Spinning Moving Objects: Angular and Linear Momentum

  • Context: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter alvarogz
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Spinning
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationship between angular and linear momentum in the context of an object spinning at relativistic speeds, specifically near the speed of light. Participants explore the implications of this scenario for another object on the surface of the spinning object, as well as the conservation laws in relativistic physics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • AGZ questions the mechanism that relates angular and linear momentum for an object spinning at relativistic speeds and its effect on another object on its surface.
  • One participant argues that the concept of an object spinning at nearly the speed of light is nonsensical, emphasizing the distinction between angular velocity and linear speed.
  • Another participant introduces the relativistic velocity addition formula to illustrate that the sum of speeds cannot exceed the speed of light.
  • AGZ expresses gratitude for the clarification regarding angular velocity and its measurement.
  • Some participants discuss the conservation of energy, momentum, and angular momentum per unit mass in the context of relativity, specifically referencing the Kerr metric.
  • There is a contention regarding the relevance of certain explanations to the original question, with some participants asserting that the original question has been answered while others provide additional context.
  • Disagreement arises over the interpretation of angular momentum in the Kerr metric, with participants challenging each other's statements about conserved quantities and their definitions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the original question, with multiple competing views and interpretations of angular momentum and its implications in relativistic physics remaining unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express confusion regarding the relationship between angular momentum and the original question, indicating a potential lack of clarity in definitions and assumptions about relativistic mechanics.

alvarogz
Messages
38
Reaction score
0
If an "Object A" spins at nearly "c", and this object also is moving at any given posible speed. What happen with an "Object B" on the surface of "Object A" .I asume that there's a mechanism that "fix" this relation between angular and linear momentum to conserve the speed limit of light, but I can't realize what is the mechanism to get this explanation.

Best regards big thinkers,

AGZ
 
Physics news on Phys.org
alvarogz said:
If an "Object A" spins at nearly "c", This makes no sense. An object spins with angular velocity which may be measured in "radians per second", not a velocity which may be measured in "meters per second". You can mark any single point on object A, at distance r from the axis of rotation and calculate that it is moving at speed r\omega where \omega is the angular velocity.

and this object also is moving at any given posible speed. What happen with an "Object B" on the surface of "Object A" .I asume that there's a mechanism that "fix" this relation between angular and linear momentum to conserve the speed limit of light, but I can't realize what is the mechanism to get this explanation.
The sum of two speed, u and v, is given by
\dfrac{u+ v}{1+ \frac{uv}{c^2}}

If you look at that closely, you will see that will never be larger than c. For example, if u= v= .9c, the "sum" of the speeds is not any where near .9c+ .9c= 1.8c, it is
\dfrac{.9c+ .9c}{1+ \frac{(.9c)(.9c)}{c^2}}= \dfrac{1.8c}{1+ .81}= \dfrac{1.8}{1.81}c= 0.9945c

Best regards big thinkers,

AGZ
And us small thinkers, too!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
HallsofIvy said:
alvarogz said:
If an "Object A" spins at nearly "c", This makes no sense. An object spins with angular velocity which may be measured in "radians per second", not a velocity which may be measured in "meters per second". You can mark any single point on object A, at distance r from the axis of rotation and calculate that it is moving at speed r\omega where \omega is the angular velocity.

I haven't considered this. Thank you, now this has more sense to me.
 
alvarogz said:
If an "Object A" spins at nearly "c", and this object also is moving at any given posible speed. What happen with an "Object B" on the surface of "Object A" .I asume that there's a mechanism that "fix" this relation between angular and linear momentum to conserve the speed limit of light, but I can't realize what is the mechanism to get this explanation.

Best regards big thinkers,

AGZ

In Relativity theory energy per unit mass [E/m], momentum per unit mass [p/m], and angular momentum per unit mass [L/m] are constants of the motion over an objects natural path [geodesic]. In the Kerr metric the angular momentum per unit mass is the rotation parameter [a]. In the appropriate metrics the angular momentum per unit mass and charge per unit mass sum to the Schwarzschild mass [what the mass would be if the object was spherically symmetric, non rotating, no charge]. When L/m=1, Q/m=1 [the extremal case] the mass of the system is 3 times the Schwarzschild mass.
 
Last edited:
Brucep said:
In Relativity theory energy per unit mass [E/m], momentum per unit mass [p/m], and angular momentum per unit mass [L/m] are constants of the motion over an objects natural path [geodesic]. In the Kerr metric the angular momentum per unit mass is the rotation parameter [a]. In the appropriate metrics the angular momentum per unit mass and charge per unit mass sum to the Schwarzschild mass [what the mass would be if the object was spherically symmetric, non rotating, no charge]. When L/m=1, Q/m=1 [the extremal case] the mass of the system is 3 times the Schwarzschild mass.

You are confusing a lot of different things here and this is not at all relevant to the OP's original question which has already been answered.
 
WannabeNewton said:
You are confusing a lot of different things here and this is not at all relevant to the OP's original question which has already been answered.

Most likely true. I just wanted to add some information about how those quantities are conserved since he seemed confused about that in his original post. Maybe you learned something?
 
The angular momentum parameter ##a## of the Kerr metric is the conserved angular momentum of the space-time, not the conserved angular momentum per unit mass along a geodesic in Kerr space-time. This is the main thing you confused in your post.
 
WannabeNewton said:
The angular momentum parameter ##a## of the Kerr metric is the conserved angular momentum of the space-time, not the conserved angular momentum per unit mass along a geodesic in Kerr space-time. This is the main thing you confused in your post.

I didn't confuse anything. To start with this is the constant of motion for all geodesics in the Kerr geometry.

L/m=R^2 (dphi/dTau) - (2M^2/r)dt/dTau.

There's only one. So I didn't confuse it with anything else. All I did was give a simple explanation for components in the metric. It's interesting and worth knowing when you're discussing a rotation parameter going to the limit 1. Whatever.
 
Your exact statement was "In Relativity theory...angular momentum per unit mass [L/m] are constants of the motion over an objects natural path [geodesic]. In the Kerr metric the angular momentum per unit mass is the rotation parameter [a]." which is wrong for the reason stated in post #7. The rotation parameter ##a = \frac{J}{M}## of Kerr space-time is the reduced angular momentum of Kerr space-time obtained from ##J = \int _{S^{2}_{\infty}}\epsilon_{abcd}\nabla^c \psi^d## where ##\psi## is the axial killing field of Kerr space-time. The reduced angular momentum of an observer with 4-velocity ##u^{a}## on the other hand is gotten from ##L = u_{a}\psi^{a}##. You are confusing these two things, simple as that.

Anyways like I noted this has absolutely nothing to do with the OP's original question.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 0 ·
Replies
0
Views
1K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
2K
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • · Replies 36 ·
2
Replies
36
Views
4K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 23 ·
Replies
23
Views
2K