Gravitons vs Attraction Due to Curvature of Spacetime

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion explores the relationship between gravitons and gravitational attraction due to the curvature of spacetime. It examines whether gravity can be understood as arising from both the exchange of gravitons and the geometric properties of spacetime, with references to theoretical frameworks such as string theory and general relativity.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that if gravitons are discovered, their action could be complementary to the gravitational attraction due to curved spacetime.
  • One participant argues that even in a consistent formulation of perturbative quantum gravity, gravitons would only be virtual particles, representing an aspect of the formalism.
  • Multiple participants assert that gravitons and curved spacetime are compatible, suggesting that a curved spacetime could be viewed as a coherent state of gravitons on a flat spacetime.
  • Another participant requests further elaboration on the specific content of a referenced page in a book discussing coherent states in string theory.
  • One participant cautions against presenting string theoretic content as standard and notes the need for further detail regarding the discussion in the referenced book.
  • A participant introduces general relativity as an effective quantum field theory to discuss gravitons without relying on string theory, providing additional references for further reading.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the compatibility of gravitons and curved spacetime, with some asserting compatibility while others question the standardization of string theory content. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the implications of these perspectives.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the dependence on theoretical frameworks such as string theory and general relativity, as well as the unresolved nature of how these concepts interact in the context of quantum gravity.

Islam Hassan
Messages
237
Reaction score
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
 
Physics news on Phys.org
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 .
 
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.
 
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
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Similar threads

High School Does Spacetime Have Physical Existence?
  • · Replies 58 ·
2
Replies
58
Views
4K
Undergrad Effects of magnetism on spacetime curvature, and implications
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
Undergrad Can there be a maximum curvature of spacetime?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
Undergrad Gravitons and General Relativity
  • · Replies 37 ·
2
Replies
37
Views
6K
High School Curvature of space vs. curvature of spacetime
  • · Replies 52 ·
2
Replies
52
Views
7K
High School Shouldn't quantum gravity be an interaction between mass and spacetime?
  • · Replies 40 ·
2
Replies
40
Views
7K
High School Mechanics behind curved time causing gravitation/geodesics
  • · Replies 27 ·
Replies
27
Views
8K
Undergrad How Does Mass Influence Spacetime Curvature?
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
2K
High School Visualize 2D Intrinsic Curvature of Spacetime (1s+1t) in 3D
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
5K
Undergrad GR vs Newtonian Physics: Mass Curving Spacetime & Gravity Effects
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K