SIMPLE GENERALIZATIONS OF LORENTZ TRANSFORMATIONS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR HIGH ENERGY EXPERIMENTS

Based on Lorentz and Poincaré invariance, we discuss reference frames with constant-linear-accelerations and their generalized space–time transformations with minimal departure from the Lorentz transformations. The requirement of limiting four-dimensional symmetry of the Lorentz and Poincaré groups assures that the generalized transformations reduce to the Lorentz transformations in the limit of zero acceleration. This suggests that the space–time coordinates xμ of accelerated frames are as meaningful as those of inertial frames. A flexibility and "gauge invariance" of the time for noninertial frames are discussed. These properties and the changes in the space–time of accelerated frames are shown graphically, including singularities and horizons. Physical implications of various accelerated transformations related to accelerated lifetime or decay-length dilations are predicted for experimental test.