Paper 2, Section I, C

Special Relativity | Part IB, 2009

Show that the two-dimensional Lorentz transformation relating (ct,x)\left(c t^{\prime}, x^{\prime}\right) in frame SS^{\prime} to (ct,x)(c t, x) in frame SS, where SS^{\prime} moves relative to SS with speed vv, can be written in the form

x=xcoshϕctsinhϕct=xsinhϕ+ctcoshϕ\begin{gathered} x^{\prime}=x \cosh \phi-c t \sinh \phi \\ c t^{\prime}=-x \sinh \phi+c t \cosh \phi \end{gathered}

where the hyperbolic angle ϕ\phi associated with the transformation is given by tanhϕ=v/c\tanh \phi=v / c. Deduce that

x+ct=eϕ(x+ct)xct=eϕ(xct)\begin{aligned} &x^{\prime}+c t^{\prime}=e^{-\phi}(x+c t) \\ &x^{\prime}-c t^{\prime}=e^{\phi}(x-c t) \end{aligned}

Hence show that if the frame SS^{\prime \prime} moves with speed vv^{\prime} relative to SS^{\prime} and tanhϕ=v/c\tanh \phi^{\prime}=v^{\prime} / c, then the hyperbolic angle associated with the Lorentz transformation connecting SS^{\prime \prime} and SS is given by

ϕ=ϕ+ϕ\phi^{\prime \prime}=\phi^{\prime}+\phi

Hence find an expression for the speed of SS^{\prime \prime} as seen from SS.

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