Nonequivalence of a uniformly accelerating reference frame and a frame at rest in a uniform gravitational field Available to Purchase

A general expression is obtained for the space‐time interval between neighboring events in a one‐dimensional space in which it is possible to set up a rigid reference frame. Particular expressions are then obtained for the interval for the special cases of a rigid frame at rest in a uniform gravitational field and a rigid frame uniformly accelerating in field‐free space. The two expressions are not equivalent and are used to show why, how, and to what extent observations made in a rigid enclosure at rest in a gravitational field are not equivalent to observations made in a rigid enclosure that is uniformly accelerating in field‐free space. Two facts of particular interest that are demonstrated in the course of the analysis are the following: (i) Two spatially separated particles that are simultaneously released from rest and allowed to fall freely in a uniform gravitational field will not remain at rest with respect to one another. (ii) Uniformly accelerating reference frames and inertial frames are the only possible one‐dimensional rigid frames in flat space‐time.