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In physics, relativistic mechanics refers to mechanics compatible with special relativity (SR) and general relativity (GR). It provides a non- quantum mechanical description of a system of particles, or of a fluid , in cases where the velocities of moving objects are comparable to the speed of light c .
The solution is a complex-valued wavefunction ψ(r, t), a function of the 3D position vector r of the particle at time t, describing the behavior of the system. Every particle has a non-negative spin quantum number s. The number 2s is an integer, odd for fermions and even for bosons.
This condition implies that the speed of the particle is close to the speed of light. According to the Lorentz factor formula, this requires the particle to move at roughly 85% of the speed of light. Such relativistic particles are generated in particle accelerators, [a] as well as naturally occurring in cosmic radiation.
The relativistic mass is the sum total quantity of energy in a body or system (divided by c 2).Thus, the mass in the formula = is the relativistic mass. For a particle of non-zero rest mass m moving at a speed relative to the observer, one finds =.
The de Broglie wavelength is the wavelength, λ, associated with a particle with momentum p through the Planck constant, h: =. Wave-like behavior of matter has been experimentally demonstrated, first for electrons in 1927 and for other elementary particles, neutral atoms and molecules in the years since.
Since m 0 does not change from frame to frame, the energy–momentum relation is used in relativistic mechanics and particle physics calculations, as energy and momentum are given in a particle's rest frame (that is, E ′ and p ′ as an observer moving with the particle would conclude to be) and measured in the lab frame (i.e. E and p as ...
Relativistic quantum chemistry combines relativistic mechanics with quantum chemistry to calculate elemental properties and structure, especially for the heavier elements of the periodic table. A prominent example is an explanation for the color of gold : due to relativistic effects, it is not silvery like most other metals.
In physics, specifically relativistic quantum mechanics (RQM) and its applications to particle physics, relativistic wave equations predict the behavior of particles at high energies and velocities comparable to the speed of light. In the context of quantum field theory (QFT), the equations determine the dynamics of quantum fields.