Novice's Question: Understanding Photon & Spacetime Curvature

[yoquan]

Hi all,

Could anyone tell me why photons - electromagnetic ones - always follow the curve created by spacetime - gravitation's one?

I would appreciate so much if someone gives me a natural explanation.
Thank you in advance.

 

[Mk]

The gravity from a massive object warps space time according to Einstein's General Relativity, and thus bends everything contained, including light. Called "gravitational lensing," it was first described by a Mr. Chwolson in 1924, but more famously discussed and described by Einstein in '36.

Also, you mentioned "electromagnetic photons;" all photons are defined as electromagnetic force particles, so all of them are the electromagnetic ones.

 

[Gib Z]

I think the OP thinks Photons refers to all Bosons, I am pretty sure his question is:

Could anyone tell me why Photons always follow the curve created by gravitons?

As of now we don't really have a rigorous mathematical theory that incorporates gravitons, though they have been conjectured to exist in the Standard model, because all the other fundamental forces of nature have messenger Bosons as well.

If you just change your question to "...always follows the curve in spacetime created by a large gravitational force" then Mk answers the question quite nicely.

 

[jtbell]

Could anyone tell me why photons - electromagnetic ones - always follow the curve created by spacetime - gravitation's one?

Why do you ask about photons in particular, as opposed to particles in general?

Everything that moves through spacetime "follows" the curvature of spacetime. I suppose you could call that a fundamental assumption of general relativity.