Spinning Light Clocks Reveal Time Contraction in Spinning Noninertial Frames

Tao Jia

Abstract: Spinning light clocks are invented and their behaviors are investigated. For a spinning light clock, the two mirrors of the clock rotate around a point between the two mirrors that are abstracted as two points. The trajectory of the light ray with respect to the mirrors of the light clock is plotted, and it is curved; light bending appears. The formula to calculate the time interval for the light ray to travel from one mirror to the other mirror in the spinning frame is given, and it is found that time contraction happens in the spinning frames.

Keywords: spinning light clock, non-inertial frame, light bending, time contraction