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Testing Quantum Gravity
Johan Hansson, Stephane Francois
(Submitted on 19 Oct 2017)
The search for a theory of quantum gravity is the most fundamental problem in all of theoretical physics, but there are as yet no experimental results at all to guide this endeavor. What seems to be needed is a pragmatic way to test if gravitation really occurs between quantum objects or not. In this article we suggest such a potential way out of this deadlock, utilizing macroscopic quantum systems; superfluid helium, gaseous Bose-Einstein condensates and "macroscopic" molecules. It turns out that true quantum gravity effects - here defined as observable gravitational interactions between truly quantum objects - could and should be seen (if they occur in nature) using existing technology. A falsification of the low-energy limit, in the accessible weak-field regime, would also falsify the full theory of quantum gravity, making it enter the realm of testable, potentially falsifiable theories, i.e. becoming real physics after almost a century of pure theorizing. If weak-field gravity between quantum objects is shown to be absent (in the regime where the approximation should apply), we know that gravity then is a strictly classical phenomenon absent at the quantum level.
Comments: Honorable Mention Award in the 2017 Essay Competition of the Gravity Research Foundation, 9 pages
Subjects: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc); Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
Journal reference: International Journal of Modern Physics D, Vol. 26, 1743003 (2017)
DOI: 10.1142/S0218271817430039
Cite as: arXiv:1710.07280 [gr-qc]so suppose they perform experiment using bose-einstein condensates and helium superfluid
they find weak-field gravity between quantum objects is shown to be absent.
what are the ramifications to string theory, LQG, standard graviton in QFT, etc if gravity then is a strictly classical phenomenon absent at the quantum level on experimental grounds.
what theories of gravity would support gravity then is a strictly classical phenomenon absent at the quantum level?
what about the equivalence principle, black hole entropy holography if gravity then is a strictly classical phenomenon absent at the quantum level
Johan Hansson, Stephane Francois
(Submitted on 19 Oct 2017)
The search for a theory of quantum gravity is the most fundamental problem in all of theoretical physics, but there are as yet no experimental results at all to guide this endeavor. What seems to be needed is a pragmatic way to test if gravitation really occurs between quantum objects or not. In this article we suggest such a potential way out of this deadlock, utilizing macroscopic quantum systems; superfluid helium, gaseous Bose-Einstein condensates and "macroscopic" molecules. It turns out that true quantum gravity effects - here defined as observable gravitational interactions between truly quantum objects - could and should be seen (if they occur in nature) using existing technology. A falsification of the low-energy limit, in the accessible weak-field regime, would also falsify the full theory of quantum gravity, making it enter the realm of testable, potentially falsifiable theories, i.e. becoming real physics after almost a century of pure theorizing. If weak-field gravity between quantum objects is shown to be absent (in the regime where the approximation should apply), we know that gravity then is a strictly classical phenomenon absent at the quantum level.
Comments: Honorable Mention Award in the 2017 Essay Competition of the Gravity Research Foundation, 9 pages
Subjects: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc); Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
Journal reference: International Journal of Modern Physics D, Vol. 26, 1743003 (2017)
DOI: 10.1142/S0218271817430039
Cite as: arXiv:1710.07280 [gr-qc]so suppose they perform experiment using bose-einstein condensates and helium superfluid
they find weak-field gravity between quantum objects is shown to be absent.
what are the ramifications to string theory, LQG, standard graviton in QFT, etc if gravity then is a strictly classical phenomenon absent at the quantum level on experimental grounds.
what theories of gravity would support gravity then is a strictly classical phenomenon absent at the quantum level?
what about the equivalence principle, black hole entropy holography if gravity then is a strictly classical phenomenon absent at the quantum level