Space-time symmetry is broken

Abstract

Space-time intervals corresponding to different events on the worldline of any ponderable object (for example a clock) are time-like. In consequence, in the analysis of any space-time experiment involving clocks only the region for $c\Delta t\ge 0$ between the line $\Delta x=0$ and the light cone projection $c\Delta t=\Delta x$ of the $c\Delta t$ versus $\Delta x$ Minkowski plot is physically relevant. This breaks the manifest space-time symmetry of the plot. A further consequence is the unphysical nature of the `relativity of simultaneity' and `length contraction' effects of conventional special relativity theory. The only modification of space-time transformation laws in passing from Galilean to special relativity is then the replacement of universal Newtonian time by a universal (position independent) time dilation effect for moving clocks.

8 pages, 2 figures

References in corpus (2)

• Consequences for special relativity theory of restoring Einstein's neglected additive constants in the Lorentz Transformation
• A sign error in the Minkowski space-time plot and its consequences