Physical Relativity Space-time Structure from a Dynamical Perspective

by Brown, Harvey R.

• ISBN13: 9780199275830
• ISBN10: 0199275831
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-02-02
• Publisher: Clarendon Press

Summary

Physical Relativity explores the nature of the distinction at the heart of Einstein's 1905 formulation of his special theory of relativity: that between kinematics and dynamics. Einstein himself became increasingly uncomfortable with this distinction, and with the limitations of what he calledthe 'principle theory' approach inspired by the logic of thermodynamics. A handful of physicists and philosophers have over the last century likewise expressed doubts about Einstein's treatment of the relativistic behaviour of rigid bodies and clocks in motion in the kinematical part of his greatpaper, and suggested that the dynamical understanding of length contraction and time dilation intimated by the immediate precursors of Einstein is more fundamental. Harvey Brown both examines and extends these arguments (which support a more 'constructive' approach to relativistic effects inEinstein's terminology), after giving a careful analysis of key features of the pre-history of relativity theory. He argues furthermore that the geometrization of the theory by Minkowski in 1908 brought illumination, but not a causal explanation of relativistic effects. Finally, Brown tries to showthat the dynamical interpretation of special relativity defended in the book is consistent with the role this theory must play as a limiting case of Einstein's 1915 theory of gravity: the general theory of relativity.Appearing in the centennial year of Einstein's celebrated paper on special relativity, Physical Relativity is an unusual, critical examination of the way Einstein formulated his theory. It also examines in detail certain specific historical and conceptual issues that have long given rise to debatein both special and general relativity theory, such as the conventionality of simultaneity, the principle of general covariance, and the consistency or otherwise of the special theory with quantum mechanics. Harvey Brown' s new interpretation of relativity theory will interest anyone working onthese central topics in modern physics.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
Acknowledgements	x
1. Overview	1	(10)
1.1 When the Whole Rigmarole Began	1	(1)
1.2 FitzGerald, Michelson, and Heaviside	2	(2)
1.3 Einstein	4	(1)
1.4 FitzGerald and Bell's lorentzian Pedagogy'	5	(3)
1.5 What Space-time Is not	8	(2)
1.6 Final Remarks	10	(1)
2. The Physics of Coordinate Transformations	11	(22)
2.1 Space-time and Its Coordinatization	11	(3)
2.2 Inertial Coordinate Systems	14	(12)
2.2.1 Free particles	15	(1)
2.2.2 Inertial coordinates	16	(2)
2.2.3 Newtonian time	18	(4)
2.2.4 Newtonian space	22	(1)
2.2.5 The role of space-time geometry	23	(2)
2.2.6 Quantum probes	25	(1)
2.3 The Linearity of Inertial Coordinate Transformations	26	(2)
2.4 The Rod and Clock Protocols	28	(5)
3. The Relativity Principle and the Fable of Albert Keinstein	33	(8)
3.1 The Relativity Principle: the Legacy of Galileo and Newton	33	(4)
3.1.1 Galileo	33	(2)
3.1.2 Newton	35	(2)
3.2 The Non-sequitur in Newton's Corollary V	37	(1)
3.3 Keinstein's 1705 Derivation	38	(2)
