From: Tony M on
Artful, PD,

If you don’t mind, let’s elaborate on the invariant mass of a closed
system of particles (which includes both massive and massless
particles <photons>). These particles would have arbitrary velocities
(not applicable to photons of course) and directions within the
system. How do we define the invariant mass of such a system?

Furthermore, how would one determine the center of mass for this
system? Which individual masses of the particles should one consider
when doing this? Are photons taken into account for the center of
mass?

Assuming now there are nuclear reactions taking place in this system
(which we defined as closed => all products of these reactions are
considered part of the system), how would these reactions affect the
invariant mass, center of mass, momentum and total energy of this
system?
From: PD on
On Apr 22, 8:56 am, Tony M <marc...(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> Artful, PD,
>
> If you don’t mind, let’s elaborate on the invariant mass of a closed
> system of particles (which includes both massive and massless
> particles <photons>). These particles would have arbitrary velocities
> (not applicable to photons of course) and directions within the
> system. How do we define the invariant mass of such a system?

First, what it clearly is not is the sum of the rest masses of the
constituents of the system, which in this case would be zero, since
the rest masses of the photons are zero. What may not be obvious, but
is also true, is that the invariant mass is not necessarily the sum of
the relativistic masses of the photons either!

The way to find the invariant mass is very simple:
m^2 = (sum[E])^2 - (sum[p])^2
where the sum[E] is the scalar sum of the energies of the
constituents, and
sum[p] is the vector sum of the momenta of the constituents.

>
> Furthermore, how would one determine the center of mass for this
> system? Which individual masses of the particles should one consider
> when doing this? Are photons taken into account for the center of
> mass?

It's not necessary to choose the center of mass frame for this system,
as the invariant mass is invariant, independent of frame.

>
> Assuming now there are nuclear reactions taking place in this system
> (which we defined as closed => all products of these reactions are
> considered part of the system), how would these reactions affect the
> invariant mass, center of mass, momentum and total energy of this
> system?

From: Tom Roberts on
PD wrote:
> The way to find the invariant mass is very simple:
> m^2 = (sum[E])^2 - (sum[p])^2
> where the sum[E] is the scalar sum of the energies of the
> constituents, and
> sum[p] is the vector sum of the momenta of the constituents.

The way to explain this is to note that mass is not really the important
physical quantity. For instance, mass is not an extrinsic property of systems --
the mass of a collection of objects is in general NOT the sum of their
individual masses.

[Though that is often said to be so when speaking loosely, using
a common PUN that interprets "[total] mass of a system"
differently from "mass of an object".]

In our current theories, the important physical quantity is 4-momentum. It is an
extrinsic quantity -- the 4-momentum of a collection of objects is the sum of
their individual 4-momenta.

This then simplifies the answer: the mass of any object is the norm of its
4-momentum. This applies to the individual constituents of a system, and to the
system as a whole considered as a sum of its parts. For a collection it yields
the formula PD gave above (his p is 3-momentum).


Tom Roberts
From: Y.Porat on
On Apr 22, 4:26 pm, PD <thedraperfam...(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> On Apr 22, 8:56 am, Tony M <marc...(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Artful, PD,
>
> > If you don’t mind, let’s elaborate on the invariant mass of a closed
> > system of particles (which includes both massive and massless
> > particles <photons>). These particles would have arbitrary velocities
> > (not applicable to photons of course) and directions within the
> > system. How do we define the invariant mass of such a system?
>
> First, what it clearly is not is the sum of the rest masses of the
> constituents of the system, which in this case would be zero, since
> the rest masses of the photons are zero. What may not be obvious, but
> is also true, is that the invariant mass is not necessarily the sum of
> the relativistic masses of the photons either!
>
> The way to find the invariant mass is very simple:
> m^2 = (sum[E])^2 - (sum[p])^2
------------------
very simple (:-)indeed
but i showed you that p=mc
AND NOTHING THERE TO MULTIPLY IT BY ZERO !!
NORE GAMMA FACTOR TO MAKE IT
DIFFERENT *QUANTITATIVELY* FROM REST MASS

??!!
so now you **invented **different masses
in different circumstances
but we see that **quantitatively* you have no base for your new
invention ...
yet
bingo i stated to understand you !!:
while one sort of mass is going to a wedding
it has a happy face
and while i t is going to a funeral
it gets a sad face
so we got here
a new kind of chameleon mass ----

--- A** CHAMELEON MASS **!!
from the *chameleon* school directed by PD !!
what are those CIRCUMSTANCES ??
it is ONLY for the genius (Shakespear )PD to decide !!
i just wonder what else and how many new
circumstances and the related kinds of mass !! (:-)

Y.Porat
---------------------------------



SO
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENC EBETWEEN THE TWO ??!!



