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Nov 5, 2014

Downwards-slanted light-paths engraved onto upwards-rotating horizontal cylinder: Model of the bottom of the Einstein-rocketship

Posted by in category: physics

This new analogical model explains (graphically represents) the behavior of horizontal light paths in the equivalence principle, and by implication in gravitation. It entails global constancy of the speed of light c in gravitation.

(I thank Frank Kuske and Ali Sanayei for a discussion yesterday in the lecture hall.)

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  1. Addendum:
    In the special case of a locally vertically (rather than locally horizontally) emitted light ray at the bottom of the constantly accelerating long Einstein rocketship – so that the lateral component along the cylinder is now zero –, we still have the same downwards-directed component of the light ray valid on the cylinder as before, caused by the Einstein time delay for ascending light inside the rocketship. This vertical, “pure” Einstein gravitational redshift is still made possible by the same locally unnoticeable upwards rotation of the cylinder as in the above 2-D case.

    In this way, Einstein’s central gravitational finding – the gravitational redshift – is successfully generalized to two space dimensions in the equivalence principle.