Relativistic Time Dilation Questions

[Delta4Embassy]

Here's the atomic clocks experiment thing, from 1971,

Hafele-Keating Experiment

Another they did in 2010,

NIST Pair of Aluminum Atomic Clocks Reveal Einstein s Relativity at a Personal Scale

 

[Toronado3800]

Here's the atomic clocks experiment thing, from 1971,

Hafele-Keating Experiment

Another they did in 2010,

NIST Pair of Aluminum Atomic Clocks Reveal Einstein s Relativity at a Personal Scale

At one point they mention the gravity differend the higher clock is subjected to compared to the lower one. There is also a miniscule speed difference. The higher you adheared to Earth the faster you must spin I believe...

I think this is true at the equator compared to the poles as well.

 

[Vikrant]

If you could ever move near the speed of light which you can't time would move slower for you. Again it is just a theory.

Well no, it's not a theory, time dilation was proven decades ago. They stuck an atomic clock on a jet and flew it around a while at guess 'jet speeds' then compared it to a ground-based atomic clock. The one in the jet was slower than the ground-based thus proving time dilation.

I thought I heard this as well.

What causes the clock to move slower at speed?

I always search for something ohysical I can imagine so I think about the electons having to chase their atoms to circle it.

Almost 8pm, wish I hadn't read this one. Now I"m gonna be up all night, trying to sleep, wondering about the actual mechanism involved.

I don't know what actually causes the time slowing phenomena. Maybe some function of how mass increases with velocity? At light-speed mass becomes infinite, and short of 'c' mass increases. Maybe then as mass increases and you 'sink' further into the fabric of space-time time itself is 'bending' as it falls into that dimple and to you? In effect taking extra time to effect you than if travelling along a flat plane of space-time that isn't dimpled?

I have no idea.

Time dilation is not very hard to understand if you look at it mathematically. But if you are trying to dramatize it by going Hollywood on it where they attribute all sorts of bizarre events to time dilation then you will be left frustrated. I have left out detailed explanation of clock synchronization hoping that the diagram that I posted with the mirrors was adequate. So I am going to explain briefly what they mean by synchronized clocks. Someone mentioned atomic clock. So I am going to use atomic clock as an example to illustrate my point. When you synchronize two atomic clocks, what you are doing is emitting microwave signals from both clocks at the same time. If the signals are received by both clocks at the same time then that means the clocks are synchronized. One trip is called a period and serves to denote a unit of time. If you want to know more technical detail, head to NIST.gov, a government agency specializing in time calibration and other equally fun stuff.

So now we have two atomic clocks on Earth that are synchronized. You are taking one of them aboard space shuttle which is moving much faster than Earth within a reference of frame. So what is happening is that radio wave (or microwave) is taking much longer to make the full tick (period). So to an observer on Earth, it appears that the atomic clock aboard the space shuttle has slowed down a bit. This is pretty easy to understand. The real fun part is in the paradox that can turn around and say that it's the clock on Earth which has slowed down because from the perspective of the space shuttle, it is Earth which is receding.

If you want to understand how to solve that paradox, you will need to do some study in this order:

1. You have to understand what Lorentz gamma factor and Lorentz transformation are. I have already provided a link in my previous post that points to a university's portal.
2. You have to understand what light cone is. This is important in establishing what they call frame of reference.

Another thing is that, you have to realize that although Theory of Special Relativity is the most accurate model of motion to date, it is designed to study and understand events at astronomical distances traveling at near or speed of light. For example, a supernova explosion happens at 1-billion light years away. We learn about it after 1-billion years. What is happening here is that we are looking at past light cone. What do I mean by past light cone? If you look at my diagram of light cone in the previous post, you will see a red dot in the middle of two vertices. This red dot symbolizes an event; in our example this would be the supernova explosion. From this red dot, if you travel upward, you will travel in future. However, if you travel downward, you will travel in past. That is why a scientist describing the supernova explosion in our example might say that we are seeing in the past light cone.

 

[Politico]

It's not hard to understand. But it's not about the clock test. It's whether actual passage through time is distorted at light speed.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

It's not hard to understand. But it's not about the clock test. It's whether actual passage through time is distorted at light speed.

