When solving problems in physics, one often finds, and ignores, "unphysical" solutions. For example, when solving for the velocity and time taken to fall a distance h (from rest) under earth gravity:
$\Delta t = \pm \sqrt{2h/g}$
$\Delta v = \pm \sqrt{2gh}$
One ignores the "unphysical" negative-time and positive-velocity solutions (taking x-axis as directed upwards normal to the earth's surface). However, this solution is not actually unphysical; it is a reflection of the fact that the equation being solved is invariant with respect to time-translation and time-reversal. The same equation describes dropping an object with boundary conditions ($t_i$ = 0, $x_i$ = h, $v_i$ = 0) and ($t_f$ = $|\Delta t|$, $x_f$ = 0, $v_f$ = $-\sqrt{2gh}$), or throwing an object backward in time with boundary conditions ($t_i$ = $-|\Delta t|$, $x_i$ = 0, $v_i$ = $+\sqrt{2gh}$) and ($t_f$ = 0, $x_f$ = h, $v_f$ = 0). In other words, both solutions are physical, but they are solutions to superficially different problems (though one implies the other), and this fact is an expression of the underlying physical time-translation and time-reversal invariance.
My question is: is there a more general expression of this concept? Is there a rule for knowing when or if an "unphysical" solution is or is not truly unphysical, in the sense that it may be a valid physical solution corresponding to alternate boundary conditions?
No comments:
Post a Comment