The hunt for the graviton

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For the past 50 years, the Standard Model of particle physics has given us a complete mathematical description of the particles and forces that shape our world.  It predicts with so much accuracy the microscopic properties of particles and the macroscopic ones of stars and galaxies that many physicists feel that it is the ultimate theory of matter and energy.

However as the table on the left shows most of its predictions regarding the particle nature of forces have been confirmed by observations with two notable exception; the Higgs boson and the graviton.

The reason we have not discovered the Higgs boson can be explain by the fact that our particle accelerators cannot produce enough energy make it observable.

While many say that they have not been able to detect the graviton is because it interacts very weakly with mass.  In other words our instruments are not sensitive enough to detect the passage of a graviton.

However if gravitational force is quantized in the form of gravitons then the movement of particles in space should be effected by the random variations in the gravitational fields associated with its quantum properties.  In other words one would not have to observe the graviton to verify that gravity was quantized because one can should be able to observe the effects it has on the movement of extremely light particles such as low frequency photons.

The fact that this has never been observed is bit hard to explain given the amazing precision by which space and land based sensors can monitor them.

Yet the fact that the graviton has not been observed even when the technology exists to do so means that maybe we should begin hunting for alternative explanation for gravity based not on the Standard Models assumption that it is quantized but on its observed continuous field properties of space.

For example in 1924 Louis de Broglie’s theory that all particles have a wave component was verified 1927 by Davisson and Germer when they observed that electrons were diffracted by crystals.  This served as the basis for developing the theory known by the name of wave mechanics. 

However it also demonstrated that because of the continuous properties of waves there must exist a continuous non-quantized field to support their matter wave component.
As was shown In the article “Why is energy/mass quantized?” Oct. 4, 2007 one can explain the quantum mechanical properties of energy/mass in terms of the continuous field properties of three-dimensional space by extrapolating the classical laws of resonance in a three-dimensional environment to four *spatial* dimensions.

Briefly it showed the four conditions required for resonance to occur in a classical Newtonian three dimensional environment, an object, or substance with a natural frequency, a forcing function at the same frequency as the natural frequency, the lack of a damping frequency and the ability for the substance to oscillate spatial would occur in one of consisting of only four *spatial* dimensions.

The existence of four *spatial* dimensions would give a “surface” of a three-dimension space manifold (the substance) the ability to oscillate spatially on a “surface” between a third and fourth *spatial* dimensions thereby fulfilling one of the requirements for classical resonance to occur.

These oscillations would be caused by an event such as the decay of a subatomic particle or the shifting of an electron in an atomic orbital.  This would force a “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension to oscillate with the frequency associated with the energy of that event.

Therefore, these oscillations in space would meet the requirements mentioned above for the formation of a resonant system or “structure” in space. 

Observations of a three-dimensional environment show the energy associated with resonant systems can only take on the incremental or discreet values associated with a fundamental or a harmonic of the fundamental frequency of its environment.

Similarly the energy associated with resonant systems in four *spatial* dimensions could only take on the incremental or discreet values associated a fundamental or a harmonic of the fundamental frequency of its environment.

These resonant systems in four *spatial* dimensions would be responsible for the incremental or discreet energy associated with quantum mechanical systems.

However one can also explain the propagation of gravity as well as the quantum properties of energy/mass in terms of the field properties of four *spatial* dimensions.

For example in the article “Embedded Dimensions” Oct. 22, 2007 it was all forms of energy, including gravitational are derivable in terms of a curvature or displacement in a continuous “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension. 

One can understand how a displacement in a “surface” of three-dimensional space with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension is responsible for gravity by comparing it to one caused by a rod pushing down on the surface of a rubber diaphragm that is for all intensive purposes is continuous with respect to a marble.

The surface of the rubber diaphragm will represent the “surface” of a three dimensional space manifold, the marble on the diaphragm, the resonant system the article “Why is energy/mass quantized?” showed was responsible for the quantum mechanical properties of energy/mass while the rod will represent the “W” axis of a fourth *spatial* dimension.

(The “W” axis of a fourth *spatial* dimension was also defined in the article “Embedded Dimensions” Oct 27, 2007)

If the end of the rod is orientated perpendicular to the “surface” of the diaphragm and is allowed to touch it without putting any pressure on it, the surface of the diaphragm will remain flat. The marble on the flat diaphragm would not move.

However, if pressure is applied to the rod, the “surface” of the diaphragm will become displaced and will no longer be perpendicular to the rod.

Gravitational forces will then have a tangential component along the “surface” of the rubber diaphragm. The tangential component of the gravitational force directed along the “surface” of the diaphragm will cause the marble to move towards the apex of the depression.

Similarly the tangential force crated by a curvature in a “surface” of three dimensional space with respect to a four “spatial” dimension would result in objects in space to move or be attracted to apex of the curvature.

Therefore because of the continuous field properties of three-dimensional space that must be associated of with Louis de Broglie’s wave theory of matter one does not have to assume the existence of a graviton to understand how the force of gravity is propagated because similar to the marble on the rubber diaphragm the force causing gravitational acceleration can be derived in terms of a slope in a continuous “surface” of a three dimensional space manifold with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension.

Some would disagree because experiments show that the other three forces of nature are propagated by particles and why they might ask should gravity be different from them.

However classical wave mechanics tell us that a minimum quantity of energy is required to establish a resonance any given medium.  Gravity is the weakest of the four forces.  If the energy associated with its wave component is not energetic enough to cause space to resonant, its energy will be propagated by the continuous properties of three-dimensional space defined in the article “Embedded Dimensions“. 

However, if as in the cases of the other three forces of nature if there is enough energy concentrated in a small enough volume it will propagated along the “surface’ of three-dimensional space in the resonant systems the article “Why is energy/mass quantized?” showed is responsible for their quantized or particle properties.

Gravity is by far the weakest of the four forces and therefore has an extremely long wave length.  This means the volume necessary to contain its resonant system must also be very large.

However this tells us that because the force gravity is active over distances much shorter than its wavelength we must assume that it must be transmitted not by the gravitron but by the continuous field properties of space.

The other three forces of nature have higher energies therefore their resonant volumes would be significantly smaller and therefore observable.  This means we should expect their energy to be propagated through space in quantized units whose volume would be inversely proportional to their energies.

Later Jeff

Copyright Jeffrey O’Callaghan 2012

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