Premium
The relativistic Doppler effect: when a zero‐frequency shift or a red shift exists for sources approaching the observer
Author(s) -
Wang C.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
annalen der physik
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.009
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1521-3889
pISSN - 0003-3804
DOI - 10.1002/andp.201000099
Subject(s) - physics , observer (physics) , inertial frame of reference , doppler effect , one way speed of light , lorentz transformation , speed of light (cellular automaton) , moving magnet and conductor problem , relativistic quantum chemistry , theory of relativity , classical mechanics , frequency shift , special relativity , lorentz force , optics , principle of relativity , lorentz covariance , cpt symmetry , quantum mechanics , four force , magnetic field
It is shown without making use of Lorentz transformation that there exists a phenomenon of relativistic zero‐frequency shift in Doppler effect for a plane wave in free space, observed in two inertial frames of relative motion, and the zero shift takes place at a maximum aberration of light. When it is applied to analysis of a moving point light source, two unconventional physical implications result: (1) a light source, when it is approaching (moving closer to) the observer, may cause a red shift; (2) a zero‐frequency‐shift observation does not necessarily mean that the light source is not moving closer, and in contrast, the light source may be moving closer to the observer at a high speed. This fundamental result of special relativity may provide an alternative way to experimentally examine the principle of relativity, and might have a significant application in astrophysics.