On Wednesday, September 26, 2018 at 1:42:05 PM UTC-5, Tom Roberts wrote:   
   ...   
   > IIRC that is a light clock with a light pulse bouncing between two mirrors.   
   > Remember that the mirrors are accelerated but the light is not -- the light   
   > pulse moves in straight lines between bounces (relative to any INERTIAL   
   frame).   
   >   
   > 	For instance, while they are being accelerated you must tilt the   
   > 	mirrors so the light pulse continues to bounce between them.   
   > 	Parallel mirrors work only when they are moving inertially.   
   >   
   > Let me assume a light clock in a centrifuge, and [#]:   
   >    a) the center of the centrifuge is at rest in the lab   
   >    b) the lab is at rest in an inertial frame   
   >    c) we can ignore the size of the light pulse   
   >    d) the light clock is constructed so at every bounce its mirrors'   
   >       centers are at rest in the same instantaneously co-moving inertial   
   >       frame, and the distance between their centers remains fixed in   
   >       each of those frames (i.e. the mirrors adjust themselves to make   
   >       this so, independent of any strains in their support structures)   
   >    e) the light clock is constructed so the light pulse always bounces   
   >       from the exact center of each mirror (i.e. the mirrors adjust   
   >       themselves to make this so)   
   >    f) all bounces are perfect, with no light loss   
   > Then it is straightforward to see that the trajectory of the light pulse   
   > relative to the lab is a series of straight lines with corners at the   
   successive   
   > locations of the mirrors' centers when it bounces. It is quite clear that the   
   > rate of bouncing measured in the lab depends ONLY on the size of the clock   
   and   
   > how fast the mirrors move relative to the lab (i.e. how far apart the   
   > corners/bounces are); the mirrors' acceleration DOES NOT MATTER (i.e. it does   
   > not matter how they get to successive positions of the bounces/corners).   
   This is   
   > just basic geometry, and if your simulation does not show this then it is   
   wrong.   
   >   
   ...   
   >   
   > Tom Roberts   
      
   Tom,   
      
   Unless I am misinterpreting your argument, I believe the last statements   
   about acceleration not affecting the period of the clocks is incorrect.   
   Let me describe a counter example that I believe makes this clear:   
      
   -Consider the two mirrors to be at the same radius in the centrifuge,   
   but displaced along the axis of the centrifuge so the light pulses are   
   describing a zig-zag along a cylinder at that radius.  There is also a   
   slight radial component, which gets larger as the centrifuge spins   
   faster. -At very low speeds the distance the light travels between   
   reflections is basically the axial separation of the mirrors.  At very   
   high speeds there is a substantial circumferential component to the   
   light path and it is significantly extended.  This happens when the   
   mirrors are experiencing a very high acceleration.  This the ticking of   
   this light clock slows down with high accelerations. -Certainly much, if   
   not most, of this slowing can be attributed to the tangential velocity   
   of the mirrors.  However because of the increase in radial motion of the   
   light paths with increasing acceleration/velocity there will also be a   
   component of the slowing that is due to the radial acceleration.   
      
   HOWEVER, I do agree with your basic position that acceleration itself   
   does not affect the "rate of clocks" because this affect of acceleration   
   can be recognized by the local observer.  He can make clocks with   
   shorter and longer paths between the mirrors and will see that these   
   clocks run at different rates (even after compensating for the longer   
   light paths).  As the mirrors are put closer and closer together the   
   rate will asymptotically approach the "normal" rate of time for that   
   observer.  Thus the observer could use this set of clocks to measure his   
   acceleration.  This puts this effect in a completely different category   
   from the SR and GR time dilation effects.   
      
      
   Rich L.   
      
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