Graviton Properties, best guesses?

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    Graviton Properties
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the properties of the theorized graviton, including its spin, charge, rest mass, and wavelength. Participants explore theoretical aspects of gravitational waves and their relationship to electromagnetism, as well as the design choices behind the LISA experiment.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that the graviton has a spin of 2, based on tensorial properties and the nature of closed strings.
  • Others argue that the graviton has a charge of 0, suggesting that it does not interact with charged particles like electrons and protons.
  • It is mentioned that the rest mass of the graviton is theorized to be 0, and its wavelength is dependent on its frequency.
  • One participant questions whether gravity is theorized to be a sinusoidal wave like electromagnetic waves, noting that gravitational radiation is quadrupolar rather than dipolar.
  • There is a discussion about the role of the graviton in gravitational interactions, comparing it to the photon in electromagnetism, with mentions of virtual particles and their properties.
  • Participants express curiosity about the derivation of the graviton's spin and request references for further reading.
  • One participant raises a question about the distance between LISA's arms, suggesting it may be based on expected values for detection probabilities.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express multiple competing views regarding the properties of the graviton, particularly concerning its spin and the nature of gravitational waves. The discussion remains unresolved with no consensus reached on these points.

Contextual Notes

Some claims rely on specific theoretical frameworks, and there are unresolved questions regarding the mathematical derivations and implications of the graviton's properties.

Chaos' lil bro Order
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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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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 :smile:
 
Spin: As mentioned, 2
Charge : 0
Rest mass: 0
Wavelength: dependent on its frequency.
 
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.
 
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:
 
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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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.
 
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?
 

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