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Use the Minkowski metric convention $+---$. A particle's four-momentum is $P=(E/c,\mathbf{p})$, with $P\cdot P=m^2{c}^2$ for rest mass $m$. For a photon, its energy and wavelength obey $E=hc/\lambda$, and its four-momentum is null. Here $h$ is the Planck constant.

The initially stationary electron has $P=(mc,0,0,0)$. Choose the scattering plane as the $xy$ plane. The incoming and outgoing photon four-momenta areBy four-momentum conservation, the final electron has $P^{\prime }=P+K_1-K_2$. Its rest mass is unchanged, so the relativistic energy-momentum relation gives $P^{\prime 2}=P^2=m^2{c}^2$. Since $K_1^2=K_2^2=0$, expansion yieldsorMultiplying through gives the Compton scattering shift:It is nonnegative and vanishes for forward scattering, consistent with the recoil energy being supplied by the photon.

Now $m$ denotes the instantaneous rest mass of the rocket, including its fuel and stored internal energy, and $v$ is measured in a fixed inertial frame. Assume the exhaust is expelled backwards with speed $0<u<c$ in the rocket's instantaneous rest frame. By the relativistic velocity-addition formula, material emitted at time $\tau$ has inertial velocityIt coasts at this velocity after emission.

The crucial change is that the expelled material's rest mass is not simply $-dm$: some of the rocket's rest energy becomes exhaust motion. Instead, use conservation of relativistic energy. Put $q(t)=m(t)\gamma (t)$, so the rocket's energy is $c^{2}q(t)$. The exhaust emitted during $d\tau$ carries energy $-c^2{q}^{\prime }(\tau )d\tau$. For material moving at velocity $w$, the relativistic energy-momentum relation gives momentum $wE/c^2$, since $E={\gamma }_{\mathrm{ex}}\mu c^2$ and $p={\gamma }_{\mathrm{ex}}\mu w$. Hence the modified total momentum isMeanwhile the total relativistic energy is $c^2[q(t)-{\int }_0^t{q}^{\prime }(\tau )d\tau ]=c^{2}q(0)$. These expressions consistently account for both energy and momentum of the expelled material.

Differentiate the momentum formula. The momentum conservation law givesTo simplify it, useMultiplying by ${\gamma }^2(1-uv/c^2)$, the equation becomesThe two terms containing $uv/c^2$ cancel. Dividing by $\gamma >0$ proves the relativistic rocket equation

Use momentum conservation and conservation of energy in the laboratory inertial frame. The photon has momentum magnitude $E/c$, while the outgoing Electron satisfies the relativistic energy-momentum relation. Its total energy and momentum obeySubstitute these into $E_e^2=m^2{c}^4+c^2|{\mathbf{p}}_e{|}^2$. Cancelling $m^2{c}^4$ and $(E_1-E_2{)}^2$ gives $m{c}^2(E_1-E_2)=E_1{E}_2(1-\cos \theta )$. Both photon energies are positive, so division yieldsThis is Compton scattering. The energies include the Electron's rest energy; using only its kinetic energy in the mass-shell equation would give the wrong result. The outgoing photon has unchanged energy at $\theta =0$ and smaller energy for a nonzero scattering angle.

Let ${\mathbf{p}}_1$ and ${\mathbf{p}}_2$ be the incoming and proton momenta. The other incoming atom is at rest, so its total energy is $m_1{c}^2$. By four-momentum conservation, the tritium atom hasThe specified perpendicular emission gives ${\mathbf{p}}_1\cdot {\mathbf{p}}_2=0$. Therefore the relativistic energy-momentum relation impliesDividing by $c^4$ givesHere $E_1,E_2$ are total energies, not just kinetic energies. This identity is conditional on the collision admitting the stated emission: the calculated energies must satisfy the positive-energy mass-shell conditions, in particular $E_2\ge m_2{c}^2$ and $E_3\ge m_3{c}^2$. No nonrelativistic approximation has been used.

Write $E=|\mathbf{E}|$ and $\hat{\mathbf{E}}=\mathbf{E}/E$. The constant electric force gives momentumCombining $\mathbf{p}=\gamma m\dot{\mathbf{x}}$ with the relativistic energy-momentum relation givesThe dimensional analysis from part (a) confirms that $qEt$ has the dimensions of momentum, so $qEt/(mc)$ is dimensionless and the expression has the dimensions of velocity.

The speed increases monotonically from zero and approaches the speed of light asymptotically:Integrating in the direction of the field givesAt small times, the Taylor expansion of the square root gives the nonrelativistic limitwhich is motion from rest with the constant acceleration $q\mathbf{E}/m$.

At time $t_0$, the accelerated proton has momentum $p=qE{t}_0$ and, by the relativistic energy-momentum relation, energyThe incident Cosmic microwave background photon adds energy $E_{\gamma }$. Since the final state contains only the Delta-plus baryon, conservation of relativistic energy gives its laboratory-frame Lorentz factorIts rest-frame decay time $t_{\Delta }$ is a proper time, so time dilation gives the laboratory decay time

With Lorentz factor $\gamma =(1-v^2/c^2{)}^{-1/2}$, the relativistic momentum and four-momentum areThe Newtonian formula $a=F/m$ fails because $p$ is not $mv$: both the magnitude and direction of $v$ affect $dp/dt$. Sincethe relativistic force isTaking the dot product with $v$ gives $F\cdot v=m{\gamma }^{3}v\cdot a$, and substitution yields the inverse relationThis is the requested sum of a vector parallel to $F$ and one parallel to $v$.

In the constant electric field, $dp/dt=qE$ and the particle starts with $p(0)=0$, so $p=qEt$. The relativistic energy-momentum relation impliesThus the speed increases monotonically but remains subluminal, and $v$ tends to $c$ in the direction of $qE$ as $t\to \infty$.

With $\mathbf{B}=0$ and $\mathbf{E}=(0,0,E)$, the spatial Lorentz force equation givesThe relativistic energy-momentum relation therefore yieldsSince $\mathbf{v}=c^2\mathbf{p}/\mathcal{E}$,Integration from the initial position $z(0)=0$ gives