Interactive Minkowski Diagram Tool

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SUMMARY

The Interactive Minkowski Diagram Tool, developed using P5.js, allows users to visualize events, connect them, and add world lines, including Lorentz transformations for moving frames. The tool supports frame velocities equal to or greater than light speeds, although animations for faster-than-light (FTL) speeds are currently suboptimal. Users can suggest features such as animations for the twin paradox, where they can input the speed of a twin's spaceship and visualize the effects on time dilation. The tool aims to enhance understanding of proper time through hyperbolic space-time contours.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of special relativity concepts, particularly time dilation and world lines.
  • Familiarity with P5.js for interactive graphics programming.
  • Basic knowledge of Lorentz transformations and their applications.
  • Experience with JavaScript programming for web-based applications.
NEXT STEPS
  • Explore advanced features of P5.js for creating interactive visualizations.
  • Research the twin paradox in detail to enhance the tool's educational value.
  • Investigate optimization techniques for animations involving FTL speeds.
  • Learn about hyperbolic geometry and its applications in physics to improve diagram accuracy.
USEFUL FOR

Physics educators, students of relativity, developers interested in educational tools, and anyone looking to visualize complex concepts in special relativity.

Divy Jain
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I've made a Interative Minkowski Diagram Tool,
http://divykjain.github.io/IMD

You can add events, connect events and add world lines. Lorentz transformation for moving frames also present.

I've added support for frame velocities equal or greater than light speeds(but the animations are a mess for ftl speeds)

Please do check it out!
Comments (about bugs, feature requests, physics, graphics) are welcomed!
 
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Likes   Reactions: vanhees71, PeterDonis, jedishrfu and 1 other person
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Quite nice. I noticed you used P5.js as the basis for your application.

Is this the javascript mode for Processing? or did you use something else to create it?
 
One interesting feature you could consider is some animation for the twin paradox and other similar problems.

One might select the paradox and in the case of the twin paradox, enter the speed of the twin's spaceship. In your diagram you could shows its track with markers for the time so that someone could see why the spaceship twin's clock is running slower than the stationary twin.
 
jedishrfu said:
Is this the javascript mode for Processing?
Yes, for more information on p5.js you can refer to p5js.org/

jedishrfu said:
One interesting feature you could consider is some animation for the twin paradox and other similar problems.

One might select the paradox and in the case of the twin paradox, enter the speed of the twin's spaceship. In your diagram you could shows its track with markers for the time so that someone could see why the spaceship twin's clock is running slower than the stationary twin.
To see the clocks one can refer to the hyperbolic(space-time) contours, the events lying on the same contours have experienced the same amount of proper time.
But still I'll try to add a feature that makes it easier to see that!
 
I was thinking of a kind of light trail:

  1. t0 lights
  2. t1 then t1' lights a little behind t1
  3. and at the end t10 and t8' light up end of trip

It would show the time going slower on the spaceship and the fact that the spaceship twin has aged less and is thus younger than his/her stationary Earth twin.

Thanks for the p5js.org reference. I think the P5JS folks may have broken away from Processing to develop their version as it used to be a part of the Processing modes selection.

But it definitely looks nice.
 

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