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Relativist Mirror And its Effects in Plane Waves

K. G. Hernandez Beltran
Escuela de Fsica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matematica, Universidad de El Salvador
San Salvador, El Salvador

Corresponding e-mail: kevinhernandezbel@hotmail.com

(Dated: December 7, 2016)

Abstract

The main project in this resume is the reflexions law in two inertial frames, when a relativist mirror is in moving in some
direction respect another inertial frame we need transforms the geometric optics law from the mirror to the inertial frame.
That process is development in this resume, getting some complications in the case of the dependence of the frequency of a
plane wave, the plane wave is reflected by the mirror (perfect reflector) but in this frame the geometric optics is the same that
in courses of optics for a plane mirror, but in another frame this problems need to generalize using special relativity for a wave
plane.

Keywords:Relativist Mirror, Reflexions law, Special Relativity, Lorentzs transformations, frequency.

1. Introduction 2.1. Mirror in Moving.

The ~P cuadri-momentum of a EM wave of angular
~
In this seminary we get a simple explanation through frequency and k wave vector is:
relativist model using the basic transformation of waves
 
~P = h , h~k (1)
(frequency, amplitude, others) of the plane mirrors and c
calculated the optics laws like the Snells law or the re-
flexions law. So the implication is how get a reflexion in Using law transformation in another inertial frame:
relativist case? the optic does not a first step, but special ~ 0 = ~P
P (2)
relativist yes. some properties of the planes mirror is
the refraction and reflexion of a wave in some direction. With has the transformation property in special rela-
tivity is the basic Lorentzs transformation.
Suppose the simple system with two inertial frame S
and S where S has a V velocity respect S in X axis and
both of origins coincide so the inverse transformation
for ~
P:
2. Theory
= 0 + ck0x


We begin with the definition of relativist optics is about
k x = k0x + k0


mirror, waves, Doppler effect, and others in the rela-
tivist framework but how we can relativist properties k y = k0y
in mirror? well, just move a mirror a relativist velocity k z = k0z (3)
comparable to light velocity, in section 2.1 is the develop-
ment of that. So in this seminary is considered that the Where = V/c and = 1 2 , well we are ready
1
notation is the same that the Relativity, Gravitation and for work with mirrors, if we put a mirror in the origin
cosmology; Ta-Pei Cheng or the ( + ++) assumption. of the S and parallel to Z, we get the figure 1:
2 Relativist Mirror and its Effects in Plane Waves.

Using the equation 3 we have:

k x = k0x
k y = k0y (10)

So we need to express ~k in terms of S, in that case:

~k = 2k0 cosi0 cos0 , sen0 , 0

(11)
Figure 1: A mirror in S and the representation of the incident wave
and reflex wave. when we do the vectorial product between ~k and n
maybe it is non-zero because in S, k is not parallel to
And now the mirror is a perfect reflector of course, n:
that system S is on the mirror, the angle in relation
with 0 is:
1 ~k n = 2k0 cosi0 cos0 sen cossen0 ez


(12)
tan = tan0 (4)

then, the normal n~ 0 of the mirror is in the XY plane, we But, if we use the equation 4 is clear that in mirror in
can see if tend to critic value like the approximation moving we get:
to v 0 we recovered that = 0 and the other case
~k n = 0 (13)
v c is to infinite and its orientation is parallel to Z
and X.
Then ~k and n are parallel.

2.2. Relativist Property of the Mirrors.

2.3. Relativist Law of Plane Mirrors
So in first place we need to use the Geometry optics is
valid when the mirror is in rest, therefore in S is the So in this part we need to get the mirror law in S frame.
inertial frame of the mirror, and if a wave hits in the we star first with:
mirror have that:
r seni
= (14)
i senr
0 0
i = r
considers first the inverse transformation:
i0 = r0
~k0 ||n0 (5) 0 = ( ck ) (15) x
For the observer in S the propagation vectors of inci-
For incident and reflected wave is:
dence wave and reflected wave is (see figure 1):
i0 = (i ck ix ) = (i i cos ( + i ))
h i
~k0 = k0 cos 0 + 0 +
e0 + sen 0 + 0 +
e0
i i x i y
h
i r0 = (r ckrx ) = (r r cos ( r )) (16)
~k0r = k0 cos 0 0 e0x + sen 0 0 ey0


i i (6)
And r0 = i0 we get the ratio:
And the k0 is:
k0 = k0r k0i = 2k0 cos0 cosi0 e0x + 2k0 sen0 cosi0 ey0 (7)
r 1 + cos ( + i ) seni
But in S the propagation vector take the same form: = = (17)
i 1 cos ( r ) senr
~k i = k cos ( + i + ) ex + sen ( + i + ) ey
 
So the above equation is the Reflexion law for a relativist
~kr = k cos ( r ) ex + sen ( r ) ey
 
(8) plane mirror. Therefore is convenient rewrite r in terms
In general for S 6= and 6= so, of i it gives:
i r i r

~k = ~ kr ~k i q
= [kr cos ( r ) + k i cos ( + i )] ex + ... sen2 i cos (1 + cosi cos)2 (cosi + cos)2
cosr = (18)
[kr sen ( r ) + k i sen ( + i )] ey (9) (cosi + cos)2 + sen2 i
 K. G. Hernandez Beltran3

The main problem is the in the radical, but we can

take the + sign because if we take the limit V 0 we
must to get i = r some theoretical results is shown in
the figure 2:

Figure 3: r in terms of the relative velocity and some inclination

angle of the mirror.

Figure 2: Results for the r in terms of i for each inclination of the

mirror, with a = 0.8

Figure 4: r in terms inclination angle of the mirror, with the rela-

tive velocity.
Is common that find a critic angle such that cos r = 0
from the equation 18 we get:
And whats about the reflected frecuency? well, the
equation for it is:
r 1 + n cosi
F= = (20)
i 1 n cosr
but we need this equation in terms only of i so:

2 n r 1 + n cosi + 2n
cosic = = (21)
1 + 2n i 1 2n
n = cos (19) The plot of the above equations is:
4 Relativist Mirror and its Effects in Plane Waves.

There are more physics in this part but is the basic

of the relativist optics.

3. Conclusions
In this seminary we get some implications in relativist
mirror, through geometry optics and special relativity,
how we saw the optics law for S are the same in limits
cases, in general, the incidence angle is not the same
that the reflected angle in S, the ratio of the frequency is
not the same, except for the limits case. This research
has more implications in the geometry optics, in a field
gravitational like the sun the light is curved and the
reflexions law must to be modified, but this is not the
unique law, the Fermat principle find the trajectory of
the light through a medium getting the two basic law
of the geometric optics, but this light run in a geodesic
line.
Figure 5: Relative frequency versus incidence angle in some incli-
In some properties of the geometry optics must to
nations angle of the mirror
be more generalize in relativist cases. when a pulse of
light hits a ship, the returned pulse has relativist optics
properties, so is necessary make more investigation in
this research.

References
[1] A. Ortiz-Acevedo, O. Mata Mendez and J. Avendano.
para espejos planos en movimiento
Ley de reflexion
relativista (2007). Revista Mexicana de Fisica. vol.53
pp 134-142.

Figure 6: Relative frequency versus relative velocity, in some incli-

nation angle.