If gravity is the warping of spacetime, why would there be particles (gravitons) involved?

Question

Can we not find gravitons because they slip into parallel universes?

Answer 1

Gravitons are theoretical "virtual particles"...it is an attempt that quantum mechanics makes to explain gravity...but general relativity with its curve in spacetime explains it much better.

Answer 2

This is one of the big questions of physics.

General relativity is a classical theory which explains gravity as a curvature in space-time very successfully. However, classical theories are smooth at all scales, and we know from quantum mechanics that the universe is not - it is split into discrete packets at the smallest level.

The standard model of quantum mechanics is very successful at describing how the other three forces of nature work. It does this in terms of quantum fields and force carrying particles (the photon for the electrostatic force, for instance). It does not, however, successfully describe gravity - but by analogy with the other forces, it is often assumed that a force carrying particle (the graviton) must exist. However, it has never been observed, which is a drawback.

So the jury is out, and it is not clear what the conclusion will be.

Answer 3

Physics uses different theories for modeling reality for different scales. For large scales and relatively (no pun intended) low amounts of Gravitational Energy (or its Gradient: Gravitational Force). Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation suffices. When still dealing with large scales, but intense gravitational fields, then Einstein's General Theory of Relativity is useful. However when we consider what is happening at very small scales, then the rules change and quantum effects come into play. A new theory is developed which quantizes Gravitational Energy much like we quantized electromagnetic energy (and called it a Photon). The new Gravitational Quanta are called Gravitons. In Quantum Field Theory, a force interacts between two particles when quanta are exchanged.
Moving back to a large scale we consider each point in spacetime (called an event) to be dimensionless, and that Spacetime is continuous and smooth (and can mathematically be described as a Manifold). However for very small scales, spacetime breaks down, "points" are no longer dimensionless, and we can no longer describe spacetime mathematically as a manifold (continuous and smooth).
So while in classical general relativity we could use geometry to describe spacetime, and the strength of a gravitational field at any event in spacetime as the curvature of spacetime at that point. In a Quantum Theory of Gravitation we can't really do that.

So like a previous poster wrote, your question is a bit like comparing apples to oranges.

Answer 4

I think a warped spacetime is a special case where the distant between the observable dimensions approaches the distant between objects in the dimension in which gravitons (if they exist) exert their force. The consequence (I think) is that the other forces are adding to (compounding with) gravity and therefore cause the warp. So the short and the long is that if it weren't for gravitons there would be curved space but not warped space. But that's all mumbo jumbo to me...

Answer 5

First of all you should remove the "if" from your question. Gravity being a warping of spacetime is NOT just a theory; it's been proven over and over again.

As for gravitons, they ARE theoretical. The whole mishmash of how mass warps spacetime, thus producing the phenomenon we call gravity, is far from being understood. One main reason is that we don't really understand why mass itself has any of the features we've observed. For instance, why does mass have the property of inertia? Unknown. Why does mass have the property of momentum? Unknown.

Answer 6

You are mixing apples and oranges.
Space-time is a mathematical construct that helps us understand gravity conceptually.
Gravitons are a theoretical particle that is a logical construct to explain how gravity 'works,' similar to how a photon helps explain how light 'works.'

;-D Space-time is not real. Gravitons have not been discovered, but maybe they are real. Gravity might have both a wave and particle nature similar to light. The invention of a device that artificially produces whatever gravity is, whether a wave generator or a particle generator, will change the world in ways similar to the generation of electricity.

Answer 7

Hmm, fasinating. Perhaps gravitons are supposed to be an analogy like the good old protons,electrons and photons yet there is confliciting theories of wave/particle duality? |

My 3 Cents...

Answer 8

sure. The case of two parallel photons "travelling aspect by aspect' is truly ill-defiend because in case you concentrate on them as element debris, they are going to be no longer waiting to electrify one yet another, because each and every person of them is outdoors of cusuality cone of the different one in each and every person of reference, and therefore are unable to electrify one yet another. 2 parallel beams of light, although create everlasting gravitational field arond them and therefore do attraction to one yet another. this may develop into extra glaring in case you concentrate on 2 parallel beams of light trapped between 2 parallel mirrors perpendicualr to the beams, the photons bouncing infinitely decrease backward and forward. each and every beam has non-0 mass and nil internet momentum, so gravitation field of each and every beam is the very similar as gravitational field of a rod of equivalent mass m = E/c^2. because their tensors of mass-ability are a similar. even extra glaring will be this following get mutually: Take a closed sphere with a pair of electon - positron trapped interior. The gravitation created by the sector is (M_sphere + m_electron + m_positron)/R^2 Annihilate electon and positron growing to be fairly some photons trapped interior, their mass m_photons = E/c^2 = m_electron + m_positron. yet in view that annihilation procedure is inner affair of the sector, the exterior graviataional field might want to no longer substitute. therefore photons trapped contained in the sector ought to make contributions to exterior gravitational field the very similar as a pair of 'common' debris did previously annihilation.

Answer 9

i doubt they exist. i think quantum mechanics has a loooong way to go. many many theories will be thrown around in the meantime that will turn out false.. this is totally fine, as the proper way to conduct science, but we still have really no idea what gravity is, or where it comes from. we have models based on observations that obviously work, but as far as what it actually is, or where it comes from, we have no idea.
check out "expansion theory" once.. kinda hard to get your mind around at first, but its just as plausable as anything else we have.

Answer 10

yeeeeaaahhhh............... what they said.