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Main Author: Mogtaba Rashydy
Format: Recurso digital
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Published: Zenodo 2025
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17856482
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author Mogtaba Rashydy
author_facet Mogtaba Rashydy
contents <p>This paper proposes a novel thought experiment demonstrating how pure relative motion can produce an apparent displacement of a light source—a qualitative kinematic analogue to gravitational light bending. By analyzing a light beam passing through a uniformly moving train, we show that the sequential effects of entry-point shift, diagonal in-frame propagation, and altered exit direction combine to make the source appear shifted from its true position. The resulting displacement |\Delta a| \approx (v/c)L shares structural similarities with the general relativistic formula \Delta \theta = 4GM/(c^2 R), revealing a conceptual bridge between kinematic (special relativity) and geometric (general relativity) descriptions of light deflection. This analogy serves primarily as an educational tool to foster intuitive understanding of how spacetime properties—whether induced by motion or curvature—can alter the observed path of light.</p>
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spellingShingle A Kinematic Analogy for Gravitational Light Bending: The Moving Train Thought Experiment
Mogtaba Rashydy
<p>This paper proposes a novel thought experiment demonstrating how pure relative motion can produce an apparent displacement of a light source—a qualitative kinematic analogue to gravitational light bending. By analyzing a light beam passing through a uniformly moving train, we show that the sequential effects of entry-point shift, diagonal in-frame propagation, and altered exit direction combine to make the source appear shifted from its true position. The resulting displacement |\Delta a| \approx (v/c)L shares structural similarities with the general relativistic formula \Delta \theta = 4GM/(c^2 R), revealing a conceptual bridge between kinematic (special relativity) and geometric (general relativity) descriptions of light deflection. This analogy serves primarily as an educational tool to foster intuitive understanding of how spacetime properties—whether induced by motion or curvature—can alter the observed path of light.</p>
title A Kinematic Analogy for Gravitational Light Bending: The Moving Train Thought Experiment
url https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17856482