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Methodological notes


On the difference between Wigner’s and Møller’s approaches to the description of Thomas precession


Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky prosp. 53, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation

An account is given of the Wigner concept of particle spin and velocity rotations and of the variation of the angle between them under Lorentz transformations with noncollinear velocities. It is shown that Møller’s description of spin rotation can be reduced to the Wigner rotation, and Møller’s formula for the angle of spin rotation in the curvilinear motion of a particle is corrected. The permutation asymmetry of the relativistic velocity addition law distinguishes the Wigner sequence of Lorentzian boosts by its applicability to the description of spin and velocity rotations in curvilinear motion.

Fulltext pdf (180 KB)
Fulltext is also available at DOI: 10.1070/PU2007v050n01ABEH006302
PACS: 03.30.+p
DOI: 10.1070/PU2007v050n01ABEH006302
URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2007/1/e/
000246449500005
2-s2.0-34249713540
2007PhyU...50...95R
Citation: Ritus V I "On the difference between Wigner's and Møller's approaches to the description of Thomas precession" Phys. Usp. 50 95–101 (2007)
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Оригинал: Ритус В И «О различии подходов Вигнера и Мёллера к описанию прецессии Томаса» УФН 177 105–112 (2007); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0177.200701e.0105

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