simulator (http://www.adamauton.com/warp/). A computer program demonstrating the Lorentz transformations on everyday objects. Animation clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2VMO7pcWhg) visualizing the Lorentz transformation. Lorentz Frames Animated (http://math.ucr.edu/~jdp/Relativity/Lorentz_Frames.html) from John de Pillis. Online Flash animations of Galilean and Lorentz frames, various paradoxes, EM wave phenomena, etc.
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License
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