3.4 The Dynamics–Kinematics Connection	40	(1)
4. The Trailblazers	41	(28)
4.1 Michelson	42	(4)
4.1.1 The Michelson–Morley experiment revisited	43	(3)
4.2 Michelson–Morley Kinematics	46	(2)
4.3 FitzGerald and Heaviside	48	(4)
4.4 Lorentz	52	(6)
4.5 Larmor	58	(4)
4.6 Poincare	62	(4)
4.7 The Role of the Ether Prior to Einstein	66	(3)
5. Einstein's Principle-theory Approach	69	(22)
5.1 Einstein's Template: Thermodynamics	69	(2)
5.2 The Principle vs. Constructive Theory Distinction	71	(3)
5.3 Einstein's Postulates	74	(3)
5.3.1 The relativity principle	74	(1)
5.3.2 The light postulate	75	(2)
5.4 Einstein's Derivation of the Lorentz Transformations	77	(3)
5.4.1 Clock synchrony	77	(1)
5.4.2 The k-Lorentz transformations	78	(1)
5.4.3 RP and isotropy	78	(2)
5.5 Rods and Clocks	80	(2)
5.6 The Experimental Evidence for the Lorentz transformations	82	(5)
5.6.1 The 1932 Kennedy–Thorndike experiment	82	(2)
5.6.2 The situation so far	84	(1)
5.6.3 The 1938 Ives–Stilwell experiment	85	(2)
5.7 Are Einstein's Inertial Frames the Same as Newton's?	87	(2)
5.8 Final Remarks	89	(2)
6. Variations on the Einstein Theme	91	(22)
6.1 Einstein's Operationalism: Too Much and Too Little?	91	(1)
6.2 What is a Clock?	92	(3)
6.2.1 The clock hypothesis	94	(1)
6.3 The Conventionality of Distant Simultaneity	95	(10)
6.3.1 Malament's 1977 result	98	(4)
6.3.2 The Edwards–Winnie synchrony-general transformations	102	(3)
6.4 Relaxing the Light Postulate: the Ignatowski Transformations	105	(4)
6.4.1 Comments	109	(1)
6.5 The Non-relativistic Limit	110	(3)
7. Unconventional Voices on Special Relativity	113	(15)
7.1 Einstein himself	113	(1)
7.2 1918: Hermann Weyl	114	(4)
7.3 1920's: Pauli and Eddington	118	(1)
7.4 1930's and 1940's: W.F.G. Swann	119	(3)
7.5 1970's: L. Jánossy and J.S. Bell	122	(6)
7.5.1 L. Jánossy	122	(2)
7.5.2 J.S. Bell. Conceptual issues	124	(2)
7.5.3 Historical niceties	126	(2)
8. What is Special Relativity?	128	(22)
8.1 Minkowski's Geometrization of SR	128	(4)
8.1.1 Kinematics	129	(2)
8.1.2 Dynamics	131	(1)
8.2 Minkowski Space-time: the Cart or the Horse?	132	(7)
8.2.1 The cases of configuration and 'kinematic' space	134	(1)
8.2.2 The projective Hilbert space	135	(1)
8.2.3 Caratheodory: the Minkowski of thermodynamics	136	(3)
8.3 What does Absolute Geometry Explain?	139	(5)
8.3.1 The space-time 'explanation' of inertia	140	(3)
8.3.2 Mystery of mysteries	143	(1)
8.4 What is Special Relativity?	144	(6)
8.4.1 The big principle	145	(2)
8.4.2 Quantum theory	147	(3)
9. The View from General Relativity	150	(28)
9.1 Introduction	150	(1)
9.2 The Field Equations	151	(10)
9.2.1 The Lovelock–Grigore theorems	151	(3)
9.2.2 The threat of underdetermination	154	(2)
9.2.3 Matter	156	(5)
9.3 Test Particles and the Geodesic Principle	161	(2)
9.4 Light and the Null Cones	163	(6)
9.4.1 Non-minimal coupling	165	(4)
9.5 The Strong Equivalence Principle	169	(6)
9.5.1 The local validity of special relativity	169	(3)
9.5.2 A recent development	172	(3)
9.6 Conclusions	175	(3)
Appendix A Einstein on General Covariance	178	(4)
Appendix B Special Relativity and Quantum Theory	182	(11)
B.1 Introduction	182	(1)
B.2 Entanglement, Non-Locality, and Bell Inequalities	183	(4)
B.3 Einstein, Relativity, and Separability	187	(3)
B.4 Non-locality, or Its Absence, in the Everett Intepretation	190	(3)
Bibliography	193	(18)
Index	211