On the time delay between ultra-relativistic particles
The time delay between the receptions of ultra-relativistic particles emitted simultaneously is a useful observable for both fundamental physics and cosmology. The expression of the delay when the particles travel through an arbitrary spacetime has been derived recently by Fanizza et al., using a pa...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Elsevier
2016-09-01
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Series: | Physics Letters B |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269316303513 |
Summary: | The time delay between the receptions of ultra-relativistic particles emitted simultaneously is a useful observable for both fundamental physics and cosmology. The expression of the delay when the particles travel through an arbitrary spacetime has been derived recently by Fanizza et al., using a particular coordinate system and self-consistent assumptions. The present article shows that this formula enjoys a simple physical interpretation: the relative velocity between two ultra-relativistic particles is constant. This result reveals an interesting kinematical property of general relativity, namely that the tidal forces experienced by ultra-relativistic particles in the direction of their motion are much smaller than those experienced orthogonally to their motion. |
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ISSN: | 0370-2693 1873-2445 |