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schwarzschild
Apr12-10, 06:38 PM
Suppose you have an question like:

"In the t-x spacetime diagram of O, draw the basis vectors \vec{e}_0 and \vec{e}_1 Draw the corresponding basis vectors of \bar{O} , who moves with speed 0.6 in the positive x direction relative to O. Draw the corresponding basis vectors of \underline{O} , who moves with speed 0.6 in the positive x direction relative to \bar{O} ."

I know how to solve this just by drawing the \bar{t} axis and then drawing null lines from two points -a, a finding where they intersect and drawing a line from that point through the origin. Anyways, I was just wondering if there was a quicker way to address such problems.

utesfan100
Apr12-10, 07:08 PM
If you become more familiar with hyperbolic representations of the Lorentz transforms you can calculate these things with rapidity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapidity