Twin Paradox from Moving Reference Frame- Return Journey

AI Thread Summary
Alice measures the time between ticks of her clock as t_A = 2L/u, where L is the distance between walls and u is the ball's speed. In a space-time diagram, events are labeled as the ball leaving one wall, arriving at the opposite wall, and returning. Bob, moving at speed v in the same direction as the ball, uses the Lorentz transform to calculate spatial and temporal separations between events, finding that Alice's measurements align with expected results when v equals u. The challenge arises in determining the intervals for the ball's return journey, particularly how to account for the reversal of its velocity. The discussion emphasizes the importance of correctly applying the Lorentz transform to analyze the ball's motion from both reference frames.
Bob Marsh
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Homework Statement


a) Alice is observing a small ball of mass m in relativistic motion
bouncing elastically back and forth between two parallel walls separated by a distance L
with speed u. After each collision it reverses
direction, thereby creating a clock. What does Alice observe as the
time,##t_A##, between each “tick” of her clock?
(b) Add three events to the space-time diagram: the first when the
ball leaves one side of the box, the second when the ball (first) ar-
rives at the opposite side, and the third when the ball (first) returns
to its initial position. Label the events 1,2 and 3. Connect the events by the world-line
of the ball.
Bob is in an IRF which is moving with speed v in the same direction as the initial motion of the ball. Add this IRF to your space-time diagram. Assume that v<u.
(c) What is the spatial separation, that Bob measures between events 1 and 2?
(d) What is the temporal separation, that Bob measures between events 1 and 2?
(e) What is the spatial separation that Bob measures between events 2 and 3?
(f) What is the temporal separation that Bob measures between events 2 and 3?

Homework Equations


Lorentz transform

The Attempt at a Solution


a) This is easily seen to be ##t_A =2L/u##.
b) This is a triangle connecting events 1,2 and 3.
c) Using the Lorentz transform Bob would measure: ##\Delta x_{12} = \gamma (\Delta x_A -v \Delta t_A)##. Alice measures the spatial separation to be ##L## and the temporal separation to be ##L/u##. This seems correct because if I set ##v=u##, so that I'm in the rest of the ball on its out-going journey, then the spatial separation is ##0##, which makes sense.
d) Using a Lorentz transform: ##\Delta t_{12} = \gamma (\Delta t_A -\frac{v}{c^2} \Delta x_A) = \gamma (\frac{L}{u} - \frac{v}{c^2} L)##. Again checking with the ball's rest frame, I get regular time dilation which makes sense.
e) For parts e) and d) I am not sure how to account for the fact the ball's velocity is now ##-u##. How do I use this information to find the relevant intervals?
 
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velocity reverses but so does the direction of the differential positions so you have a global sign change in the displacements but the magnitudes transform as before.
 
So how would I implement this as equations? Something like the ball travels from ##(L,L/u)## in Alice's coordinates to ##(0,2L/u)## and then transform these points to Bob's reference frame and use the velocity of the ball as seen by Bob? Or is there something else I'm missing?
 
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