Question on Quarks within accelerated Proton.

[sunshaker]

From Matt Strassler's "what is a proton anyway" http://profmattstrassler.com/articles-and-posts/largehadroncolliderfaq/whats-a-proton-anyway/

 

 

 

If the proton is moving very fast relative to us (as at the LHC) then we see the proton as highly flattened in its direction of motion. It looks like a flying pancake.

 

First of all I was wondering what effect this "flattening" of accelerated proton, has on the quarks inside proton, Whether this "flattening" changes the composition/energies of the quarks, or are they insulated from the flattening effect of proton?

 

 

 

Each quark and gluon (or more precisely, each observer who is stationary with respect to one of the quarks or gluons) sees the proton somewhat flattened in the direction that the quark is moving, and thinks it takes relatively little time to cross the proton. Standing outside the proton, we think the proton is round, and that it takes any quark or gluon moving near the speed of light about the same amount of time to cross from one side to the other.

This above quote, I am trying to fully understand, If the quarks and gluons are travelling in every direction, and an observer who is stationary with respect to one of the quarks, sees the proton flattened in the direction that the "Quark" is moving, If we had an "observer stationary to each quark" would these observers believe the "proton is flat in all directions"?

 

Can this relate to the "universe is flat in all directions"?

 

[swansont]

It's relativistic length contraction. The proton is shorter in the direction of motion, according to us. It would not be flattened in other directions.

[sunshaker]

It's relativistic length contraction. The proton is shorter in the direction of motion, according to us. It would not be flattened in other directions.

This quote from Matt Strassler:

 

 

Each quark and gluon (or more precisely, each observer who is stationary with respect to one of the quarks or gluons) sees the proton somewhat flattened in the direction that the quark is moving

From what I gather, He is talking about an observer within the Proton, stationary to a moving Quark, This observer sees the proton as flat, If quarks are moving in all directions, Does the observer within see the proton as flat in all directions?

[swansont]

This quote from Matt Strassler:

From what I gather, He is talking about an observer within the Proton, stationary to a moving Quark, This observer sees the proton as flat, If quarks are moving in all directions, Does the observer within see the proton as flat in all directions?

 

 

The flattening of something in motion is true for any observer. Only in the direction of motion.

[Strange]

This above quote, I am trying to fully understand, If the quarks and gluons are travelling in every direction, and an observer who is stationary with respect to one of the quarks, sees the proton flattened in the direction that the "Quark" is moving, If we had an "observer stationary to each quark" would these observers believe the "proton is flat in all directions"?

 

Yes. The effect is relative to each observer (hence the theory of "relativity") so each observer (qaurk in this case) will see the proton flattened in a different direction. (note: flattened, not flat - i.e. slightly flatter, not completely flat) But each only sees it flattened in one direction.

 

This is not different from the Earth which is also flatted by different amounts in different directions, depending which observer you consider.

 

Can this relate to the "universe is flat in all directions"?

 

 

No. For one thing, protons are not flattened in all directions; only in the direction of motion of the observer. Also flattened in the sense of slightly squashed or foreshortened is not the same as the universe being geometrically flat (i.e. not curved)

BTW: Matt Strassler's site is a really good source.