The description of the flight of a relativistic rocket with constant thrust, decreasing mass, and increasing acceleration is examined from the viewpoints of a nonaccelerating observer on the Earth who describes the motion of the rocket relative to the Earth, and an observer on the rocket who describes the motion of the Earth relative to the rocket. Although these two descriptions differ considerably in form, they are shown to be compatible by demonstrating that the same times of transmission and arrival of light flashes sent between the Earth and the rocket are obtained with each viewpoint. From the viewpoint of the observer on the rocket, certain values of Earth time apparently correspond to multiple values of rocket time and position of the Earth relative to the rocket. This apparent ambiguity does not affect the order in which light flashes are sent from the Earth and received at the rocket. (Author)


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    Title :

    Relativistic Flight with a Constant Thrust Rocket


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1970


    Size :

    7 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English





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