Quantizing the Electric & Gravitational Fields: A Deeper Look

In summary: It seems that virtual particles of the weak and strong forces can also contribute to the energy and gravity of the vacuum. This suggests that a complete theory unifying all forces and quantizing gravity would involve interactions between all these particles. However, it may not be possible to quantize gravity independently from the other fields, and the success of QED and QCD may be due to luck rather than a perfect theory. The standard model assumes that the forces are not unified at low energy conditions, but this doesn't necessarily mean they are independent of each other. Gravitons and photons may interact significantly at their point of origin near a particle, but their interaction is usually slight over large distances due to their minimal effect on spacetime. If gravitons have
  • #1
kurious
641
0
If a graviton has energy presumably it curves space-time.A virtual
photon has energy and presumably it curves space-time.So can a
graviton affect the motion of a virtual photon through space-time and
vice-versa? If so, can the gravitational field be quantized
independently of the electric field?
Does there have to be a field operator that gives two probabilities
for each point in space: one probability for creating particles for
the gravitational field and another probability for creating particles
for the electric field ?
The electric field has been quantized independently of the
gravitational field but was this just the inevitability of "adjusting"
equations in QED?
 
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  • #2
kurious said:
If a graviton has energy presumably it curves space-time.A virtual
photon has energy and presumably it curves space-time.So can a
graviton affect the motion of a virtual photon through space-time and
vice-versa? If so, can the gravitational field be quantized
independently of the electric field?
Does there have to be a field operator that gives two probabilities
for each point in space: one probability for creating particles for
the gravitational field and another probability for creating particles
for the electric field ?
The electric field has been quantized independently of the
gravitational field but was this just the inevitability of "adjusting"
equations in QED?

For me these are interesting questions you are asking. Can we look at light cones here?
 
  • #3
kurious said:
If a graviton has energy presumably it curves space-time.A virtual
photon has energy and presumably it curves space-time.So can a
graviton affect the motion of a virtual photon through space-time and
vice-versa? If so, can the gravitational field be quantized
independently of the electric field?
Does there have to be a field operator that gives two probabilities
for each point in space: one probability for creating particles for
the gravitational field and another probability for creating particles
for the electric field ?
The electric field has been quantized independently of the
gravitational field but was this just the inevitability of "adjusting"
equations in QED?

Why stop at electromagnetism? The quantum vacuum also contains virtual weakons which have energy and gravitate as well as the virtual gluons and quarks of QCD. So all the forces and matter particles can be virtual as well as observable, and would contribute to the energy of the vacuum, and thus to gravity. So yes, a complete theory that unifies the forces and quantizes gravity is going to have them all interacting with each other.
 
  • #4
Essentially what I am saying is this: maybe it isn't possible to quantize gravity independently of the other fields and QED was lucky to get away with it.
And perhaps qcd isn't a perfect theory for the same reason.
The standard model assumes that the forces are not unified now in the low
energy conditions of the universe, at present, but this doesn't necessarily mean they are independent of one another?

Gravitons and photons will interact only slightly over large distances because
they don't curve spacetime significantly and can be widely separated in space, but at their point of origin near a particle they could interact significantly. Photons would affect photons ,gravitons would affect gravitons and there would be graviton-photon interactions too.
If gravitons have mass would it be reasonable to model their
effect on photons usng the idea that the expected deflection of a photon is twice the Newtonian prediction for one photon and one graviton.Is the relativistic deflection of a photon always twice the Newtonian deflection regardless of distance and energy density?
QED probably gets away with not considering gravitational redshift of photons because electric charges have the same magnitude and so a photon redshifted as it is emitted by one charge will be blueshifted back to its
original frequency as it gets absorbed by another charge.
Also the lamb shift is a phenomenon at 10^-10 metres and photons in QED that have interacted in complex ways at smaller distances would have time and space to rearrange themselves and behave as flat space QED says they should.I reckon gravity can't be quantised because the electric field hasn't been quantised properly yet!

SOL:
What did you have in mind with light cones?
 
Last edited:

1. What is quantization of electric and gravitational fields?

Quantization is the process of breaking down continuous phenomena, such as electric and gravitational fields, into discrete units or packets of energy. This concept is a fundamental aspect of quantum mechanics and helps explain the behavior of these fields at a microscopic level.

2. How does quantization affect our understanding of electric and gravitational fields?

Quantization allows us to better understand the behavior and interactions of electric and gravitational fields, especially at a subatomic level. It helps us explain phenomena that cannot be understood through classical physics, such as the behavior of particles in a vacuum or the behavior of light.

3. What is the relationship between electric and gravitational fields in terms of quantization?

While electric and gravitational fields are both quantized, they behave very differently. Electric fields are quantized in terms of discrete units of charge, while gravitational fields are quantized in terms of discrete units of mass. Additionally, the strength of an electric field is much greater than that of a gravitational field.

4. How does quantization impact our understanding of the universe?

The concept of quantization has greatly advanced our understanding of the universe, particularly in the field of quantum mechanics. It has allowed us to explain and predict the behavior of particles and fields at a microscopic level and has led to numerous technological advancements.

5. Are there any practical applications of quantizing electric and gravitational fields?

Yes, there are many practical applications of quantizing these fields, such as in the development of technologies like transistors, lasers, and GPS systems. Additionally, understanding the quantization of electric and gravitational fields has allowed for advancements in fields like quantum computing and quantum cryptography.

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