Jornal de Química Física e Biofísica
Acesso livre

Abstrato

Relativistic Clocks and the Nature of Time

Richard Oldani*

The interaction of an atomic clock with a gravitational field is analysed in detail in order to determine how the relativistic properties of time are manifested at the microscopic level. A differential equation of motion is first derived for the clock’s transitioning electron that is in compliance with the equivalence principle. Using Hamilton’s principle S=∫Ldt we work backwards from the differential equation to obtain an integral equation of motion, the time-integral of a Lagrangian, which is in conformance with relativity theory. It is postulated that no other equations are able to describe the simultaneous influence on clocks of two physical variables, velocity and gravitational potential. We conclude that the action minimum of a clock and Hamilton’s principle are synonymous.