Significance of c/sqrt(2) in Relativistic Physics
Abstract
In the description of relative motion in accelerated systems and gravitational fields, inertial and tidal accelerations must be taken into account, respectively. These involve a critical speed that in the first approximation can be simply illustrated in the case of motion in one dimension. For one-dimensional motion, such first-order accelerations are multiplied by (1-V2/Vc2), where Vc=c/2 is the critical speed. If the speed of relative motion exceeds Vc, there is a sign reversal with consequences that are contrary to Newtonian expectations.
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