Wigner rotation and its $SO(3)$ model: an active-frame approach

As an important issue in special relativity, Wigner rotation is notoriously difficult for beginners for two major reasons: this physical phenomenon is highly unintuitive, and the mathematics behind it can be extremely challenging. To remove the first obstacle, we introduce a clear and easy toy model under the guidance of group theory. To overcome the second, a concise mathematical method is developed by the integration of geometric algebra and the active-frame formalism.

Keywords

Wigner rotation, special relativity, geometric algebra, Clifford algebra

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Received 12 August 2022

Accepted 12 August 2022

Published 12 September 2022