I would very much appreciate if someone could find a reference that I lost
some time ago... if not I will have to sallow a lot of dust!!!...

I saw a spacetime diagram equivalent to Minkowski, but which used
non-orthogonal axis. That is very important for my work in the issue.

There were 2 or 3 papers commenting in these diagrams which were very
helpful as pedagogical tools. The author was likely Besse, Betthe or
something like that, but I could be wrong (was it Vernon?)...

The journal was, and there is no doubt about it, American Journal of
Physics.

The date is likely in the 60's-70's. The idea that the indexes are not
computerized and that I have to go through 100's of issues of the journal
makes me sweat.

Thank you very much.

"Cesar Sirvent" wrote in message ...
I would very much appreciate if someone could find a reference that I lost
some time ago... if not I will have to sallow a lot of dust!!!...

I saw a spacetime diagram equivalent to Minkowski, but which used
non-orthogonal axis. That is very important for my work in the issue.

There were 2 or 3 papers commenting in these diagrams which were very
helpful as pedagogical tools. The author was likely Besse, Betthe or
something like that, but I could be wrong (was it Vernon?)...

The journal was, and there is no doubt about it, American Journal of
Physics.

The date is likely in the 60's-70's. The idea that the indexes are not
computerized and that I have to go through 100's of issues of the journal
makes me sweat.

Thank you very much.

Minkovski space-time diagrams do not use
orthogonal axes. In the context of special relativity
one is free to choose the axes any way one likes,
provided the x-axis and the t-axis are drawn
symmetrically w.r.t. the light rays. These light rays
are usually drawn (or imagined) at an angle of 45
degrees with the paper, but one can draw them at
any angle one likes. Also, usually one draws one
of the frames of the situation with orthogonal axes,
but that is not necessary at all.
Some time ago I explained this to someone with
a little drawing, similar to this one:
http://users.pandora.be/vdmoortel/dirk/Stuff/twins2.gif
In this drawing the light rays are not drawn, but
they are to be imagined at an angle of 45 with
the base of your monitor.
If this is not at all what you have in mind, then you
can safely ignore it.

Dirk Vdm

Cesar Sirvent wrote:

There were 2 or 3 papers commenting in these diagrams which were very
helpful as pedagogical tools. The author was likely Besse, Betthe or
something like that, but I could be wrong (was it Vernon?)...

The name is R. W. Brehme.

The journal was, and there is no doubt about it, American Journal of
Physics.

"A Geometric Representation of Galilean and Lorentz Transformations"
American Journal of Physics 30/7 P. 489, 1962

Sears, Brehme: "Introduction to the Theory of Relativity"
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1968

only in german: http://www.werdenfels-gymnasium.de/
Click on "weiter" - "Schulleben" - "Physik" - "Physikskripte ..."
and download: Skriptum "Spezielle Relativitätstheorie" (pdf, 0,47 MB)

Richard Reindl

--
Richard Reindl, Mittenwald

Thanks a lot. That is what I was looking for... you have saved me hours of
painful searching...

Thanks again,

Cesar


"Richard Reindl" escribió en el mensaje
...
Cesar Sirvent wrote:

There were 2 or 3 papers commenting in these diagrams which were very
helpful as pedagogical tools. The author was likely Besse, Betthe or
something like that, but I could be wrong (was it Vernon?)...

The name is R. W. Brehme.

The journal was, and there is no doubt about it, American Journal of
Physics.

"A Geometric Representation of Galilean and Lorentz Transformations"
American Journal of Physics 30/7 P. 489, 1962

Sears, Brehme: "Introduction to the Theory of Relativity"
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1968

only in german: http://www.werdenfels-gymnasium.de/
Click on "weiter" - "Schulleben" - "Physik" - "Physikskripte ..."
and download: Skriptum "Spezielle Relativitätstheorie" (pdf, 0,47 MB)

Richard Reindl

--
Richard Reindl, Mittenwald