Re: What is this "internal clock" in muon which slows down its rate of decay when they move very fast?

From: Tom Capizzi (etianshrldu_at_verizon.net)
Date: 01/29/05 

Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 17:49:54 GMT

"PD" <pdraper@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1107016569.372650.160550@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
>
> Michael Levin wrote:
>> Sorry if this is a stupid question - I'm a biologist with an amateur
>> interest in physics. I was listening to an audio lecture by Richard
> Wolfson
>> and he was talking about the experiment where, due to relativistic
> effects,
>> the lifetime of muons is extended due to their rapid motion (0.9c or
>> something like that) and the resulting time dilation. He was making
> the
>> point that it isn't just clocks that are affected by time dilation,
> but
>> everything (time itself). I think I follow all this stuff so far. But
> he
>> keeps talking about "the muon's internal clock". I am sure this must
> be a
>> euphemism for something, but what? What's this internal clock? Does
> a muon
>> have internal components of some sort which decide when it's to
> decay? It
>> would seem that the relativistic explanation for what's going on
> models the
>> muon as a physical clock-like process (which can be slowed). But,
> what is
>> the relationship between quantum mechanics' assertion that decay is
> in
>> principle unpredictable (presumably meaning, not controlled by
> mechanistic
>> factors) and this effect where it would seem that some process counts
> time
>> for the muon? I hope my question makes sense; I'd like to know if
> anything
>> is known about how these two theories intersect in this case. Does
> the muon
>> have internal components which decide when to decay? If so, is it
> different
>> from "point" particles like electrons (and if yes, can the same sort
> of
>> relativistic experiment be done with them)? Any thoughts would be
>> appreciated!
>>
>> --
>>
>> Mike Levin
>> mlevin77@comcast.net
>
> Simply addressing the point as to whether the time dilation is real (as
> viewed in a frame where the particle is moving), note that g-2
> experiments store muons in storage rings (where they precess). Thus,
> both the speed of the muons is known (the muon bunches would proceed
> from station to station on the ring at a rate that is measurable), and
> the lifetime in the laboratory is known (by the decay rate from the
> population dN/dt). Thus the time dilation in this case is NOT simply
> inferred by the distance traveled.
>
> PD
>

Would you mind elaborating that last cryptic comment? And are you
saying time dilation is real or not?

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