Assignment 1
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f20221847Assignment 1
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f20221847TOR
Assignement 1: marks 30
2024, Feb
1. In the spacetime diagram (t-x) plane of an inertial frame O, three events
are A(0,0) and B(1,5) and C(5,1). (c is set to 1)
a) What is the distance AB and AC? What is the nature of the interval
AB and AC?
b)Find an inertial frame in which both event A and B occur occur at the
same time.
c)Find the inertial frame in which A and C occur at the same space loca-
tion.
d)Suppose I have a new inertial frame which is going in the postive x
direction with velocity c/2. Find the coordinates for the events A,B,C.
2. A particle is executing simple harmonic motion along the x axis. The
equation for x as a function of coordinate time t is x = a cos(ωt).
a) Plot the trajectory of the particle in a space-time diagram with time
axis in the vertical direction.
b) Find the relation between the proper time τ of the particle and the
coordinate time t. (you need not integrate)
c) Find the 4-velocity U α of the particle.
′
α
d) Find the 4-velocity U in a primed coordinate system which is moving
with velocity v along the positive direction of the common x-x’ axis.
e) Use the 4-velocity calculated above, to calculate the 3-velocity of the
particle in the primed coordinates vx′ ′ = dx′ /dt′
f) Find the mass of the particle as measured in the unprimed coordinates
a function of time t given the rest mass is m0 (unprimed coordinate
3. a) Electron and Positron with rest mass m0 each have velocity v and −v
respectively along the x- axis. At time t = 0, they are at x = −l and
x = +l respectively. After some time they collide and annihilate each
other and create two photons in the process (Photon 1 and Photon 2).
Assuming the photons also travel only along the x-axis(in space diagram),
draw the worldlines of Electron, Positron, Photon1 and Photon2 in the
spacetime diagram. (the world line of either proton or electron terminates
when both meet and from there photon’s worldline (trajectory) begins).
b) Write down the 4-momentum of the electron, positron system (the
total E and P x ). Use conservation of Energy and Momentum to find the
Energy and Momenta of Photon1 and Photon 2 .
1
4. A cart rolls on a long table with velocity v. A smaller cart rolls on the
first cart in the same direction with velocity v reletive to the first cart.
The third cart rolls on the second cart in the same direction with relative
velocity v and so on upto n carts. Prove that the velocity vn of the nth
cart with respect to the table is given by, (Hint: Use MI)
n
1 − 1−v
1+v
vn = n (1)
1 + 1−v
1+v
5. Tachyons are hypothetical particles supposed to travel faster than speed
of light. Assume Dr Strange has a tachyon gun. Thanos is at a distance L
from Dr Strange and threatens to destroy the world. Dr Strange fires his
tachyon gun. Prove that there is an inertial frame in which Thanos gets
hit by the bullet even before Dr Strange fired it.
6. A body has rest mass m0 . It has a Kinetic energy equal to 2m0 c2 . It
strikes a similar body that is at rest and they stick to each other. Find
the resultant energy and momentum of the combined mass.
7. There are two inertial frames A(unprimed coordinates) and B(primed co-
ordinates). Frame B is moving with velocity V in the positive x direction,
along the common (x,x’). Now in the frame B, a horizontal stick of a par-
ticular length is moving along the y ′ axis with a velocity b (the orientation
of the stick is parallel to x’ axis). Find the angle the stick makes with the
x-axis.
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