Special Theory of Relativity in Curved Space Time

Abstract

Space-time measurements, of gedanken experiments of special relativity need modification in curved spaces-times. It is found that in a space-time with metric $g$, the special relativistic factor $\gamma$, has to be replaced by ${\gamma }_g=1/\sqrt{g_{\mu \nu }{V}^{\mu }{V}^{\nu }}$, where $V_{\mu }=(1,v,0,0)$, is the 4-velocity, and $v$ the relative velocity between the two frames Examples are given for Schwarzschild metric, Friedmann-Robertson-Walker metric, and the Gödel metric. Among the novelties are paradoxical tachyonic states, with ${\gamma }_g$ becoming imaginary, for velocities less than that of light, due to space-time curvature. Relativistic mass becomes a function of space-time curvature, $m=\sqrt{g_{\mu \nu }{P}^{\mu }{P}^{\nu }}$, where $P_{\mu }=(E,p)$ is the 4-momentum, signaling a new form of Mach's principle, in which a global object - namely the metric tensor, is effecting interia.

13 pages