No, photons do not accelerate in the traditional sense. According to the theory of relativity, photons are massless particles that travel at the speed of light in a vacuum, denoted as "c." They always travel at this constant speed and do not experience acceleration.
In special relativity, the speed of light is considered the maximum speed in the universe, and no material object with mass can reach or exceed this speed. Photons, being massless, naturally travel at the maximum speed of light.
Acceleration, in the context of classical mechanics, refers to a change in an object's velocity over time. Since photons travel at a constant speed, they do not undergo acceleration as their velocity remains constant throughout their journey.
However, it's important to note that photons can change direction or undergo frequency shifts when interacting with matter or experiencing gravitational fields. These phenomena, such as refraction, reflection, or gravitational redshift, involve changes in the path or energy of photons but not changes in their speed.
In summary, photons do not accelerate but always travel at the speed of light.