E & B Field Oscillation with Time Dilation: Explained

[jaketodd]

If time for something approaching the speed of light will slow down and approach zero, then how is it that light itself can exhibit changes - the oscillation of the E and B fields? Is it because those fields are perpendicular to the direction of light travel? If so, then something other than light, which is approaching the speed of light, would not experience time dilation in parts of its system moving perpendicular to the general direction of travel? At what speed do the E and B fields oscillate?

Thanks

Jake

 

[PeterDonis]

If time for something approaching the speed of light will slow down and approach zero, then how is it that light itself can exhibit changes

There are two misunderstandings here.

First, for an object that has nonzero rest mass, the object itself does not feel any "slowing of time" regardless of its speed relative to other objects. Other objects will see that object's time appear to slow down, but the object itself does not.

Second, for light, with zero rest mass, the concept of "time" (more precisely, "proper time") doesn't even make sense to begin with, and can't be used at all to determine whether things can change along the path through spacetime that the light takes.

The rest of your post just builds on these misunderstandings.

 

[Ibix]

If so, then something other than light, which is approaching the speed of light, would not experience time dilation in parts of its system moving perpendicular to the general direction of travel?

Just to reiterate Peter's comment here, nothing ever experiences time dilation. It's always something that happens to someone else. But it's only the speed that matters. A clock zig zagging at 0.9c (so only doing about 0.64c straightline speed if the zig zags are at 45° to direction of travel) relative to me will tick (according to me) at the same rate as a clock moving in a straight line at 0.9c relative to me.

At what speed do the E and B fields oscillate?

Electromagnetic fields are not like water waves - nothing is displaced. The electromagnetic field changes sinusoidally, and the field vectors are perpendicular to the direction of travel, but nothing moves perpendicular to the wave.

 

[A.T.]

... light itself can exhibit changes - the oscillation of the E and B fields?

The propagating changes of the E and B fields are not changes of light, they are just light.