So far I see no reason why an on board accelerometer would not be able to function regardless of the speed the ship reaches relative to other observers. You could start and stop the acceleration periodically if you wish if that helps answer your concern. In that case, each new velocity could be considered at rest and a new delta added during the next drive period. This process could be continued indefinitely as long as the fuel lasts.
The key to this question is the definition of relative. Other observers who exist in a state different than the space ship make their own independent conclusions. For example, an observer that happens to be moving at a speed that approaches c along our line of travel according to his internal accelerometer and math will see the main ship smoothly pass him when it reaches the same velocity. He sees nothing unusual about our ship even though it just passed a major threshold. According to SR, observers that are at our initial resting condition determine that both ships are moving at a velocity that is below c under all conditions. If you choose many different observers at different velocities relative to the resting condition, each will draw a different conclusion. Each will come up with a different value for our time dilation and velocity. It is a mess! Let me know when you finish that Alcubierre drive. Until then we have to use our impulse power. Dave -----Original Message----- From: Eric Walker <[email protected]> To: vortex-l <[email protected]> Sent: Sat, Nov 16, 2013 7:43 pm Subject: Re: [Vo]:Local Calculated Velocity of Space Ship On Thu, Nov 14, 2013 at 8:44 AM, David Roberson <[email protected]> wrote: After a modest period of time, we calculate that our super rocket engine which uses anti matter as fuel and attached ship, has reached a calculated velocity of 10 times the speed of light. This number is calculated by integrating the acceleration that we can easily measure in the reference frame around our ship that is also constantly accelerating. I'm going to guess that the assumption that one can integrate acceleration from the reference frame over time and get a speed greater than that of light is inconsistent with relativity. One possible resolution here is that if one is approaching that close to the speed of light, from the reference frame the rocket pilot with his foot on the gas pedal would perceive a steady increase in speed, but the observer would see time slowing down for him to the point of almost stopping. The rocket pilot would not perceive this to be happening so he would be happy with his steady approach towards light speed, and be quite proud of himself on the progress he's making. I suppose that if faster-than-light travel is possible, it will have to involve a big discontinuity of some kind, so that the whole reference frame/observer frame question from relativity would not apply. In that context I wonder what the pilot of the ship fitted with an Alcubierre drive would perceive. Eric
