Counterintuitive properties of relativistic relative motion for accelerated observers

Abstract

A challenge in teaching about special relativity is that a number of the theory's effects are at odds with the intuition of classical physics, as well as student's everyday experience. The relativity of simultaneity, time dilation and length contraction are prominent examples. This article describes two additional, less well-known counter-intuitive properties, both of which follow from the relativistic definition of relative motion, in situations with accelerated observers: (a) when two objects have a constant radar distance and are by that standard ``at relative rest,'' their relative speed is not necessarily zero, and (b) for two observers A and B, a situation is possible where A considers the two to be approaching each other, while B considers them to be moving away from each other. In general relativity, the generalisations of these two properties prove helpful for understanding static gravitational fields, and they also provide some insight into the nature of horizons.

arXiv comment7 pages, 2 figures

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