Lecture 5

Redshift and Blueshift

beta value
c
v
= !
2
1
1
!
"
#
=
Lorentz factor
We define z !
( f
p
" f )
f
1 ) 1 (
1 ) 1 (
2
2
+ +
! +
=
z
z
"
f =
1! "
1+ "
f
p
z ! "
If
! <<1,
z > 0
z < 0
redshift
blueshift
Lecture 5
General formula for Doppler shift:
f =
f
p
!
1
1" # cos$
Transverse Doppler Effect
!t = " ! # t +
v
c
2
! # x
$
%
&
'
(
)
! " x = 0
!t = " (! # t )
!t =
1
f
, ! " t =
1
f
p
f =
f
p
!
Transverse Doppler shift always represents
redshift!
Lecture 5
P. 50-51, textbook
Doppler Beaming and Boosting
Lecture 5
Doppler Beaming and Boosting - Contd
( )
( )
!
"
#
$
%
&
'
(
'
(
) +
!
"
#
$
%
&
+
'
(
'
(
=
!
"
#
$
%
&
'
(
'
(
+
+
'
(
'
(
=
'
(
+
'
(
'
( +
'
(
=
(
(
=
) (
1
) (
) (
1
) (
cos
2
t c
x
c
v
c
v
t c
x
t c c
x v
c
v
t
x
c
x v
t c
t v x
t c
x
*
*
+
! "
" !
!
#
+
+
#
=
cos 1
cos
cos
Lecture 5
Superluminal Motion
P. 51-53, textbook
! "
! "
! # #
! #
cos 1
sin
) cos (
sin
$
=
$
=
%
c
c
v c
v
v
!
! v
! " sin v
v
t

c
o
s

q

! c
! " " cos v c #
Lecture 5
Cosmic Muons
Muons are produced in the upper atmosphere when cosmic rays
collide with air molecules. They are unstable particles.
No relativistic correction
With relativistic correction
Top of the atmosphere
Lecture 5
Decay of Muons
P. 36-37, textbook
Muons:
mean lifetime (at rest)
s
6
0
10 2 . 2
!
" = #
Experiment:
At an altitude of about 2000 m, the muon rate is 563/hour
At sea level, the expected rate would be about 25/hour, but
the measured rate is more than 16 times as much. So,
according to the clock represented by the moving muons,
the decay lasts for only about 0.7 micro-seconds, a factor
of 9 less than what the observers thought.
81
1
1
2
0
2
2
!
"
#
$
%
&
'
= (
)
)
c
v
994 . 0 =
c
v

N t
( )
= N
0
e
!t "
0
Lecture 5
Twin Paradox
P. 45-47, textbook
Homers point of view is based on a single inertial frame
Ulysses point of view is based on two distinct inertial frames
The problem is, therefore, not symmetric!
AND
Special relativity cannot deal with
accelerating frames of reference
Lecture 5
Twin Paradox-Contd
Assuming that each twin sends out light pulses at a frequency f
0
,
we define the age as the number of pulses that each twin sends out.
Homers point of view:
The total number of pulses he sends out during Ulysses journal
is
( ) v D f N
H
sent
/ 2
0
=
Now, what is the total number of pulses he receives from Ulysses?
On the way out, Homer receives pulses at a frequency
c v
c v
f f
/ 1
/ 1
0
+
!
=
!
Lecture 5
Twin Paradox-Contd
And, Homer receives the last such pulse at time
c D v D t / / + =
!
Then, he starts to receive pulses at a frequency
c v
c v
f f
/ 1
/ 1
0
!
+
=
+
for the rest of the journey
c D v D t / / ! =
+
Therefore, the total number of pulses received is
2 2
0
/ 1
2
c v f
v
D
t f t f N
H
rec
! = + =
+ + ! !
Lecture 5
Twin Paradox-Contd
Ulysses point of view:
The total number of pulses he sends out during the journey is
H
rec
U
sent
N c v f
v
D
N = ! =
2 2
0
/ 1
2
He receives pulses from Homer at a frequency f
-
on the way out
but at a frequency f
+
on the way home. So, the total number of
pulses received is
H
sent
U
rec
N f
v
D
c v
c v
c v
c v
f
v
c v D
N
= =
!
"
#
$
%
&
'
+
+
+
' '
=
0
0
2 2
2
/ 1
/ 1
/ 1
/ 1 / 1
Lecture 5
Pole and Barn Paradox
L
1

L
2

v
L
1
> L
2

P. 48-50, textbook