Gamow's cyclist: a new look at relativistic measurements for a binocular observer.

ABSTRACT: The visualization of objects moving at relativistic speeds has been a popular topic of study since Special Relativity's inception. While the standard exposition of the theory describes certain shape-changing effects, such as the Lorentz-contraction, it makes no mention of how an extended object would appear in a snapshot or how apparent distortions could be used for measurement. Previous work on the subject has derived the apparent form of an object, often making mention of George Gamow's relativistic cyclist thought experiment. Here, a rigorous re-analysis of the cyclist, this time in three dimensions, is undertaken for a binocular observer, accounting for both the distortion in apparent position and the relativistic colour and intensity shifts undergone by a fast-moving object. A methodo

SUBMITTER: Cryer-Jenkins EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7428028 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature