Relativity and the Nature of Spacetime (eBook)

Presently: Assistant Professor, Science College, Concordia University (in fact, I am associated with three departments - Liberal Arts College, Philosophy Department, and Science College) 1984 -1989: Adjunct Professor, Philosophy Department, Sofia University 1986 -1989: Researcher, Institute of Philosophy, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Doctoral degrees in theoretical physics (1997, Concordia University) and philosophy of science (1988, Institute of Philosophy, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences).

Preface 7
Contents 9
1 Introduction 13
Part I From Galileo to Minkowski 21
2 On the Impossibility of Detecting Uniform Motion 23
2.1 Aristotle’s View on Motion 24
2.2 Copernicus and Ptolemy’s Arguments Against the Earth’s Motion 26
2.3 Galileo’s Disproof of Aristotle’s View on Motion 27
2.4 Galileo’s Principle of Relativity 35
3 Exploring the Internal Logic of Galileo’s Principle of Relativity 38
3.1 On the Physical Meaning of Galileo’s Principle of Relativity 39
3.2 On the Two Postulates of Special Relativity 57
3.3 A Lesson from a Delayed Discovery 60
3.4 Summary 62
4 Relativity in Euclidean Space and in Spacetime 63
4.1 Spacetime 64
4.2 Derivation of the Lorentz Transformations 78
4.3 Four-Dimensional Distance and Three Kinds of Length 86
4.4 Y ‘Dilation’ in Euclidean Space and Time Dilation in Spacetime 92
4.5 Length Contraction in Euclidean Space and in Spacetime 99
4.6 The Twin Paradox in Euclidean Space and in Spacetime 106
4.7 Addition of Velocities 113
4.8 The Metric of Spacetime 114
4.9 On Proper and Coordinate Time 115
4.10 Four-Velocity, Four-Momentum, and Relativistic Mass 119
4.11 Summary 124
Part II On the Nature of Spacetime: Conceptual and Philosophical Issues 125
5 Relativity and the Dimensionality of the World: Spacetime Is Real 127
5.1 Has Special Relativity Posed the Greatest Intellectual Challenge to Humankind? 128
5.2 Relativity and Dimensionality of the World 129
5.3 Length Contraction 140
5.4 Time Dilation 145
5.5 Relativization of Existence and the Twin Paradox 148
5.6 Why Is the Issue of the Nature of Spacetime So Important? 152
5.7 Summary 159
6 Quantum Mechanics and the Nature of Spacetime 160
6.1 Quantum Mechanical Arguments Against the Reality of Spacetime 162
6.2 Is Quantum Mechanical Probability Objective? 163
6.3 The Nature of the Quantum Object and the Nature of Spacetime 165
6.4 Summary 173
7 The Nature of Spacetime and Validity of Scienti . c Theories 175
7.1 Reliability of Knowledge: Induction as Hidden Deduction 176
7.2 Correspondence Principle and Growth of Scienti . c Knowledge 181
7.3 Can an Accepted Scienti.c Theory Be Refuted? 184
7.4 Is a Final Scienti.c Theory Possible? 186
7.5 Summary 186
Part III Spacetime, Non-Inertial Reference Frames, and Inertia 188
8 Propagation of Light in Non- Inertial Reference Frames 192
8.1 Acceleration Is Absolute in Special and General Relativity 192
8.2 The Need for Two Average Velocities of Light in Non- Inertial Reference Frames 194
8.3 Average Coordinate Velocity of Light 198
8.4 Average Proper Velocity of Light 202
8.5 Shapiro Time Delay 212
8.6 On the Gravitational Redshift 214
8.7 The Sagnac E.ect 220
8.8 Summary 223
9 Calculating the Electric Field of a Charge in a Non- Inertial Reference Frame 225
9.1 Calculating the Potential of a Charge in a Non- Inertial Reference Frame 225
9.2 Common Physical Origin of the Li ´ enard–Wiechert Potentials and the Potentials of a Charge in a Non- Inertial Reference Frame 229
9.3 Calculating the Electric Field of a Charge in a Non- Inertial Reference Frame 237
9.4 Summary 241
10 Inertia as a Manifestation of the Reality of Spacetime 242
10.1 Are Inertial Forces Real? 243
10.2 Inertial Forces Originate from a Four-Dimensional Stress Arising in the Deformed Worldtubes of Non- Inertial Bodies 245
10.3 Electromagnetic Mass and Inertia of the Classical Electron 251
10.4 The Standard Model and Inertia 261
10.5 Summary 270
A Classical Electromagnetic Mass Theory and the Arguments Against It 272
B Calculation of the Self-Force 276
References 280
Index 285