Special Relativity And Its Experimental Foundation

by Yuan-zhong Zhang

Overview

This book is divided into two parts. In the first part we introduce the foundations of special relativity, such as, the inertial frame of reference, the definition of simulataneity, and Einstein's two basic hypotheses. We give the main relativistic effects, e.g. the relativity of simultaneity, velocity addition, length-contraction, the apparent shape of a moving body, time-dilation, Doppler effect, and the Thomas precession, In particular, the simultaneity problem and slow transport of clocks are investigated in detail by means of the test theories of special relativity. In the second part, variant types of experiments performed up to now are analyzed and compared to the predictions of special relativity. This shows that the experiments are a test of the two-way speed of light, but not of the one-way speed of light.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789810227494
Publisher:	World Scientific Publishing Company, Incorporated
Publication date:	12/03/1997
Series:	Advanced Series On Theoretical Physical Science , #4
Pages:	308
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.75(d)

Editorial Reviews

Introduces key points of Einstein's special relativity theory, three other flat space-time theories and experiments conducted to test them. The discussion of the theories is focused primarily on the different definitions of simultaneity with regard to the inertial frames of reference. The bulk of the volume is devoted to exclamations and comparisons of different experiments which are, in the main, contrasted to Einstein's theory. Experiments discussed include tests on: the constancy of the velocity of light using directionality and moving sources of light, time dilation with reference to the Doppler effect and dilation of moving mesons, electromagnetism and the Fresnel drag affect, variations of mass with velocity, and the upper bounds of photon mass. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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