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Curious consequence of special relativity observed for the first time in the lab
- Physicists in Austria have experimentally observed a prediction from Einstein's special theory of relativity about objects moving near the speed of light appearing rotated to an external observer.
- Special relativity postulates that the speed of light is constant in all reference frames, leading to the phenomenon of Lorentz contraction.
- In 1959, physicists noted that an object moving near the speed of light will appear rotated due to a time difference in photon emissions from its far and near sides.
- This phenomenon, known as the Terrell effect, results in the object appearing rotated rather than contracted when photographed at near-light speeds.
- Peter Schattschneider and colleagues from the Technical University of Vienna verified the Terrell effect experimentally using a laser, a picosecond camera, and moving objects like a sphere or a cube.
- By synchronizing pulsed laser light with the camera, they recorded images of the moving object, observing it rotating instead of contracting.
- The experimental results aligned with the predictions of the Terrell effect, although slight deviations were noted due to certain assumptions in the theoretical model.
- Astrophysicist Avi Loeb praised the experimental confirmation of the Terrell effect as a clever demonstration that captured the effect envisioned by Terrell and Penrose.
- The research conducted by Schattschneider and team is forthcoming for publication in a journal with an embargo policy, and it offers a unique experimental validation of a long-standing theoretical prediction.
- This work signifies a significant step in the experimental verification of special relativity concepts, highlighting the intricate nature of physics phenomena at near-light speeds.
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