Weighing delta(E)=c^2 delta(m) on a relativistic high-sensitivity balance. Its mechanical and thermal equilibrium

Abstract

We consider the sticky collision between two sphere of equal rest mass, moving with equal but opposite speeds in a horizontal plane. The collision takes place on the pan of a high sensitivity balance. The conditions of mechanical and thermal equilibrium are studied showing that heat developed in the rest frame of the system has a corresponding inertial mass.