Published July 2007 | Version v1
Journal article

A light clock satisfying the clock hypothesis of special relativity

Creators

  • 1. Department of Physics, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN 47809 (United States)

Description

The design of the FMEL, a floor-mirrored Einstein-Langevin 'light clock', is introduced. The clock provides a physically intuitive manner to calculate and visualize the time dilation effects for a spatially extended set of observers (an accelerated 'frame') undergoing unidirectional acceleration or observers on a rotating cylinder of constant radius. In both cases, the rate of the clock agrees with the 'clock hypothesis' and approximates an 'ideal' clock. Inertial and accelerated observers will agree on the length of standard metre sticks that are parallel to the primary mirrors of the clock and they will agree on the simultaneity of events that occur along that line. It is found that the path of the light in this clock is not a least-time path between the mirrors, but it is the least-time path for the motion of objects restricted to the accelerated frame. It is possible to send signals between observers in the accelerated frame at speeds greater than the speed of light in their frame, but this does not imply a violation of causality

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1088/0143-0807/28/4/009;
PII
S0143-0807(07)47157-4;

Publishing Information

Journal Title
European Journal of Physics
Journal Volume
28
Journal Issue
4
Journal Page Range
p. 693-703
ISSN
0143-0807
CODEN
EJPHD4

INIS

Country of Publication
United Kingdom
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
38074929
Subject category
S71: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS;
Descriptors DEI
ATOMIC CLOCKS; CAUSALITY; HYPOTHESIS; RELATIVITY THEORY; TIME MEASUREMENT