Near-light actually. Can't travel at light speed since mass becomes infinite, as does the energy requirement. Best you can hope for is near-light speed.

Time isn't a constant. Velocity affects it, as does gravity. They've discovered that even standing here on Earth, due to gravitational effects, our feet age faster than our heads because our feet are closer to the center of the Earth and thus have a slightly stronger pull of gravity.

Thinking about this last night trying to sleep (as I feared I would) I found myself wondering about what you'd see if havng a videoconference with someone on Earth, and astronauts in a ship travelling near-C? After the time delay for the signal to get back to Earth which might be considerable, would the astronauts appear normal to people on Earth or would they seem to be moving slowly? The astronauts would think they're moving at normal speed, but to us back on Earth they should appear frozen (or very nearly) right?

 

[jon_berzerk]

If you could ever move near the speed of light which you can't time would move slower for you. Again it is just a theory.

It's not hard to understand. But it's not about the clock test. It's whether actual passage through time is distorted at light speed.

Near-light actually. Can't travel at light speed since mass becomes infinite, as does the energy requirement. Best you can hope for is near-light speed.

Time isn't a constant. Velocity affects it, as does gravity. They've discovered that even standing here on Earth, due to gravitational effects, our feet age faster than our heads because our feet are closer to the center of the Earth and thus have a slightly stronger pull of gravity.

Thinking about this last night trying to sleep (as I feared I would) I found myself wondering about what you'd see if havng a videoconference with someone on Earth, and astronauts in a ship travelling near-C? After the time delay for the signal to get back to Earth which might be considerable, would the astronauts appear normal to people on Earth or would they seem to be moving slowly? The astronauts would think they're moving at normal speed, but to us back on Earth they should appear frozen (or very nearly) right?

there is a theoretical possibility for warp speed travel

 

[Delta4Embassy]

If you could ever move near the speed of light which you can't time would move slower for you. Again it is just a theory.

It's not hard to understand. But it's not about the clock test. It's whether actual passage through time is distorted at light speed.

Near-light actually. Can't travel at light speed since mass becomes infinite, as does the energy requirement. Best you can hope for is near-light speed.

Time isn't a constant. Velocity affects it, as does gravity. They've discovered that even standing here on Earth, due to gravitational effects, our feet age faster than our heads because our feet are closer to the center of the Earth and thus have a slightly stronger pull of gravity.

Thinking about this last night trying to sleep (as I feared I would) I found myself wondering about what you'd see if havng a videoconference with someone on Earth, and astronauts in a ship travelling near-C? After the time delay for the signal to get back to Earth which might be considerable, would the astronauts appear normal to people on Earth or would they seem to be moving slowly? The astronauts would think they're moving at normal speed, but to us back on Earth they should appear frozen (or very nearly) right?

there is a theoretical possibility for warp speed travel

Ya, been discussed in some other threads. NASA's been working on it for quite a while, and it's moved into the laboratory proof-of-concept phase. Problem though is the energy requirement to bend space-time. The existing warp drive models require dark energy as fuel, and we haven't even confirmed a dark energy particle as yet.

Might have to accept interstellar travel is technologically impossible eventually. I hope not. But right now that's how it's shaping up.

 

[Vikrant]

It's not hard to understand. But it's not about the clock test. It's whether actual passage through time is distorted at light speed.

Of course it is not about the clock test. But If you are on that space ship, you will not notice a thing. That is why, to prove the time dilation, you will need the help of mathematics. That is where factors like observer, reference of frame, light cone, Lorentz transformation, etc. come into play.

 

[mamooth]

Something related, this team recently measured relativistic time dilation with a more accurate method, and found it agreed with Einstein to within less than an error margin of 2.3E-9.

Phys. Rev. Lett. 113 120405 2014 - Test of Time Dilation Using Stored mathrm Li Ions as Clocks at Relativistic Speed

 

[Politico]

If you could ever move near the speed of light which you can't time would move slower for you. Again it is just a theory.

It's not hard to understand. But it's not about the clock test. It's whether actual passage through time is distorted at light speed.

