Special Relativity  

In General > s.a. kinematics; modified classical mechanics [relationship to Newtonian mechanics]; particle models.
* Motivation: (E) If Galilean relativity is right, when I move at the speed of light I should see a static pattern, but Maxwell's equations do not admit such a solution!
* Postulates: (i) All inertial observers are equivalent (including laws of electromagnetism); (ii) The speed of light c is constant, independent of the motion of the observer (or the source) – inconsistent with Galilean physics.
* Particles/fields: Dynamical equations must be tensorial (Lorentz-covariant), a severe restriction on physical laws.
* Remark: Not all coordinate systems are allowed; Hilbert used 1 timelike and 3 spacelike coordinates; More recently, 4 null ones have also been used [@ Hilbert GN(17)].

Applications, Effects, Tests > s.a. causality violations; electromagnetism; force; kinematics of special relativity.
* Constancy of c: Michelson-Morley experiment; Ether-drift experiments based on the Mössbauer effect; 2000, Independence of vsource confirmed to 1 × 10–20, with -rays from GRB's; 2001, improved Kennedy-Thorndike Tests on independence of vlab; 2002, Experiments by University of Konstanz and Düsseldorf checked isotropy of c to 1.7 parts in 1015 with optical cavities; Precise tests are motivated in part by some versions of string theory.
* Time dilation: High-speed e's from certain radioactive decays, accelerated particles, cosmic rays and muons; Conceptually better than atomic clocks.
@ General references: Holton AJP(62)RL; Drell PhyA(79); Sherwin PRA(87); Pool Sci(90)nov [including antirelativity]; Vetharaniam & Stedman PLA(93); Will gq/05-in, Wolf et al phy/05-in [rev]; Varcoe CP(06) [with slow light].
@ Astrophysics, particle physics: Coleman & Glashow PLB(97) [cosmic rays and s]; Fogli et al PRD(99)hp [violations and oscillations].
@ Experiments: Zhang 97; Bonizzoni & Giuliani phy/00 [time dilation, history]; Braxmaier et al PRL(02) [KT experiments]; Müller et al PRL(03)phy [anisotropy of c]; Dryzek & Singleton AJP(07) [constancy of c]; > s.a. lorentz group phenomenology.
@ In other fields: Van Bladel 84; Ghisellini ap/99-in [astrophysics]; Aloisio et al PRD(00)ap, Grillo & Aloisio ap/00-in [cosmic rays].
@ Other effects: Wolf & Petit PRA(97) [GPS test]; Matsas PRD(03)gq [submarine paradox]; Low EJP(07).
@ On microcomputers: Mermin AJP(88); Taylor AJP(89).
> Related topics: see Kennedy-Thorndike Test; Lorentz-FitzGerald Contraction; mass [E = mc2, etc]; Momentum; Rigid Body; Sagnac Effect.

References > s.a. clocks; Determinism; history of relativistic physics; physics teaching; relativistic quantum mechanics; spacetime.
@ General: Einstein AdP(05), AdP(05), JR(08); Lorentz et al 23.
@ I: Durell 60; Mermin 68; Russell 69; in Lightman 86, 58-69; Fang & Chu 87; Mook & Vargish 87; Rohrlich 87; Fritzsch 94; Ellis & Williams 00; Mermin 05.
@ II: Rindler 80, 91; Burke 80; Rosser 91; Halliday & Resnick 92; Taylor & Wheeler 92; Mould 94; Moore 95; McGlinn 02; Giulini 05; Freund 08; Fayngold 08.
@ III: Das 93; Laurent 95 [geometrical]; Robinson 96 [applications]; Rindler 06.
@ Books and reviews: Bolton 21; Synge 64; Bohm 65; Nevanlinna 68; Möller 72 [including fields]; Dixon 78; Aharoni 85; Bowler 86; Stephenson & Kilmister 87; in Naber 88; Qadir 89; Schröder 90; Naber 92; Will gq/05-in [intro, history].
@ Axiomatic, conceptual: Reichenbach 24, 57; Goldblatt 87; Field AJP(01) [from spacetime exchange invariance]; Lucas & Hodgson 90; Svozil FP(02)qp/01 [conventionalism]; Balashov & Janssen BJPS(03) [and presentism]; Brown & Pooley phy/04-in ["constructive" formulation]; Madarász et al FP(06)gq/05 [based on first-order logic]; Feigenbaum a0806 [as extension of Galilean thinking].
@ Related topics: Feynman TPT(64); Komar AJP(65) [and conformal mappings of the 2-sphere]; Terletskii 68 [paradoxes]; Moreau AJP(94) [wave fronts]; Rindler AJP(94) [and general relativity]; Brown & Pooley gq/99-in [Lorentzian pedagogy]; Giulini mp/06 [algebraic and geometric structures]; Baierlein AJP(06) [misconceptions]; Kraus EJP(08) [visualizations].
> Online resources: Einstein Light site (animations); Tatsu Takeuchi's lecture notes (Virginia Tech); Ute Kraus' Space-Time Travel site [visualizations].

Extensions, Variations > s.a. DSR; finsler geometry; modified lorentz symmetry; spacetime models.
@ Poincaré's version: Arminjon www(02); Pierseaux PS(03).
@ Based on SO(1,4), de Sitter group: Aldrovandi et al CQG(07)gq/06; Cacciatori et al AdP-a0807 [introduction].
@ Other formulations: Hsu & Hsu PLA(94) [only relativity postulate]; Sorensen AS(95) [length contraction is physical]; Asaro AJP(96) [complex v]; Svozil FP(00)phy/98 [2 limit speeds]; Klauber FPL(98)gq/01 [non time-orthogonal frames]; Manida gq/99 [varying c]; Unnikrishnan gq/04 ["cosmic relativity"]; Rizzi et al FP(05)gq/04-in [different synchronizations]; Sobczyk a0710 [geometric algebra].
@ Different mathematical basis: De Leo JMP(96)ht/95 [quaternionic]; Iovane et al CSF(04)mp [Fantappiè group and Cantorian spacetime].
> Other variations: see Perplex Numbers; projective structures; Very Special Relativity.

Antirelativity
@ References: Wesley ed-87; S Marinov; Maddox Nat(90)jul; Ipatova et al SPU(90); Raine EJP(05) [re crank science]; Field a0805 [misunderstanding re plot].
> Websites: Carel van der Togt's From Paradox to Paradigm.

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