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Consider a large number of clocks each within some apparatus programmed to accelerate away from, remain moving for a time, accelerate toward, remain moving for a time and then return to a point of origin. A similar clock simply remains at that point of origin. The accelerated clocks will reach relativistic speeds on their outward and inward journey. Each of the clocks both transmits its tick number and is capable of receiving and recording all the other clock's tick number.
The experiment begins in deep space so that any outside gravitational effects can be ignored. The only difference between the clocks is the direction of travel. Each clock travels in a straight line, taking the same outbound and inbound path.
When the clocks return to the point of origin, they have ticked fewer times than the clock that didn't move. Relative to the clock at the origin they have all accelerated and traveled at the same rate, so they should all have the same (lower) tick count.
Relative to each other clock, though, the clock's velocities differ since they were sent in various directions. The acceleration effects should be identical since they all have the same general program. To each moving clock, each other moving clocks should appear to tick at a different rate.
How then can the moving clocks be synchronized at the end of their journey? Do the differences in relative acceleration somehow compensate for the differences in velocity? Note that the clocks can spend any amount of time not accelerating, just moving at different relative velocities.
Obviously I'm missing something basic here. Hopefully it's something simple enough to understand.
The experiment begins in deep space so that any outside gravitational effects can be ignored. The only difference between the clocks is the direction of travel. Each clock travels in a straight line, taking the same outbound and inbound path.
When the clocks return to the point of origin, they have ticked fewer times than the clock that didn't move. Relative to the clock at the origin they have all accelerated and traveled at the same rate, so they should all have the same (lower) tick count.
Relative to each other clock, though, the clock's velocities differ since they were sent in various directions. The acceleration effects should be identical since they all have the same general program. To each moving clock, each other moving clocks should appear to tick at a different rate.
How then can the moving clocks be synchronized at the end of their journey? Do the differences in relative acceleration somehow compensate for the differences in velocity? Note that the clocks can spend any amount of time not accelerating, just moving at different relative velocities.
Obviously I'm missing something basic here. Hopefully it's something simple enough to understand.