Understanding the GUT Scale: Merging Fundamental Forces at High Energies

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In summary, at high energies, all the fundamental forces are expected to merge into a single force. However, it is not clear how this happens and if the forces are truly the same. At low energies, the behavior of these forces may still differentiate them into separate phenomena. The unbroken SU(2) force would be a long-range force with attractive charges, while an unbroken U(1) force would be identical to electromagnetism.
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nolxiii
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So I've heard it talked about how how at high energies all the strength of all fundamental forces are expected to merge together to single force, but don't quite get how you get from "all the forces have the same strength at high energies" to "all the forces are really the same force."

Couldn't they have the same strength but still act differently? And if they acted the same at high energies wouldn't their behavior at low energies still differentiate them into separate phenomenon?
 
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nolxiii said:
So I've heard it talked about how how at high energies all the strength of all fundamental forces are expected to merge together to single force, but don't quite get how you get from "all the forces have the same strength at high energies" to "all the forces are really the same force."

You are right, it does not follow. It's just a "maybe", a hint from the data that maybe it's one force.

And if they acted the same at high energies wouldn't their behavior at low energies still differentiate them into separate phenomenon?

We have an example. Electroweak SU(2) force is one force, but at low energies it "breaks" into two seemingly completely different things: W+- bosons are quite different from that part of SU(2) which is part of photons.
 
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Right on. Still struggling somewhat to build a mental model of how the electroweak symmetry breaking works, the link below I think helped a bit though. Am I understanding this right that if the symmetry just happened to break in such a way that W bosons were (nearly?) massless that the weak and electromagnetic forces would still behave more or less identically?

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Forces/unify.html
 
  • #4
An unbroken SU(2) force would not be identical to electromagnetism.
An unbroken U(1) force is identical to electromagnetism.
 
  • #5
nikkkom said:
An unbroken SU(2) force would not be identical to electromagnetism.
An unbroken U(1) force is identical to electromagnetism.

what would this unbroken SU(2) force look like?
 
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It would be a long-range force, IIRC attractive for any SU(2) charges (unlike electricity, where like charges repel).
 

What is the "GUT Scale"?

The "GUT Scale" stands for Grand Unification Theory Scale. It is a theoretical concept in particle physics that attempts to unify the four fundamental forces of nature - gravity, electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, and weak nuclear force - into a single framework.

Why is the "GUT Scale" important?

The "GUT Scale" is important because it could provide a deeper understanding of the fundamental laws of the universe and potentially lead to a more complete theory of everything. It also has implications for the evolution of the universe and the behavior of matter at high energies.

How is the "GUT Scale" measured?

The "GUT Scale" is measured in energy units, specifically in GeV (gigaelectronvolts). It is believed that the unification of the four forces occurs at an energy scale of around 10^16 GeV, which is known as the GUT energy scale.

What evidence supports the existence of the "GUT Scale"?

Currently, there is no direct evidence for the existence of the "GUT Scale" as it has not yet been experimentally verified. However, some theories such as supersymmetry and string theory predict the existence of the "GUT Scale" and are being actively researched and tested.

Are there any challenges or limitations to the "GUT Scale" theory?

One of the main challenges to the "GUT Scale" theory is the lack of experimental evidence. Additionally, the concept of unifying all four forces is complex and requires a deep understanding of quantum mechanics and general relativity. Other challenges include the difficulty in testing theories at such high energy scales and the need for more advanced technology and experiments.

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