How Do Lorentz Transformations Relate Time-like Four-Momenta in SO^{+}(1,3)?

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parton
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I want to determine the orbits of the proper orthochronous Lorentz group [itex]SO^{+}(1,3)[/itex].

If I start with a time-like four-momentum [itex]p = (m, 0, 0, 0)[/itex]

with positive time-component [itex]p^{0} = m > 0[/itex],

the orbit of [itex]SO^{+}(1,3)[/itex] in [itex]p[/itex] is given by:

[tex]\mathcal{O}(p) \equiv \lbrace \Lambda p \mid \Lambda \in SO^{+}(1,3) \rbrace[/tex]

Now the point is: how do you show that

[tex]\mathcal{O}(p) = \lbrace q \mid q^{2} = m^{2}, q^{0} > 0 \rbrace[/tex] ?

Essently, the question is: why does a Lorentz transformation [itex]\Lambda \in SO^{+}(1,3)[/itex] exist
such that two four-vectors [itex]p[/itex] and [itex]q[/itex] with [itex]p^{2} = q^{2} = m^{2}[/itex] and [itex]p^{0}, q^{0} > 0[/itex] are related via [itex]q = \Lambda p[/itex] ?

In fact, it is possible to answer my question(s) by brute-force calculations. But I am searching for an "elegant way", e.g. with the help of group theory.

I already searched in the literature, but in most cases it seems to be "trivial" for the authors
and I see now explicit proof.

Does anyone know of anything like that?
 
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Isn't that the very definition of the group SO+(1,3)?
 
dauto said:
Isn't that the very definition of the group SO+(1,3)?

No, it is not the definition of [itex]\mathrm{SO}^{+}(1,3)[/itex]. It is:

[tex]\mathrm{SO}^{+}(1,3) = \lbrace \Lambda \in \mathrm{GL}(4, \mathbb{R}) \mid \Lambda^{t} \eta \Lambda = \eta, \mathrm{det} \, \Lambda = 1, \Lambda^{0} \, _{0} \geq 1 \rbrace[/tex]
The elements of this group will not change [itex]p^{2}[/itex] and the sign of [itex]p^{0}[/itex] by definition.

So we can say that the set
[tex]\lbrace q \in \mathbb{M} \mid q^{2} = m^{2}, q^{0} > 0 \rbrace[/tex] remains invariant under Lorentz transformations.

But this does not necessarily mean that for any two fourvectors [itex]p, q[/itex] with [itex]p^{2} = q^{2} = m^{2}[/itex] and [itex]p^{0}, q^{0}[/itex] there exists a transformation [itex]\Lambda \in \mathrm{SO}^{+}(1,3)[/itex] with [itex]q = \Lambda p[/itex]. In other words this would mean that [itex]\mathrm{SO}^{+}(1,3)[/itex] acts transitivly on [itex]\lbrace q \in \mathbb{M} \mid q^{2} = m^{2}, q^{0} > 0 \rbrace[/itex]. And you need to show this in order to proof that
[tex]\mathcal{O}_{p} = \lbrace q \in \mathbb{M} \mid q^{2} = m^{2}, q^{0} > 0 \rbrace[/tex]

Actually I also don't see how to do this without using brute force. I think it is not that trivial.