The influence of Gravity on particles

In summary, gravity has a minimal influence on an electron beam due to the small mass of the electron. This is demonstrated by the cancellation of the mass term in the equation for acceleration. However, in extreme gravitational fields, such as on the surface of a neutron star, the effects of gravity cannot be neglected. In these cases, a quantum-mechanical treatment is necessary to accurately describe the particles' behavior.
  • #1
Fadicando
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How does gravity influence an electron beam? And how does it influence the other particles?
 
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  • #2
It makes it go down. Just like everything else.
 
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  • #3
Vanadium 50 said:
It makes it go down. Just like everything else.

But how it happens mathematically? Because I thought that as the mass of the electrons is insignificant, the influence of gravity wouldn't do any difference.
 
  • #4
Fadicando said:
I thought that as the mass of the electrons is insignificant, the influence of gravity wouldn't do any difference.
Have you studied Galileo's Leaning Tower of Pisa experiment? If so, what does it teach us?
 
  • #5
Electrons don't feel a large force but they also don't have much mass that would need large forces.

Anyway: For realistic setups other forces on the electrons are far larger. Gravity is always negligible. You can calculate the electric field strength needed to provide a force as large as gravity.
 
  • #6
Fadicando said:
But how it happens mathematically? Because I thought that as the mass of the electrons is insignificant, the influence of gravity wouldn't do any difference.
Do you understand the difference between "a very small amount" and "none" ?
 
  • #7
Fadicando said:
But how it happens mathematically? Because I thought that as the mass of the electrons is insignificant, the influence of gravity wouldn't do any difference.

The force is very, very small, but so is the mass of the electron. If you look at the equation for acceleration, ##A=F/M## and put the equation for gravitational force in for ##F##, you'll find that the mass cancels out entirely. The acceleration of the smaller object is independent of its mass.
 
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  • #8
Drakkith said:
The force is very, very small, but so is the mass of the electron. If you look at the equation for acceleration, ##A=F/M## and put the equation for gravitational force in for ##F##, you'll find that the mass cancels out entirely. The acceleration of the smaller object is independent of its mass.


Thank u so much!
 
  • #9
Fadicando said:
How does gravity influence an electron beam? And how does it influence the other particles?

It depends on the strength of gravitational field where you observe the particles. Physicists living here on the Earth's surface can safely neglect any gravitational influence on particles in their colliders. However, hypothetical physicist, let's say living on a surface of a neutron star (*) couldn't afford such luxury, ie. to neglect effects due to gravity.

(*) please ignore for while that such hypothetical beings couldn't survive in such conditions ;-)
 
  • #10
If you mean particles in the gravitational field around the Earth a non-relativistic treatment is sufficient. Of course if you deal with single particles a quantum-mechanical treatment is more appropriate than a classical treatment. The most accurate test that the standard quantum mechanical treatment for particles in the homogeneous gravitational field of the Earth (i.e., the usual "free-fall setup") leads to the correct result to my knowledge is a measurement on neutrons subject to the gravitational field of the Earth and a "horizontal mirror on the bottom":

https://www.nature.com/articles/415297a

https://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.67.102002
https://arxiv.org/abs/hep-ph/0306198
 
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1. How does gravity affect the movement of particles?

Gravity is a fundamental force that attracts objects with mass towards each other. This means that particles with mass will be pulled towards each other by the force of gravity. The strength of the gravitational force depends on the mass of the particles and the distance between them. In general, the closer the particles are to each other, the stronger the force of gravity and the more they will be affected in their movement.

2. Can gravity affect particles that are not in direct contact with each other?

Yes, gravity can affect particles even if they are not in direct contact with each other. This is because gravity is a long-range force that can act over large distances. For example, the gravitational force between the Earth and the Moon is what keeps the Moon in orbit around the Earth, even though they are not in direct contact with each other.

3. How does the strength of gravity change as particles move further apart?

The strength of gravity decreases as particles move further apart. This is because the force of gravity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the particles. This means that as the distance between particles doubles, the force of gravity decreases by a factor of four.

4. Can gravity affect the behavior of subatomic particles?

Yes, gravity can affect the behavior of subatomic particles, but its effects are very small compared to other fundamental forces, such as electromagnetism and the strong and weak nuclear forces. This is because subatomic particles have very little mass, and the force of gravity is directly proportional to the mass of the particles.

5. How does gravity influence the formation of large structures in the universe?

Gravity plays a crucial role in the formation of large structures in the universe, such as galaxies, stars, and planets. As particles with mass are pulled together by gravity, they can form larger and more massive structures over time. These structures continue to grow and evolve under the influence of gravity, shaping the structure and dynamics of the universe as we know it.

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