1302.5782 (Bartolomé Coll)

Relativistic positioning systems: Perspectives and prospects    [PDF]

Bartolomé Coll

Relativistic positioning systems are interesting {\em technical objects} for applications around the Earth and in the Solar system. But above all else, they are basic {\em scientific objects} allowing developing relativity from its own concepts. Some past and future features of relativistic positioning systems, with special attention to the developments that they suggest for an {\em epistemic relativity} (relativistic experimental approach to physics), are analyzed. This includes {\em relativistic stereometry}, which, together with relativistic positioning systems, allows to introduce the general relativistic notion of (finite) {\em laboratory} (space-time region able to perform experiments of finite size).

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1302.5782