Relativistic dynamics

Next: Example 2.1 Up: Title page Previous: Four- acceleration

For interacting particles we postulate that

is conserved [ where i labels the particle ] since this is the natural analogue of Newton's law .

Conservation of the time component corresponds to energy conservation  [ with rest mass being included in this ]. Conservation of spatial components corresponds to conservation of three- momentum.

Note that is evaluated at a particular time by different observers and they will see different events as simultaneous. However will be conserved in all frames.

The center of momentum frame  for a particular system of particles is the one in which

• Example 2.1
• Example 2.2