Strings and gravitational time dilation

In summary, string theorists say their equations can make the same predictions as general relativity, so it seems that gravitational time dilation is a real thing. If gravity is not mediated by curved spacetime, but carried by a particle, why would clocks slow down in strong gravitational fields? It's surprising that there hasn't been a response to this yet, but maybe string theorists haven't found a way to explain it yet.
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Is there an explanation for gravitational time dilation in string theory? String theorists say their equations can make the same predictions as general relativity, so I would assume string theory predicts gravitational time dilation, but how would that work? If gravity is no longer mediated by curved spacetime, but carried by a particle, why would clocks slow down in strong gravitational fields?
 
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I'm surprised there hasn't been a response to this yet. Is there as of yet no solution to this? I would have thought string theorists would have delt with this by now (especially since the popularized texts I've read have had so much information about general relativity, I would assume gravitational time dilation would be hard to overlook), but maybe not. Possibly string theorists would argue that there wouldn't be any gravitational time dilation after all?
 
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εllipse said:
Is there an explanation for gravitational time dilation in string theory? String theorists say their equations can make the same predictions as general relativity, so I would assume string theory predicts gravitational time dilation, but how would that work? If gravity is no longer mediated by curved spacetime, but carried by a particle, why would clocks slow down in strong gravitational fields?

If you mean by what mechanism does the string graviton affect the clocks, I think this is the best we can do: the graviton is supposed to couple to matter in accordance with Einstein's field equations, and since they call for time dilation in a gravity well, the absorption of a graviton must do that too, and the more gravitons absorbed (deeper in the well) the more dilation must occur, according to Einstein's formula.

If you think that is just a description without an explanation, welcome to particle physics. :yuck:
 
  • #4
selfAdjoint said:
If you think that is just a description without an explanation, welcome to particle physics. :yuck:
Ah, hmph. Thanks.
 

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