Relative acceleration between intertial reference frames?

AI Thread Summary
Special relativity applies to two inertial reference frames that maintain constant velocities relative to a third frame, meaning they do not experience acceleration. When two spaceships travel toward each other on parallel trajectories, their relative velocity changes as they approach, but this does not imply that they are not inertial frames. The concept of an inertial reference frame relies on the absence of detectable acceleration via local accelerometers. Thus, if both frames remain inertial, special relativity holds true regardless of their changing relative positions. The discussion emphasizes that relative acceleration does not occur between two inertial frames defined by constant velocities.
Uhtred
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Does special relativity hold between two inertial reference frames that are undergoing relative acceleration?

For example, consider two spaceships traveling toward each other on parallel (but not collinear) trajectories. They would pass each other at some non-zero distance, and thus their relative velocity would be constantly changing.

The concept of "inertial reference frame" is all about being unable to detect accelerations via a local accelerometer, correct? And if so, then special relativity would hold between the two inertial reference frames I described above.

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Sorry for posting in the wrong forum. This should probably have gone under relativity, but I suppose most of this question still applies to classical physics...
 
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Uhtred said:
Does special relativity hold between two inertial reference frames that are undergoing relative acceleration?
Say you have two inertial frames A and B. This means that relative to a third inertial frame C, their velocities are constant, namely ##V_{AC}=const.## and ##V_{AC}=const.## Relativistic addition of velocities says that the velocity of B relative to A is $$V_{AB} =\frac{V_{AC}-V_{BC}}{1-\frac{V_{AC}V_{BC}}{c^2}}.$$The right hand side is constant, so the relative velocity ##V_{AB}## is also constant. What makes you think there is relative acceleration?
 
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