Graviton Properties, best guesses?

In summary: Yes, they are correct. In summary, the distance between LISA's arms was set at 5 million km in order to optimize the chances of detecting gravitational waves below 1 millihertz.
  • #1
Chaos' lil bro Order
683
2
Hey,

Do physicists have any idea about any of the theorized 'graviton's' properties?

spin
charge
rest mass
wave length
anything?


As far I know (which is very little) the only thing we know is Gravity's strength relative to the other 3 forces.

P.S. Why was LISA's three arms set at 5 million km apart? Surely this must have been based on some expected value for probability of detection? Otherwise, why not set them 1 million km apart.
 
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  • #2
spin 2. It can be argued from tensorial properties, and also because odd spin forces are repulsive between equal charges.

Also it can be argued that a closed string has spin two because two open strings have spin one each :rofl:
 
  • #3
Spin: As mentioned, 2
Charge : 0
Rest mass: 0
Wavelength: dependent on its frequency.
 
  • #4
1) So gravity is theorized to be a sinusoidal wave like EM then?


2) Why charge = 0, because we observe that it doesn't interact with electrons, protons and other charged particle?

3) How was spin = 2 derived, any papers you know of that I can read?

Thanks a bunch.
 
  • #5
Chaos' lil bro Order said:
Hey,

P.S. Why was LISA's three arms set at 5 million km apart? Surely this must have been based on some expected value for probability of detection? Otherwise, why not set them 1 million km apart.

The distance is to optimize detection of GW frequencies below 1 millihertz (.001 hertz).

Creator:approve:

-Lottery: The government"s way of taxing the mathematically challenged.-
:biggrin:
 
  • #6
Chaos' lil bro Order said:
1) So gravity is theorized to be a sinusoidal wave like EM then?
.

Not exactly, Chaos.
EM wave is dipolar. GR predicts the lowest order radiation of GW's to be quadrupolar based on the necessity of a changing quadrupole mass source. (Gravity itself is not a wave, but a changing quadrupole mass moment is expected to produce a gravity wave).

Creator:wink:
 
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  • #7
Chaos' lil bro Order said:
1) So gravity is theorized to be a sinusoidal wave like EM then?
Gravitational radiation is, but not gravity itself.

The graviton serves the same role for gravitation as the photon does for electromagnetism.

In electromagnetism you have a field which manifests itself as an attraction/repulsion between charges, and a radiation which manifests itself as radio waves/light( which can also be thought of as "ripples" in the field).

The photon is a unit of that radiation which, due to QM, has some particle-like properties).

Also in QM, you can have virtual particles, these are particles that appear out of nowhere by virtue of "borrowed" energy and then vanish giving up this energy before they can be detected.

The electromagnetic field is maintained by these virtual particles, in this case, virtual photons. It is these virtual photons that are the method by which the field exchanges force between the attracting/repeling charges.

For gravity, just insert gravitational field, gravitational radiation and graviton into the appropiate spots above.

Gravitons are the units of gravitational raditation and virtual gravitons are the exchange particle for gravity.

Of course there are differences between the two interactions, as noted by Creator.
 
  • #8
The electromagnetic field is maintained by these virtual particles, in this case, virtual photons. It is these virtual photons that are the method by which the field exchanges force between the attracting/repeling charges.

But the ripples through this field, i.e. EM waves, are made of real photons.
Real photons are no force carriers.
But they (of course) transmit energy between matter.
They are created when charges accelerate and if bound systems decay.

Are these four remarks correct? Would someone like to add something?
 

1. What is a graviton?

A graviton is a hypothetical elementary particle that is believed to be responsible for the force of gravity. It is a part of the Standard Model of particle physics, but has not yet been observed or proven to exist.

2. What are the properties of a graviton?

The properties of a graviton are still largely unknown and are subject to ongoing research and speculation. It is believed to have zero mass and a spin of 2, and is thought to interact with other particles through the gravitational force.

3. Can gravitons be detected?

Currently, there is no way to directly detect gravitons. However, scientists are working on experiments and technologies that may eventually lead to their detection. One proposed method is through the detection of gravitational waves, which are ripples in spacetime caused by massive objects interacting with each other.

4. How does the existence of gravitons relate to the theory of relativity?

The theory of relativity, specifically general relativity, describes gravity as the curvature of spacetime caused by massive objects. Gravitons are believed to be the particles that carry this gravitational force, and their existence would help to unify the theories of relativity and quantum mechanics.

5. Are there any alternative theories to the existence of gravitons?

Yes, there are alternative theories that attempt to explain the force of gravity without the need for gravitons. These include theories such as modified gravity or theories that propose a different mechanism for the force of gravity. However, these alternative theories have not been widely accepted and gravitons remain the most popular explanation for gravity among scientists.

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