Gravitons vs Attraction Due to Curvature of Spacetime

In summary, the content discusses how if one day gravitons are discovered, they would be compatible with the gravitational attraction due to curved spacetime, but additional detail is needed to understand the discussion.
  • #1
Islam Hassan
237
5
If one day gravitons are discovered, would their action be complementary to the gravitational attraction due to curved spacetime? Can gravity arise from both curved spacetime and exchange of gravitons?

IH
 
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  • #2
Even if there were a consistent formulation of perturbative quantum gravity in which gravitons would show up, they would only be virtual particles and therefore just an aspect of the formalism at hand. For further discussion, see this thread: https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=506228 .
 
  • #4
  • #5
atyy said:
Yes, gravitons and curved spacetime are compatible. A curved spacetime would be (approximately) a coherent state of gravitons on a flat spacetime.

Discussed within string theory on p108 of http://books.google.com/books?id=k4...e+of+strings+background&source=gbs_navlinks_s

If I were you, I wouldn't hand out string theoretic content as if it were standard. Also your answer doesn't make much sense without further detail about the discussion in that book.
 
  • #6
For a discussion of gravitons without string theory, we can use general relativity as an effective quantum field theory (which is completely standard):
Burgess, http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0311082

Discussions like those on p108 of Polchinski's book are also found at:
David Tong, http://arxiv.org/abs/0908.0333, section 7, p158
Angel Uranga, http://www.ift.uam.es/paginaspersonales/angeluranga/firstpage.html , section 2.1.6, p55
 
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FAQ: Gravitons vs Attraction Due to Curvature of Spacetime

1. What are gravitons and how do they relate to the curvature of spacetime?

Gravitons are hypothetical particles that are believed to be the carrier of the gravitational force. They are predicted by theories that attempt to unify gravity with other fundamental forces. The curvature of spacetime, on the other hand, is a fundamental concept in Einstein's theory of general relativity, which explains how massive objects like planets and stars cause a bending or curvature of the fabric of spacetime.

2. How do gravitons and the curvature of spacetime explain the force of gravity?

In general relativity, the force of gravity is not a force in the traditional sense, but rather a manifestation of the curvature of spacetime caused by massive objects. Gravitons, on the other hand, are believed to mediate the interaction between massive objects and cause this curvature of spacetime. They are essentially the "particles" that carry the gravitational force.

3. Are gravitons and the curvature of spacetime mutually exclusive explanations for gravity?

No, they are not mutually exclusive. The concept of gravitons is still a theoretical concept and has not been proven, while the curvature of spacetime is a well-established concept in general relativity. It is possible that both explanations could be valid, with gravitons being the underlying mechanism for the curvature of spacetime.

4. Can the existence of gravitons be proven experimentally?

At this point, the existence of gravitons has not been proven experimentally. While there is strong theoretical support for their existence, scientists are still working on ways to detect them directly. Some experiments, such as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), indirectly support the existence of gravitons by detecting gravitational waves, which are predicted by the theory of general relativity.

5. Is there a consensus among scientists on whether gravitons or the curvature of spacetime is the correct explanation for gravity?

There is still ongoing debate and research among scientists on the nature of gravity and whether gravitons or the curvature of spacetime is the correct explanation. The majority of scientists currently accept the theory of general relativity and the concept of spacetime curvature, but there is also a significant effort to find evidence for the existence of gravitons and potentially reconcile the two explanations.

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