Possibilities for a 5th force?

  • Thread starter Gerinski
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In summary, at high energies, it is believed that the four known forces merge into one fundamental force, and many expect that gravity will also merge with them at even higher energies. However, some have speculated that at lower energies in the future, a fifth force could emerge due to a new symmetry breaking. While there have been attempts to find evidence of a fifth force, all experimental tests have failed so far. Some scientists believe that dark energy could potentially be considered a fifth force, but there is still much unknown about it. There are ongoing experiments to detect new gauge bosons that could potentially mediate a fifth force, but the results are still inconclusive.
  • #1
Gerinski
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It is quite accepted that at sufficiently high energies 3 of the known 4 forces merge into 1 fundamental force, and it is expected by many that at even higher energies gravity should also merge with them into a single primordial force. We find ourselves in an energy period of the universe where the primordial superforce has split into 4 by different symmetry breaks.

But taking the other way, towards the future and even lower energies than current, has anybody ever speculated that a new symmetry breaking could occur creating a lower energy 5th force? Why should the splitting stop at 4?
 
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  • #3
UltrafastPED said:
All experimental tests of "fifth force" have failed, but cosmologists persist!

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_force
and http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221192736.htm

This goes to show that once an idea appears on the horizon, it never disappears!

Thanks those are nice. My question though was rather not so much whether we currently have a yet undetected 5th force (which is surely interesting enough) but whether we may just have 4 forces now but with further dilution of the energy in the future a new symmetry breaking could take place giving rise to a not-yet existing force.
 
  • #4
I don't know if anyone is specifically looking for a fifth force. However many lab experiments take place at temperatures close to absolute zero, so I suspect there is no such force.
 
  • #5
You could make a case for dark energy as a fifth force. Scientists are fairly convinced it exists, but, have little clue what it is, how it interacts, or its mediating particle. Not that we know all that much more about gravity. The graviton is the hypothetical mediating particle for gravity, but, has never been experimentally detected.
 
  • #6
Not my specialist subject, but it seems strange that string theorists can only postulate of one more force. Can't they come up with an reason why there should be at least 37? :smile:
 
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  • #8
Thanks!
 

1. What is a 5th force?

A 5th force is a hypothetical force that is not included in the four fundamental forces of nature (gravity, electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, and weak nuclear force). It is a proposed addition to the Standard Model of physics that could help explain certain observed phenomena that cannot be explained by the four known forces.

2. How do scientists search for evidence of a 5th force?

Scientists search for a 5th force by conducting experiments that test for deviations from the predictions of the Standard Model. These experiments involve high-energy particle collisions, precision measurements of particle interactions, and observations of the behavior of celestial bodies.

3. What could a 5th force potentially explain?

A 5th force could potentially explain the observed discrepancies in the behavior of dark matter and dark energy, the existence of dark matter particles, and the hierarchy problem in particle physics (the large discrepancy between the weak and gravitational forces).

4. Has any evidence of a 5th force been found?

While there have been some intriguing hints of a 5th force in certain experiments, no conclusive evidence has been found yet. The search for a 5th force is ongoing and scientists continue to refine their methods and experiments to better understand the fundamental forces of nature.

5. What are the potential implications of discovering a 5th force?

If a 5th force is discovered, it would fundamentally change our understanding of the universe and the laws of physics. It could also have practical applications, such as improving our understanding of dark matter and energy, and potentially leading to new technologies and advancements in various fields.

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