Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-symmetry-and-relativity-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2016/1/c/solution

The proper acceleration is , the magnitude of the instantaneous rest-frame three-acceleration. A pure force is a four-force preserving rest mass, or equivalently satisfying . Indeed gives .
For the right-hand branch of the hyperbola, use , and , taking . Direct differentiation gives
The sign of follows the sign of , whereas the coordinate acceleration on this branch is positive. Consequently
The proper-time parameterization , independently gives constant proper acceleration. Restoring dimensions, a hyperbola has . Constant proper acceleration does not mean that all inertial-frame components of the four-force are constant.

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