# All Questions

475 views

### Covariance of the Dirac equation and Infinitesimal Lorentz transformation

Okay, I've got really desperate now. I've spend 10 hours of work (for a few days) trying to prove 'trivial' equation in Quantum Electrodynamics. To anybody who want to write an answer for my questions ...
123 views

### Can the Solar System be assumed a single body concentrated in the Sun?

This question springs from a comment against my question posted on the Space SE My questions may seem inane, or obvious to most of you real physics people too ... Any number of sources put the peg ...
126 views

### Explicit solutions to 2-d Dirac Equation

The 2-d Dirac equation without any constants is represented usually as $$i*dt (\phi) = D (\phi)$$ where $D = m\sigma_2-i\sigma_1dx-i\sigma_3dy$. Where can I find explicit closed form solutions to ...
605 views

### Wavefront RMS errors, mirror surface roughness and Gaussian beam scattering

What I'm interested is in the scattered power of Gaussian beams reflected from mirrors with a given surface RMS. Usually the surface RMS $\sigma_{s}$ of a mirror translates in an error for the ...
222 views

### Classical Rutherford scattering (partial) derivation

I am having trouble answering the following question, please could you help! Thank you in advance for any assistance you can give. Consider classical Rutherford scattering of a particle with mass $m$ ...
105 views

### Please explain me this relativistic occurrence [duplicate]

So, for example, we have the planet, a spaceship (cylinder shaped) and a ball in it (spaceship is like transparent so we can see the ball). We are on the planet looking at the ship. The spaceship ...
155 views

### Gauge fields in Polyakov's treatment of renormalization for nonlinear sigma model

I am deriving the results of renormalization for nonlinear sigma model using Polyakov approach. I am closely following chapter 2 of Polyakov's book--- Gauge fields and strings''. Action for the ...
174 views

### Virial Theorem and the Energy in a Gas

I clearly am interpreting the Virial Theorem incorrectly, but I don't know how. In dipole gases, the molecules can exhibit five kinetic modes, while they can only experience 2 potential modes. Doesn't ...
317 views

### Water level difference by pumping [closed]

Open tank is partially filled with water and is divided into two equal parts by the wall. The wall has pipe that connects both sections. Obviously, water levels are equal from both sides (Fig.1). ...
104 views

### Key difference between 3D and 4D solutions

In many papers in theoretical physics especially in the more advanced theories, I notice that physicists solve problems in 3 dimensions (2 spatial+ 1 temporal). In some specific papers (I can't seem ...
121 views

### Proper acceleration asymetry in twin paradox

In the Wikipedia article on the twin pararadox, there is an interesting chapter which calculates the difference of age for the twins, with steps of accelerated movement, and steps with constant speed, ...
229 views

### What are the equations of motion of a hole in a soap bubble?

Imagine the following situation: I have a thin stationary water film, like a soap bubble, suspended inside a large ring. I throw a small loop of string onto the film and punch a hole inside it. How ...
164 views

### Which way do black hole jets spin?

The centers of black holes and quasars often have jets coming out the two poles of an accretion disk, say north and south. Is it known if the two jets spin in the same direction or opposite ...
284 views

### What is the geometry behind special relativity?

Many books on special relativity eventually mention that the geometry of spacetime is special because the metric has a signature $(-,+,+,+)$ which is non-Euclidean. I have encountered many ways this ...
89 views

### Nonlinear waves and shock formation

In the cases of nonlinear acoustics, why is shock formation unlikely when the dispersion is strong when compared to the nonlinearity of the wave?
942 views

### Galaxy Spectra: Emission and Absorption Lines

Spectra from galaxies include both absorption and emission lines. I do understand how both types of spectral lines are produced but I am not quite sure where each type is coming from when we observe a ...
83 views

### While finding the equivalent resistance why isn't the 8 ohm in series with the 5 ohm?

Is there any way to tell if the circuit below is in series or parallel quickly and accurately?
364 views

### The statistical nature of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics

Ok, so entropy increases... This is supposed to be an absolute statement about entropy. But then someone imagines a box with a 10 particle gas, and finds that every now and then all particles are in ...
388 views

Following up on a comment by BlueRaja to this beautiful answer of Ilmari Karonen, I would like to phrase this follow up question: How many air molecules hit your average human's skin during their ...
385 views

### Is a spinning object heavier than a non-spinning object?

Does spinning an object make it heavier? A real-world example: I was mowing the lawn in front of my house, a lawn that tends to have some steep inclines. I realized that the lawn-mower was easier ...
1k views

### How does (kg/m^3) * (m/s^2) * (m) come out to be units of N/m^2? [closed]

To me it seems to come out to be kg/(m*s^2). Is this somehow equivalent to N/m^2?
91 views

### Cylindrical charge distribution [closed]

I'll just list the problem first and then explain what I need help with. Consider a cylindrical charge distribution extending from $r = 0$ to $r = 8.2$cm of charge density $\rho = r/a_0$, where ...
150 views

122 views

### Question about the Dirac notation for partial trace

I saw the following definition for the partial trace operator: $\rho_A=\sum_k \langle e_k|\rho_{AB}|e_k\rangle$, where $e_k$ is basis for the state space of system $B$. From what I know, in the ...
281 views

### Holographic principle “inside-out view”

From the perspective inside a black hole: Is information about everything outside a black hole - the rest of the cosmos - represented on the inside of the (event) horizon too? NB. I realize it is the ...
255 views

### Aerofoil Theory Project

I'm doing a project (dissertation) on the mathematics of Aerofoil Theory. I wonder if I could get some advice on a possible structure. I'm new to fluid dynamics, so it's quite hard to know where to ...
507 views

### An objective question from electromagnetic induction

A bar magnet is released from rest along the axis of a very long, vertical copper tube. After some the the magnet : (a) will stop in the tube. (b) will move with almost constant speed. ...
474 views

### Vector Potential for Magnetic field when the field is not in simply-connected region

According to Poincare's Lemma, if $U\subset \mathbb{R}^n$ is a star-shaped set and if $\omega$ is a $k$-form defined in $U$ that is closed, then $\omega$ is exact, meaning that there's some ...
45 views

### Impact of friction on a fallen body [closed]

If a body travelling at speed falls to the ground through an arc from a certain height (someone walking who trips, for example), how does friction of the ground surface affect the forces impacting ...
189 views

### How would one show that a nonabelian field strength tensor transforms in a certain way under a local gauge transformation?

How would one show that the nonabelian ${F_{\mu\nu}}$ field strength tensor transforms as ${F_{\mu\nu}\to F_{\mu\nu}^{\prime}=UF_{\mu\nu}U^{-1}}$ under a local gauge transformation? Rather than going ...
287 views

### How widespread is the meme “QM is counterintuitive” in academic physics? [closed]

I have recently entered university — studying CS — and I have spoken to many physics students on campus. Most of these — when propmted — will gladly proclaim that QM is ...
73 views

### Increasing the maximum angle of laser scanners with optics?

With laser scanning devices, very roughly speaking, the maximum deflection angle seems to be inversly proportional to speed. So for example, while acousto-optic deflectors can steer the beam very ...
821 views

### Are the air particles in today's wind on earth (more or less) the same as the air 2/3 billion years ago?

So the air pressure on earth remains relatively constant, right? Is there air gained or lost through transitions of any sort? e.g. plumes going out into space, earth gaining new air particles with ...