Relativistic description of a rotating disk with angular acceleration
Abstract
A rotating disk with angular acceleration is given a relativistic description as observed from the rotating rest frame R of the disk. It is shown how a non-Euclidean intrinsic spatial geometry develops in R, as the disk gets an angular velocity. The explanation of this as given by an R-observer is discussed. A recent description of the geometry in R presented by Grünbaum and Janis is criticized. The motion of light as described by use of coordinate clocks in R is discussed in connection with some recent work by R. C. Jennison and coworkers. The significance of the difference between directed signals and circular waves when clocks in R are to be synchronized by means of light emitted from the axis in R is made clear.
- Publication:
-
Foundations of Physics
- Pub Date:
- June 1979
- DOI:
- 10.1007/BF00708527
- Bibcode:
- 1979FoPh....9..353G