Near-light actually. Can't travel at light speed since mass becomes infinite, as does the energy requirement. Best you can hope for is near-light speed.

Time isn't a constant. Velocity affects it, as does gravity. They've discovered that even standing here on Earth, due to gravitational effects, our feet age faster than our heads because our feet are closer to the center of the Earth and thus have a slightly stronger pull of gravity.

Thinking about this last night trying to sleep (as I feared I would) I found myself wondering about what you'd see if havng a videoconference with someone on Earth, and astronauts in a ship travelling near-C? After the time delay for the signal to get back to Earth which might be considerable, would the astronauts appear normal to people on Earth or would they seem to be moving slowly? The astronauts would think they're moving at normal speed, but to us back on Earth they should appear frozen (or very nearly) right?

there is a theoretical possibility for warp speed travel

Yes there is. Thus my use of the word 'theory'.

 

[jon_berzerk]

If you could ever move near the speed of light which you can't time would move slower for you. Again it is just a theory.

It's not hard to understand. But it's not about the clock test. It's whether actual passage through time is distorted at light speed.

Near-light actually. Can't travel at light speed since mass becomes infinite, as does the energy requirement. Best you can hope for is near-light speed.

Time isn't a constant. Velocity affects it, as does gravity. They've discovered that even standing here on Earth, due to gravitational effects, our feet age faster than our heads because our feet are closer to the center of the Earth and thus have a slightly stronger pull of gravity.

Thinking about this last night trying to sleep (as I feared I would) I found myself wondering about what you'd see if havng a videoconference with someone on Earth, and astronauts in a ship travelling near-C? After the time delay for the signal to get back to Earth which might be considerable, would the astronauts appear normal to people on Earth or would they seem to be moving slowly? The astronauts would think they're moving at normal speed, but to us back on Earth they should appear frozen (or very nearly) right?

there is a theoretical possibility for warp speed travel

Yes there is. Thus my use of the word 'theory'.

yes not just the speed of light but many times the speed of light

 

[Delta4Embassy]

If you could ever move near the speed of light which you can't time would move slower for you. Again it is just a theory.

It's not hard to understand. But it's not about the clock test. It's whether actual passage through time is distorted at light speed.

Near-light actually. Can't travel at light speed since mass becomes infinite, as does the energy requirement. Best you can hope for is near-light speed.

Time isn't a constant. Velocity affects it, as does gravity. They've discovered that even standing here on Earth, due to gravitational effects, our feet age faster than our heads because our feet are closer to the center of the Earth and thus have a slightly stronger pull of gravity.

Thinking about this last night trying to sleep (as I feared I would) I found myself wondering about what you'd see if havng a videoconference with someone on Earth, and astronauts in a ship travelling near-C? After the time delay for the signal to get back to Earth which might be considerable, would the astronauts appear normal to people on Earth or would they seem to be moving slowly? The astronauts would think they're moving at normal speed, but to us back on Earth they should appear frozen (or very nearly) right?

there is a theoretical possibility for warp speed travel

Yes there is. Thus my use of the word 'theory'.

yes not just the speed of light but many times the speed of light

Not literally. Warp drive isn't travelling multiples of c but rather moving space-time itself past the vehicle. According to the physics the speed at which you can warp space-time and move it past your warp ship isn't limited to c like regular velocity is.

 

[jwoodie]

Speaking from a position of almost complete ignorance on this subject, would traveling at the speed of light be akin to riding a never ending wave or being shot out of a cannon at an infinite speed? In either scenario, time wouldn't be able to catch up to you because of your nearly simultaneous existence along different points on a line. If that line was curved, could you end up at your starting point as if you never left?

 

[jon_berzerk]

If you could ever move near the speed of light which you can't time would move slower for you. Again it is just a theory.

It's not hard to understand. But it's not about the clock test. It's whether actual passage through time is distorted at light speed.

Near-light actually. Can't travel at light speed since mass becomes infinite, as does the energy requirement. Best you can hope for is near-light speed.

Time isn't a constant. Velocity affects it, as does gravity. They've discovered that even standing here on Earth, due to gravitational effects, our feet age faster than our heads because our feet are closer to the center of the Earth and thus have a slightly stronger pull of gravity.

