Energy–momentum relation
Energy–momentum relation
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Energy–momentum relation

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Energy–momentum relation

In physics, the energy–momentum relation, or relativistic dispersion relation, is the relativistic equation relating total energy (which is also called relativistic energy) to invariant mass (which is also called rest mass) and momentum. It is the extension of mass–energy equivalence for bodies or systems with non-zero momentum.

It can be formulated as:

This equation holds for a body or system, such as one or more particles, with total energy E, invariant mass m0, and momentum of magnitude p; the constant c is the speed of light. It assumes the special relativity case of flat spacetime and that the particles are free. Total energy is the sum of rest energy and relativistic kinetic energy: Invariant mass is mass measured in a centre-of-momentum frame. For bodies or systems with zero momentum, it simplifies to the mass–energy equation , where total energy in this case is equal to rest energy.

The Dirac sea model, which was used to predict the existence of antimatter, is closely related to the energy–momentum relation.

The energy–momentum relation is consistent with the familiar mass–energy relation in both its interpretations: E = mc2 relates total energy E to the (total) relativistic mass m (alternatively denoted mrel or mtot), while E0 = m0c2 relates rest energy E0 to (invariant) rest mass m0.

Unlike either of those equations, the energy–momentum equation (1) relates the total energy to the rest mass m0. All three equations hold true simultaneously.

A more general form of relation (1) holds for general relativity.

The invariant mass (or rest mass) is an invariant for all frames of reference (hence the name), not just in inertial frames in flat spacetime, but also accelerated frames traveling through curved spacetime (see below). However the total energy of the particle E and its relativistic momentum p are frame-dependent; relative motion between two frames causes the observers in those frames to measure different values of the particle's energy and momentum; one frame measures E and p, while the other frame measures E and p, where EE and p′ ≠ p, unless there is no relative motion between observers, in which case each observer measures the same energy and momenta. Although we still have, in flat spacetime:

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