Introduction to relativity / John B. Kogut.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kogut, John B.

Series:

Complementary science series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Relativity (Physics).

Physical Description:

xv, 178 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

San Diego, Calif. : Harcourt/Academic Press, [2001]

Summary:

Introduction to Relativity is intended to teach physics and astronomy majors at the freshman, sophomore or upper-division levels how to think about special and general relativity in a fundamental, but accessible, way. Designed to render any reader a "master of relativity," everything on the subject is comprehensible and derivable from first principles. The book emphasizes problem solving, contains abundant problem sets, and is conveniently organized to meet the needs of both student an instructor. b "Simplicity: the book teaches space and time in relativity in a physical fashion with minimal mathematicsb" Conciseness: the book teaches relativity by emphasizing the basic simplicity of the principles at workb "Visualization: space-time diagrams (Minkowski) illustrate phenomena from simultaneity to the resolution of the twin paradox in a concrete fashionb" Worked problems: two chapters of challenging problems solved in several ways illustrate and teach the principlesb" Problem sets: each chapter is accompanied by a full set of problems for the student that teach the principles and some new phenonmena

Contents:

1 Physics According to Newton

A World with No Speed Limit 1

2 Physics According to Einstein 7

2.1 A World with a Speed Limit 7

2.2 Making a Clock with Mirrors and Light 8

2.3 Lorentz Contraction 12

2.4 The Relativity of Simultaneity 14

2.5 Time Dilation Revisited 16

2.6 Lorentz Contraction Revisited 18

3 Visualizing Relativity

Minkowski Diagrams 23

3.1 Space and Time Axes for Inertial Frames and the Constancy of Light 23

3.2 Visualizing the Relativity of Simultaneity, Time Dilation, and Lorentz Contraction 28

3.3 The Doppler Effect 32

3.4 The Twin Paradox 34

3.5 Einstein Meets Shakespeare

Relativistic History 39

4 Assorted Applications 43

4.1 Lorentz Transformation 43

4.1.1 Time Dilation 45

4.1.2 Lorentz Contraction 45

4.1.3 Relativity of Simultaneity 45

4.2 Relativistic Velocity Addition 46

4.3 Causality, Light Cones, and Proper Time 48

5 Illustrations and Problems in Space-Time Measurements 55

5.1 A Spaceship Rendevous 55

5.2 A Hole in the Ice 57

5.3 A Velocity Greater Than the Speed Limit? 60

6 Relativistic Dynamics 64

6.1 Energy, Light, and E = mc[superscript 2] 64

6.2 Patching up Newtonian Dynamics

Relativistic Momentum and Energy 67

6.3 Relativistic Force and Energy Conservation 73

6.4 Energy and Momentum Conservation, and Four-Vectors 76

6.5 Collisions and Conservation Laws

Converting Mass to Energy and Energy to Mass 79

6.6 Further Topics in Special Relativity 85

7 A Gentle Introduction to General Relativity 93

7.1 The Equivalence Principle, Gravity, and Apparent Forces 93

7.2 Motion in a Rotating, Relativistic Reference Frame 100

7.3 A Look at Curved Surfaces 106

7.4 Gravitational Red Shift 110

7.4.1 A Freely Falling Inertial Frame 110

7.4.2 An Accelerating Spaceship 112

7.4.3 Gravitational Red Shift and the Relativity of Simultaneity 113

7.4.4 A Rotating Reference Frame 114

7.4.5 A Famous Experimental Test of Gravitational Red Shift 115

7.4.6 Gravitational Red Shift and Energy Conservation 116

7.5 The Twins Again 118

7.6 Making the Most out of Time 119

7.7 Gravitational Field of a Spherical Mass

The Schwarzschild Metric 120

7.8 Bending of Light in a Gravitational Field 122

8 Illustrations, Problems, and Discussions in General Relativity 129

8.1 An Aging Astronaut 129

8.2 Geometry and Gravity 131

8.3 Does Gravity Make Light Go Faster? 135

8.4 Trapping Light (and Other Stuff) in Black Holes 138.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (page 173) and index.

ISBN:

0124175619

OCLC:

46943025