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Length measurement in accelerated systems
Author(s) -
Mashhoon B.,
Muench U.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
annalen der physik
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.009
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1521-3889
pISSN - 0003-3804
DOI - 10.1002/1521-3889(200208)11:7<532::aid-andp532>3.0.co;2-3
Subject(s) - minkowski space , observer (physics) , inertial frame of reference , physics , locality , acceleration , spacetime , consistency (knowledge bases) , classical mechanics , theoretical physics , mathematics , geometry , mathematical physics , quantum mechanics , linguistics , philosophy
We investigate the limitations of length measurements by accelerated observers in Minkowski spacetime brought about via the hypothesis of locality, namely, the assumption that an accelerated observer at each instant is equivalent to an otherwise identical momentarily comoving inertial observer. We find that consistency can be achieved only in a rather limited neighborhood around the observer with linear dimensions that are negligibly small compared to the characteristic acceleration length of the observer.