Thinking about this last night trying to sleep (as I feared I would) I found myself wondering about what you'd see if havng a videoconference with someone on Earth, and astronauts in a ship travelling near-C? After the time delay for the signal to get back to Earth which might be considerable, would the astronauts appear normal to people on Earth or would they seem to be moving slowly? The astronauts would think they're moving at normal speed, but to us back on Earth they should appear frozen (or very nearly) right?

there is a theoretical possibility for warp speed travel

Yes there is. Thus my use of the word 'theory'.

yes not just the speed of light but many times the speed of light

Not literally. Warp drive isn't travelling multiples of c but rather moving space-time itself past the vehicle. According to the physics the speed at which you can warp space-time and move it past your warp ship isn't limited to c like regular velocity is.

the outcome would be the same

however it is unknown how fast spacetime can move

then there is a whole host of additional problems

 

[Delta4Embassy]

If you could ever move near the speed of light which you can't time would move slower for you. Again it is just a theory.

Near-light actually. Can't travel at light speed since mass becomes infinite, as does the energy requirement. Best you can hope for is near-light speed.

Time isn't a constant. Velocity affects it, as does gravity. They've discovered that even standing here on Earth, due to gravitational effects, our feet age faster than our heads because our feet are closer to the center of the Earth and thus have a slightly stronger pull of gravity.

Thinking about this last night trying to sleep (as I feared I would) I found myself wondering about what you'd see if havng a videoconference with someone on Earth, and astronauts in a ship travelling near-C? After the time delay for the signal to get back to Earth which might be considerable, would the astronauts appear normal to people on Earth or would they seem to be moving slowly? The astronauts would think they're moving at normal speed, but to us back on Earth they should appear frozen (or very nearly) right?

there is a theoretical possibility for warp speed travel

Yes there is. Thus my use of the word 'theory'.

yes not just the speed of light but many times the speed of light

Not literally. Warp drive isn't travelling multiples of c but rather moving space-time itself past the vehicle. According to the physics the speed at which you can warp space-time and move it past your warp ship isn't limited to c like regular velocity is.

the outcome would be the same

however it is unknown how fast spacetime can move

then there is a whole host of additional problems

Warping space would avoid a lot of problems, like ultra high kinetic energy impact issues.

Was a cool episode of Star Trek: TNG about a local region of space whose inhabitants protested Starfleet's using it as a 'highway' for warp travel claiming it was damaging their system fromr epeated transits by warp vessels. Raises an interesting question, if space-time is a fabric, and you start warping it, will that cause any lasting enviromental damage?

 

[jon_berzerk]

Speaking from a position of almost complete ignorance on this subject, would traveling at the speed of light be akin to riding a never ending wave or being shot out of a cannon at an infinite speed? In either scenario, time wouldn't be able to catch up to you because of your nearly simultaneous existence along different points on a line. If that line was curved, could you end up at your starting point as if you never left?

actually having the ability to travel the speed of light would not be all that helpful

it would not get us very far

it has been a 100 years or so that we have been transmitting into the universe

the picture below demonstrates the distance traveled in that amount of time

the yellow dot within the box is two hundred light years across

as you can see

to really get out there to see what is happening

we need to imagine into reality a much faster transport system

 

[jon_berzerk]

there is a theoretical possibility for warp speed travel

Yes there is. Thus my use of the word 'theory'.

yes not just the speed of light but many times the speed of light

Not literally. Warp drive isn't travelling multiples of c but rather moving space-time itself past the vehicle. According to the physics the speed at which you can warp space-time and move it past your warp ship isn't limited to c like regular velocity is.

the outcome would be the same

however it is unknown how fast spacetime can move

then there is a whole host of additional problems

Warping space would avoid a lot of problems, like ultra high kinetic energy impact issues.

Was a cool episode of Star Trek: TNG about a local region of space whose inhabitants protested Starfleet's using it as a 'highway' for warp travel claiming it was damaging their system fromr epeated transits by warp vessels. Raises an interesting question, if space-time is a fabric, and you start warping it, will that cause any lasting enviromental damage?

that could be an issue a rippling effect