2011/05/19 by Jerrold Franklin · 1 voice
Physics and Astronomy · #Experimental and Theoretical Physics Studies #Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics #Relativity and Gravitational Theory #physics.gen-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s10701-013-9757-x
arxiv published 2011/05/19 · arxiv updated 2012/06/07 · openalex publication_date 2013/11/05 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
We study the acceleration and collisions of rigid bodies in special relativity. After a brief historical review, we give a physical definition of the term `rigid body' in relativistic straight line motion. We show that the definition of `rigid body' in relativity differs from the usual classical definition, so there is no difficulty in dealing with rigid bodies in relativistic motion. We then describe: 1. The motion of a rigid body undergoing constant acceleration to a given velocity. 2. The acceleration of a rigid body due to an applied impulse. 3. Collisions between rigid bodies.