Does the detection of primordial gravitational waves really imply that gravity is a quantum particle interaction, and the existence of gravitons? Does the indirect detection of primordial gravitational waves really infer that gravitational effects result from a quantum particle interaction, necessitating the existence of a mediating graviton to exchange energy among particles of matter (Krauss and Wilczek, 2014, arxiv.org/abs/1309.5343)? Or, more simply, is it merely evidence that at primordial mass-energy densities and distributions gravitational mass-energy/dimensional spacetime distortions can be produced at quantum scales? General relativity very successfully describes gravitation as a dimensional distortion of spacetime (corresponding length contraction and time dilation) in the presence of condensed mass-energy. However, quantum theories describe the direct exchange of material force energy among particles of matter, mediated by boson particles. There is strong motivation to integrate gravitation, which is conventionally considered to be the fourth force interaction of matter, into the framework of quantum theory. However, no mediating graviton particle has been detected. Please see eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-03/nsf-nrs031814.php, nature/news/b-mode-1.14884 and nature/news/telescope-captures-view-of-gravitational-waves-1.14876.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 19:10:05 +0000