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Suppose we have an object with some large length (L) undergoing a
large constant acceleration (a). We consider the relativistic case,
where La/c^2 is not small compared to unity.
It is well known that the world-line of pointlike object undergoing
constant acceleration is a hyperbola. When we generalize to a larger
object, we find a few features that may seem non-obvious at first,
but can be given a simple interpretation in terms of the geometry of
spacetime. We call particular attention to the geometrical /center/ of
the hyperbolas.
We shall see that in order for the object to maintain its shape,
different parts will need to accelerate at different rates. This can
be considered a generalization of the notion of centrifugal force, as
applied to the case of a rotation in the xt plane.
ContentsCenter of the Parabolas
1 Introduction
2 A Numerical Example : Hyperbolic Motion
2.1 Cluster of Pointlike Objects
2.2 Rigid Extended Object
3 Discussion
3.1
3.2 Centrifugal Stress
3.3 The Relativistic Criteria
4 References