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Einstein's "Zur elektrodynamik ..." (1905) revisited, with some consequences

DSpace at IIT Bombay

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Title Einstein's "Zur elektrodynamik ..." (1905) revisited, with some consequences
 
Creator AGASHE, SD
 
Subject operational meaning
co-ordinate system
representation
 
Description Einstein, in his "Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Korper", gave a physical (operational) meaning to "time" of a remote event in describing "motion" by introducing the concept of "synchronous stationary clocks located at different places". But with regard to "place" in describing motion, he assumed without analysis the concept of a system of co-ordinates. In the present paper, we propose a way of giving physical (operational) meaning to the concepts of "place" and "co-ordinate system", and show how the observer can define both the place and time of a remote event. Following Einstein, we consider another system "in uniform motion of translation relatively to the former". Without assuming "the properties of homogeneity which we attribute to space and time", we show that the definitions of space and time in the two systems are linearly related. We deduce some novel consequences of our approach regarding faster-than-light observers and particles, "one-way" and "two-way" velocities of light, symmetry, the "group property" of inertial reference frames, length contraction and time dilatation, and the "twin paradox". Finally, we point out a flaw in Einstein's argument in the "Electrodynamical Part" of his paper and show that the Lorentz force formula and Einstein's formula for transformation of field quantities are mutually consistent. We show that for faster-than-light bodies, a simple modification of Planck's formula for mass suffices. (Except for the reference to Planck's formula, we restrict ourselves to Physics of 1905.)
 
Publisher SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS
 
Date 2011-08-30T14:10:12Z
2011-12-26T12:58:59Z
2011-12-27T05:49:48Z
2011-08-30T14:10:12Z
2011-12-26T12:58:59Z
2011-12-27T05:49:48Z
2006
 
Type Article
 
Identifier FOUNDATIONS OF PHYSICS, 36(7), 955-1011
0015-9018
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10701-006-9055-y
http://dspace.library.iitb.ac.in/xmlui/handle/10054/12346
http://hdl.handle.net/10054/12346
 
Language en