I Why do gravitational waves travel at the speed of light?

AI Thread Summary
Gravitational waves travel at the speed of light due to the Einstein field equations in general relativity, which allow for wave solutions that propagate at this invariant speed. The expectation that gravitons, the hypothetical particles mediating gravity, are massless further supports this, as massless entities always move at light speed. The universal constant, denoted as c, represents the relationship between space and time, and is fundamental to both light and gravitational wave propagation. This connection is rooted in the geometry of spacetime, where both light and gravitational effects are governed by the same invariant speed. Thus, the speed of gravitational waves aligns with the established principles of relativity and spacetime geometry.
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Why are gravitational waves able to move at the speed of light?
 
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Within general relativity the answer is just that the Einstein field equations admit a wave solution that has the speed of light.

We don't have a working quantum theory of gravity, but we expect that the graviton will be massless and hence gravitational waves propagate at the speed of light because that's what massless things do.

Does that help?
 
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brucegoth123 said:
Why are gravitational waves able to move at the speed of light?
:welcome:

It's a good question without a simple answer. We can look at it as follows:

Spacetime has a universal constant, which we call ##c##, which determines the relationship between space and time. It's really just a conversion of units from spatial distances to units of time. If we measure distance in metres and time in seconds then ##c \approx 3 \times 10^8 m/s##.

Because light is massless electromagnetic radiation, this radiation must move at this specific speed ##c##. This is shown by both SR (light as a massless particle) and Maxwell's equations of electromagnetism. And, of course, the historical development of relativity began with the experimental evidence that light propagates at this invariant speed. Hence ##c## is "the speed of light". A more modern view is that ##c## is determined by the geometry of spacetime and light must move at that speed.

Now, the equations governing GR also have this universal constant at their heart; and, for similar reasons, the effects of gravity (including gravitational waves) must propagate at this invariant speed ##c##.

In that sense, it's not such a coincidence. It's that the propagation of light at gravity are both determined by the fundamental geometry of spacetime, and share the same universal invariant speed ##c##.
 
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