Active interpretation of the Lorentz ``boosts'' as a physical explanation of different time rates
Abstract
The purely passive interpretation of the Lorentz transformation does not explain why an accelerated system actually has a changed time rate (e.g., as in the case of the twins' paradox). This has made the theory in some ways rather difficult to understand. In this paper, we propose an active interpretation of the Lorentz transformation or ``boost,'' and show that it leads to a simple and clear explanation of how and why time rates change. Thus the meaning of the theory is clarified and made more evident.
- Publication:
-
American Journal of Physics
- Pub Date:
- August 1985
- DOI:
- 10.1119/1.14300
- Bibcode:
- 1985AmJPh..53..720B
- Keywords:
-
- 03.30.+p;
- Special relativity