Special Relativity
A Heuristic Approach

Accessible work on special relativity, providing a new approach to the development of the theory, and in particular, relativistic photography

Sadri Hassani (Author)

9780128104118, Elsevier Science

Paperback / softback, published 5 May 2017

380 pages
23.5 x 19 x 2.4 cm, 0.79 kg

"The content of the book is unique, including topics such as interstellar travel, relativistic photography, spacetime triangle inequality, the proof of the fact that acceleration reduces aging, and connection between STR, spin, and antimatter. ...This is an impressive, unique book that should be beneficial for students, lecturers and explorers who are interested in STR." --Zentralblatt MATH

Special Relativity: A Heuristic Approach provides a qualitative exposition of relativity theory on the basis of the constancy of the speed of light. Using Einstein's signal velocity as the defining idea for the notion of simultaneity and the fact that the speed of light is independent of the motion of its source, chapters delve into a qualitative exposition of the relativity of time and length, discuss the time dilation formula using the standard light clock, explore the Minkowski four-dimensional space-time distance based on how the time dilation formula is derived, and define the components of the two-dimensional space-time velocity, amongst other topics.

1. Qualitative Relativity2. Relativity of Time and Space3. Lorentz Transformation4. Spacetime Geometry5. Spacetime Momentum6. Relativity in Four Dimensions7. Relativistic Photography8. Relativistic Interactions9. Interstellar Travel10. A Painless Introduction to Tensors11. Relativistic Electrodynamics12. Early Universe

A. Maxwell's EquationsB. Derivation of 4D Lorentz TransformationC. Relativistic Photography Formulas

Subject Areas: Space science [TTD], Astrophysics [PHVB], Mathematical physics [PHU], Relativity physics [PHR], Physics [PH], Applied mathematics [PBW]