Four-current in two frames

A cloud of charges flows along a timelike field. Two observers, two running averages, one tensor.

Flow

160

Boost to S′

+0.40
1.091

Region R

-0.60
+0.60
Drag on the S panel to move.

Simulation

τ0.00
ε̄ (S)
J̄ (S)
ε̄′ (S′)
J̄′ (S′)
Λ−residual
μJμ0
What you're seeing. In the top row, the same particle worldlines are drawn in two inertial frames. In S (left) the region R is a vertical strip x ∈ [xa, xb]; in S′ (right) the same spacetime worldtube appears as a tilted parallelogram, because boost mixes t and x. Positive charges are green, negative red.

The bottom row plots the running spacetime averages ε̄R(τ) = 1|R|R J0 dt dx and R(τ) = 1|R|R J1 dt dx, one pair per frame. On the S′ plot the dashed orange ghost is Λ(β) applied to the S curve; the solid lines are the direct measurements inside the boosted parallelogram. They agree because (ε, J) is a 2-vector.

The μJμ readout is a discrete conservation check: the change in charge inside the spatial window [xa, xb] at the current slice equals the signed count of boundary crossings. Deviation from zero is a bug.