Re: Simple four velocity question



On Feb 27, 11:58 am, Edward Green <spamspamsp...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Since the definition of four velocity involves proper time,  e.g.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four-velocity#Definition_of_the_four-vel...

how do we define the four velocity of light, for which there is no
proper time?

Does it seem awkward to anybody else to take the the derivative of the
"four-position" with respect to tau instead of with respect to t?

This pretty much assures that for all objects, you'll get the same
first coordinate (c*gamma*t)/d(tau) = d(c*tau)/d(tau) = c, and as Mr.
Green said, you don't have a well-defined four-velocity for light.

Is that not correct? Is the wikipedia article error?



.



Relevant Pages

  • Re: Another four-vector problem
    ... > moving with velocity a wrt the frame with the coordinates. ... I could parameterize the motion with respect to proper time, ... > a norm of 1 only for metric components in an inertial frame). ... My professor gave the semi-cryptic hint in response to an email: ...
    (sci.physics)
  • Re: Another four-vector problem
    ... > moving with velocity a wrt the frame with the coordinates. ... I could parameterize the motion with respect to proper time, ... > a norm of 1 only for metric components in an inertial frame). ... My professor gave the semi-cryptic hint in response to an email: ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)
  • Re: Simple question
    ... accelerate forever or would it accelerate to a certain velocity and ... then continue to move at that constant velocity? ... If you do this in the rest frame the proper velocity is always zero ... The Lorentz transform gives the proper time T as a function of t ...
    (sci.physics)
  • Re: GR > Following a Curve
    ... Nick says... ... >not the velocity of a change in direction. ... for a slower-than-light object is described by 4 functions ... where s is proper time. ...
    (sci.physics)

Loading