- #1
birulami
- 155
- 0
Consider a light clock, i.e. two ideal mirrors, mounted in parallel with a vacuum in between, such that, in principle, a beam of light or just a single photon will keep bouncing between the two forever.
Now consider the light clock on a cart. If the cart, from the beginning, has constant velocity, be it zero or not, just constant, the beam will keep bouncing. But now we start pulling the cart gently --- or not so gently, because I think this does not matter. My question is: is there any chance that the photon will be accelerated along with the cart and the mirrors, or will it fall behind and eventually "fall out" of the light clock?
I assume the latter, i.e. the light beam or photon will "fall out" at the back of the light clock.
Now I take into account that the Earth is rotating, moving in an ellipse around the sun and with it circling the center of the galaxy and what-not. So my cart, here on Earth in the lab, is not moving at all with constant velocity, but is accelerated according to the mix of centripedal forces keeping it on the mix of circular paths.
Consequently the beam of light will fall out at the back pretty soon in any lab on earth. True? Or will gravitation, acting on the photon in same way as on the the mirrors, make sure I can keep it in between the mirrors --- assuming that this is technically feasible in principle?
Harald.
Now consider the light clock on a cart. If the cart, from the beginning, has constant velocity, be it zero or not, just constant, the beam will keep bouncing. But now we start pulling the cart gently --- or not so gently, because I think this does not matter. My question is: is there any chance that the photon will be accelerated along with the cart and the mirrors, or will it fall behind and eventually "fall out" of the light clock?
I assume the latter, i.e. the light beam or photon will "fall out" at the back of the light clock.
Now I take into account that the Earth is rotating, moving in an ellipse around the sun and with it circling the center of the galaxy and what-not. So my cart, here on Earth in the lab, is not moving at all with constant velocity, but is accelerated according to the mix of centripedal forces keeping it on the mix of circular paths.
Consequently the beam of light will fall out at the back pretty soon in any lab on earth. True? Or will gravitation, acting on the photon in same way as on the the mirrors, make sure I can keep it in between the mirrors --- assuming that this is technically feasible in principle?
Harald.