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Relativity and the Nature of Spacetime

:	Vesselin Petkov
:	Relativity and the Nature of Spacetime
:	Springer-Verlag
:	9783540277002
:	1
:	CHF 36.40
:

:	Theoretische Physik
:	English

:	300
:	Wasserzeichen/DRM
:	PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
:	PDF

Puts the emphasis on conceptual questions: Why is there no such thing as absolute motion? What is the physical meaning of relativity of simultaneity? But, the most important question that is addressed in this book is 'what is the nature of spacetime?' or, equivalently, 'what is the dimensionality of the world at the macroscopic level?'

De elops answers to these questions via a thorough analysis of relativistic effects and explicitly asking whether the objects involved in those effects are three-dimensional or four-dimensional.

Discusses the implication of the result (this analysis clearly shows that if the world and the physical objects were three-dimensional, none of the kinematic relativistic effects and the experimental evidence supporting them would be possible) for physics, philosophy, and our entire world view are discussed.

Presently: Assistant Professor, Science College, Concordia University (in fact, I am associated with three departments - Liberal Arts College, Philosophy Department, and Science College)

1984 -1989: Adjunct Professor, Philosophy Department, Sofia University

1986 -1989: Researcher, Institute of Philosophy, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

Doctoral degrees in theoretical physics (1997, Concordia University) and philosophy of science (1988, Institute of Philosophy, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences).

	Preface	7
	Contents	9
	1 Introduction	13
	Part I From Galileo to Minkowski	21
	2 On the Impossibility of Detecting Uniform Motion	23
	2.1 Aristotle s View on Motion	24
	2.2 Copernicus and Ptolemy s Arguments Against the Earth s Motion	26
	2.3 Galileo s Disproof of Aristotle s View on Motion	27
	2.4 Galileo s Principle of Relativity	35
	3 Exploring the Internal Logic of Galileo s Principle of Relativity	38
	3.1 On the Physical Meaning of Galileo s Principle of Relativity	39
	3.2 On the Two Postulates of Special Relativity	57
	3.3 A Lesson from a Delayed Discovery	60
	3.4 Summary	62
	4 Relativity in Euclidean Space and in Spacetime	63
	4.1 Spacetime	64
	4.2 Derivation of the Lorentz Transformations	78
	4.3 Four-Dimensional Distance and Three Kinds of Length	86
	4.4 Y Dilation in Euclidean Space and Time Dilation in Spacetime	92
	4.5 Length Contraction in Euclidean Space and in Spacetime	99
	4.6 The Twin Paradox in Euclidean Space and in Spacetime	106
	4.7 Addition of Velocities	113
	4.8 The Metric of Spacetime	114
	4.9 On Proper and Coordinate Time	115
	4.10 Four-Velocity, Four-Momentum, and Relativistic Mass	119
	4.11 Summary	124
	Part II On the Nature of Spacetime: Conceptual and Philosophical Issues	125
	5 Relativity and the Dimensionality of the World: Spacetime Is Real	127
	5.1 Has Special Relativity Posed the Greatest Intellectual Challenge to Humankind?	128
	5.2 Relativity and Dimensionality of the World	129
	5.3 Length Contraction	140
	5.4 Time Dilation	145
	5.5 Relativization of Existence and the Twin Paradox	148
	5.6 Why Is the Issue of the Nature of Spacetime So Important?	152
	5.7 Summary	159
	6 Quantum Mechanics and the Nature of Spacetime	160
	6.1 Quantum Mechanical Arguments Against the Reality of Spacetime	162
	6.2 Is Quantum Mechanical Probability Objective?	163
	6.3 The Nature of the Quantum Object and the Nature of Spacetime	165
	6.4 Summary	173
	7 The Nature of Spacetime and Validity of Scienti . c Theories	175
	7.1 Reliability of Knowledge: Induction as Hidden Deduction	176
	7.2 Correspondence Principle and Growth of Scienti . c Knowledge	181
	7.3 Can an Accepted Scienti.c Theory Be Refuted?	184
	7.4 Is a Final Scienti.c Theory Possible?	186
	7.5 Summary	186
	Part III Spacetime, Non-Inertial Reference Frames, and Inertia	188
	8 Propagation of Light in Non- Inertial Reference Frames	192
	8.1 Acceleration Is Absolute in Special and General Relativity	192
	8.2 The Need for Two Average Velocities of Light in Non- Inertial Reference Frames	194
	8.3 Average Coordinate Velocity of Light	198
	8.4 Average Proper Velocity of Light	202
	8.5 Shapiro Time Delay	212
	8.6 On the Gravitational Redshift	214
	8.7 The Sagnac E.ect	220
	8.8 Summary	223
	9 Calculating the Electric Field of a Charge in a Non- Inertial Reference Frame	225
	9.1 Calculating the Potential of a Charge in a Non- Inertial Reference Frame	225
	9.2 Common Physical Origin of the Li ´ enard Wiechert Potentials and the Potentials of a Charge in a Non- Inertial Reference Frame	229
	9.3 Calculating the Electric Field of a Charge in a Non- Inertial Reference Frame	237
	9.4 Summary	241
	10 Inertia as a Manifestation of the Reality of Spacetime	242
	10.1 Are Inertial Forces Real?	243
	10.2 Inertial Forces Originate from a Four-Dimensional Stress Arising in the Deformed Worldtubes of Non- Inertial Bodies	245
	10.3 Electromagnetic Mass and Inertia of the Classical Electron	251
	10.4 The Standard Model and Inertia	261
	10.5 Summary	270
	A Classical Electromagnetic Mass Theory and the Arguments Against It	272
	B Calculation of the Self-Force	276
	References	280
	Index	285