Can Kaluza-Klein theory accommodate magnetic charge?

In summary, the conversation discusses the possibility of Kaluza-Klein theory accommodating magnetic charge and the question of whether there is a simple geometric difference between electric and magnetic charge in such a theory. The conversation delves into the concept of topological twisting of the fibers S^1 and the potential implications for the theory. It also mentions various sources and links that discuss this topic in more depth. Overall, the conversation highlights the possibility of magnetic charge in Kaluza-Klein theory and the need for further exploration and clarification on the concept of topological twisting.
  • #1
Spinnor
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Can Kaluza-Klein theory accommodate magnetic charge? If so is there a simple geometric difference between electric and magnetic charge in such a theory?

Thanks!
 
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  • #2
So if you can believe Professor Gary Horowitz the answer is yes and the geometrical picture is,

upload_2016-7-24_11-22-9.png


From,

Microstates of Kaluza-Klein Black Holes

From Google,

https://www.google.com/search?q=kal...webhp&ei=5c-UV7LqEsP--AGT8ZLICg&start=10&sa=N


Not sure what topological twisting of S^1 means?

Thanks!
 

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  • #3
Spinnor said:
Not sure what topological twisting of S^1 means?

I will take a stab at this. So we have a circle at each point of Minkowski space, S^1. Say at the origin we have magnetic charge. Suppose we now make one full orbit of this charge in the plane z = 0. Suppose that when we come back to where we started in the z = 0 plane in the compact space we have advanced or retarded by one full turn in the space S^1? Is that what topological twisting of S^1 means?

The magnetic charge is the topological twisting?

There is something else we could do. Suppose we take the circular fibers, give them a cut and then glue the ends at different points of our base space, let each pair of ends of all the circles be separated by the same small spacetime vector? Once around the fiber and we do not come back to where we started in space or even time. Is that an operation that gives a topological twisting of S^1?

Thanks!
 
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  • #4
I'm not sure what topological twisting of a circle means.
This might be a good starting point http://www.itp.ac.cn/~gaoyh/doc/tt1.pdf (I'll try to have a detailed look at this tomorrow)

The following statement is fishy though
Spinnor said:
Say at the origin we have magnetic charge.

You want the resulting space (4D Minkowski) to behave as if it were cosmological in nature i.e. you cannot choose a unique point to represent the origin.
It would be like saying that the Earth's position is special compared to the rest of the universe.

If we allow such an origin it would be hard to talk about "our physics" unless I'm attributing too much importance to isotropy/homogeneity.
 
  • #5
JorisL said:
The following statement is fishy though

I was not clear then. I am suggesting that we look at the space surrounding a point magnetic charge and for simplicity let us place it at the origin of some coordinate system, just as we could place a point charge at the origin. There are only so many ways one can topologically twist the fibers S^1?

( And there has to be a whole lot of symmetry in the twisting of the fibers S^1, the symmetry of a point magnetic charge?)

Thanks for the link!
 
  • #8
That raises a question, what is the lowest dimension Kaluza Klein theory that magnetic charge can exist? Can one assume that magnetic charge is still a topological twisting of S^1?

Thanks!
 
  • #9
If Kaluza Klein did allow magnetic charge, that would be an argument against the theory (as no such thing is observed in Nature) rather than a point in its favor.
 
  • #10
ohwilleke said:
If Kaluza Klein did allow magnetic charge, that would be an argument against the theory (as no such thing is observed in Nature) rather than a point in its favor.

But the theory apparently does have room for magnetic charge, which is cool.

Do you by chance know what is meant by a "topological twisting" of the fibers S^1?

Thanks!
 

Related to Can Kaluza-Klein theory accommodate magnetic charge?

1. How does the Kaluza-Klein theory explain magnetic charge?

The Kaluza-Klein theory is an extension of Einstein's theory of general relativity that incorporates the concept of a fifth dimension. In this theory, the electromagnetic field is unified with the gravitational field, and the extra dimension allows for the existence of magnetic charge. This magnetic charge is created by the curvature of the fifth dimension and is responsible for the behavior of the magnetic field.

2. Can magnetic charge be quantized in the Kaluza-Klein theory?

Yes, the Kaluza-Klein theory allows for the quantization of magnetic charge. In this theory, magnetic charge is described by the curvature of the fifth dimension, which can take on discrete values. This means that magnetic charge can only exist in certain discrete amounts, similar to the quantization of electric charge in quantum mechanics.

3. Does the Kaluza-Klein theory have any experimental evidence for the existence of magnetic charge?

Currently, there is no experimental evidence for the existence of magnetic charge in the context of the Kaluza-Klein theory. However, this does not necessarily mean that the theory is incorrect. It is still an active area of research and future experiments may provide evidence for the existence of magnetic charge.

4. Can the Kaluza-Klein theory accommodate both electric and magnetic charge?

Yes, the Kaluza-Klein theory can accommodate both electric and magnetic charge. In this theory, the electromagnetic field is described by a 5-dimensional metric tensor, which includes both the electric and magnetic fields. This allows for the unification of these two forces and the existence of both electric and magnetic charges.

5. How does the Kaluza-Klein theory explain the behavior of magnetic monopoles?

The Kaluza-Klein theory provides a theoretical framework for the existence of magnetic monopoles. In this theory, magnetic monopoles are described as topological defects in the fifth dimension, where the curvature of the fifth dimension is non-zero at a specific point. This allows for the existence of isolated magnetic charges, which behave similarly to isolated electric charges.

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