Three +1 Faces of Invariance
Abstract
A careful look at an allegedly well-known century-old concept reveals interesting aspects in it that have generally avoided recognition in literature. There are four different kinds of physical observables known or proclaimed as relativistic invariants under space-time rotations. Only observables in the first three categories are authentic invariants, whereas the single "invariant" - proper length - in the fourth category is actually not an invariant. The proper length has little is anything to do with proper distance which is a true invariant. On the other hand, proper distance, proper time, and rest mass have more in common than usually recognized, and particularly, mass - time analogy opens another view of the twin paradox.
- Publication:
-
arXiv e-prints
- Pub Date:
- December 2009
- DOI:
- 10.48550/arXiv.1001.0088
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1001.0088
- Bibcode:
- 2010arXiv1001.0088F
- Keywords:
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- Physics - General Physics;
- Physics - Classical Physics
- E-Print:
- 18 pages, 5 figures