On the measure of proper time in general relativity

The theoretical measure of proper time on a moving particle in general relativity is the aggregate of infinitesimal clock readings in successive inertial frames along its space-time path. This raises the question of whether the proper time can be satisfactorily measured by a clock permanently located with the particle. An investigation is made of the likely effects of acceleration, or equivalently of a gravitational field, on atomic, nuclear, and particle 'clocks'. The orders of magnitude of such effects are compared with those of other classical influences such as the Einstein redshift and transverse Doppler effects. (author)