> where the sum[E] is the scalar sum of the energies of the
> constituents, and
> sum[p] is the vector sum of the momenta of the constituents.
>
>
>
> > Furthermore, how would one determine the center of mass for this
> > system? Which individual masses of the particles should one consider
> > when doing this? Are photons taken into account for the center of
> > mass?
>
> It's not necessary to choose the center of mass frame for this system,
> as the invariant mass is invariant, independent of frame.
> -----------------------

>
>
> > Assuming now there are nuclear reactions taking place in this system
> > (which we defined as closed => all products of these reactions are
> > considered part of the system), how would these reactions affect the
> > invariant mass, center of mass, momentum and total energy of this
> > system?

---------------------------
From: PD on
On Apr 22, 11:16 am, "Y.Porat" <y.y.po...(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> On Apr 22, 4:26 pm, PD <thedraperfam...(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > On Apr 22, 8:56 am, Tony M <marc...(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > Artful, PD,
>
> > > If you don’t mind, let’s elaborate on the invariant mass of a closed
> > > system of particles (which includes both massive and massless
> > > particles <photons>). These particles would have arbitrary velocities
> > > (not applicable to photons of course) and directions within the
> > > system. How do we define the invariant mass of such a system?
>
> > First, what it clearly is not is the sum of the rest masses of the
> > constituents of the system, which in this case would be zero, since
> > the rest masses of the photons are zero. What may not be obvious, but
> > is also true, is that the invariant mass is not necessarily the sum of
> > the relativistic masses of the photons either!
>
> > The way to find the invariant mass is very simple:
> > m^2 = (sum[E])^2 - (sum[p])^2
>
> ------------------
> very simple   (:-)indeed
> but i   showed you that  p=mc

No, Porat, if you'll look, I've told you that p=mc describes nothing
in our universe. This formula for momentum is flat wrong. It does not
work for *anything*.

> AND NOTHING THERE  TO MULTIPLY IT BY ZERO !!
> NORE GAMMA FACTOR TO  MAKE IT
> DIFFERENT *QUANTITATIVELY* FROM REST MASS
>
> ??!!
> so   now you **invented **different masses
> in different circumstances
> but we see that **quantitatively* you have no base for your new
> invention  ...
> yet
> bingo i stated to understand you !!:
> while one sort of mass is going to a wedding
> it has a happy face
> and while i t   is going to  a funeral
> it gets a sad face
> so we got here
> a new kind of  chameleon mass  ----
>
> --- A** CHAMELEON  MASS  **!!
> from the *chameleon* school directed by PD !!
> what are those CIRCUMSTANCES  ??
> it is  ONLY    for  the genius  (Shakespear )PD to   decide !!

Nonsense, Porat. It's all pretty basic stuff, and it's all in pretty
low level textbooks. I've not made it up, and it's not a new invention
of any kind, and it isn't really up for a vote or an argument on a
newsgroup. You either learn it or you don't.

> i just wonder what else  and how many  new
> circumstances   and the related  kinds of mass !! (:-)
>
> Y.Porat
> ---------------------------------
>
> SO
> WHAT IS THE DIFFERENC EBETWEEN THE TWO ??!!
>
>
>
> > where the sum[E] is the scalar sum of the energies of the
> > constituents, and
> > sum[p] is the vector sum of the momenta of the constituents.
>
> > > Furthermore, how would one determine the center of mass for this
> > > system? Which individual masses of the particles should one consider
> > > when doing this? Are photons taken into account for the center of
> > > mass?
>
> > It's not necessary to choose the center of mass frame for this system,
> > as the invariant mass is invariant, independent of frame.
> > -----------------------
>
> > > Assuming now there are nuclear reactions taking place in this system
> > > (which we defined as closed => all products of these reactions are
> > > considered part of the system), how would these reactions affect the
> > > invariant mass, center of mass, momentum and total energy of this
> > > system?
>
> ---------------------------