Phase space in special relativity

[Logic Cloud]

In classical mechanics we can get a nice overview of the dynamics of a system by looking at its position-momentum phase space. Is there a useful analogue of this concept in special relativity? Can the dynamics of a relativistic system be represented by its phase space in the same way as is done in classical mechanics?

 

[WannabeNewton]

Sure. For a single particle the phase space will be the 7-dimensional space of space-time coordinates and 4-momenta with the latter being restricted to the mass hyperboloid (the on-shell criterion). Using this we can do relativistic statistical mechanics in parallel with Newtonian statistical mechanics.