Noninertial Observers in Special Relativity and Clock Synchronization Debates

Abstract

Selleri's arguments that a consideration of noninertial reference frames in the framework of special relativity identify “absolute simultaneity” as being “Nature's choice of synchronization” are considered. In the case of rectilinearly accelerating rockets, it is argued by considering two rockets which maintain a fixed proper separation rather than a fixed separation relative to the inertial frame in which they start from rest, that what seems the most “natural” choice for a simultaneity convention is problem-dependent and that Einstein's definition is the most “natural” (though still conventional) choice in this case. In addition, the supposed problems special relativity has with treating a rotating disk, namely how a pulse of light traveling around the circumference of the disk can have a local speed of light equal to c everywhere but a global speed not equal to c, and how coordinate transformations to the disk can give the Lorentz transformations in the limit of large disk radius but small angular velocity, are addressed. It is shown that the theory of Fermi frames solves both of these problems. It is also argued that the question of defining simultaneity relative to a uniformly rotating disk does not need to be resolved in order to resolve Ehrenfest's paradox.