The Problem of Conservation of Mass-Energy and Angular Momentum by an Elastic Torus with Angular Acceleration
Keywords: relativity theory (special and general), relativistic dynamics, elasticity, conservation laws, paradox
It is shown that the Lorentz contraction of metric standards may be incompatible with the conservation of mass-energy and the conservation of angular momentum. A rotating elastic ring subjected to a net torque is studied in terms of the effect of changing metric standards on the ring's state of stress. Under reasonable dynamical assumptions the change in elastic energy of the ring leads to a net change in the total mass-energy and total angular momentum of the system containing the ring.
