- #1
kamenjar
- 101
- 0
Confused about this blueshift/redshift "paradox"
Say you had a light probe with a sensor that converts light energy into electricity and and uses electricity generated to draft a chart of energy converted on paper.
Now you send the probe on a 1 LY round trip. The probe has an internal drive that accelerates it (fast) it to relativistic speeds, decelerates (fast) and the same thing on the way back. The probe spends most of the trip near light speed. The whole round trip takes time T in Earth time. The probe takes less but for it is also some probe proper time T and moment of turnaround is Tproper/2 (right?)
You send the probe and immediately start shining that green light at it.
After exactly T/2 time, you stop for one second and you continue to shine the light at the probe.
When the probe returns you see a chart like this (now correct me if I am wrong):
t=0 to t= T/2 (Low energy) - Most of the trip is redshifted light
T/2. (Normal energy) , stop, normal - probe turns around at 1LY away and registers you turning off the beam shortly and back on
T/2 to T. (High energy) - most of the trip is blueshifted light
Is this assumption correct? If so, what does it tell us?
If the paradox is not obvious - The total energy registered on the way back is more than the energy on the way to the destination.
Say you had a light probe with a sensor that converts light energy into electricity and and uses electricity generated to draft a chart of energy converted on paper.
Now you send the probe on a 1 LY round trip. The probe has an internal drive that accelerates it (fast) it to relativistic speeds, decelerates (fast) and the same thing on the way back. The probe spends most of the trip near light speed. The whole round trip takes time T in Earth time. The probe takes less but for it is also some probe proper time T and moment of turnaround is Tproper/2 (right?)
You send the probe and immediately start shining that green light at it.
After exactly T/2 time, you stop for one second and you continue to shine the light at the probe.
When the probe returns you see a chart like this (now correct me if I am wrong):
t=0 to t= T/2 (Low energy) - Most of the trip is redshifted light
T/2. (Normal energy) , stop, normal - probe turns around at 1LY away and registers you turning off the beam shortly and back on
T/2 to T. (High energy) - most of the trip is blueshifted light
Is this assumption correct? If so, what does it tell us?
If the paradox is not obvious - The total energy registered on the way back is more than the energy on the way to the destination.