Teaching about the relativistic background of synchrotron radiation: some intriguing aspects with strong didactic implications

Margaritondo, G.

doi:10.1107/S160057752600603X

Figure 2
(a) A `thought' experiment on light pulses to derive the Lorentz length contraction of the undulator period (Behroozi, 2014

). (b) The experiment seen in the reference frame of the apparatus (and in particular of the undulator), R. (c) Measured in the frame R′ (the electron) which moves with speed v with respect to R, the distance D′ is Lorentz-contracted with respect to that measured in R, D. The figure illustrates the forward and backward motions of a light pulse in R′, from which the total time distance $[\Delta{t}_1^{\,\prime}]$ + $[\Delta{t}_2^{\,\prime}]$ between `emission' and `detection' is derived.

JOURNAL OF
SYNCHROTRON
RADIATION

ISSN: 1600-5775

Volume 33| Part 5| September 2026| Pages 1618-1622

https://doi.org/10.1107/S160057752600603X

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