It is commonly anticipated that gravity is subjected to the standard principles of quantum mechanics. Yet some — including Einstein — have questioned that presumption, whose empirical basis is weak. Indeed, recently Dyson has emphasized that no conventional experiment is capable of detecting individual gravitons. However, as we describe, if inflation occurred, the universe, by acting as an ideal graviton amplifier, affords such access. It produces a classical signal, in the form of macroscopic gravitational waves, in response to spontaneous (not induced) emission of gravitons. Thus recent BICEP2 observations of polarization in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) will, if confirmed, provide firm empirical evidence for the quantization of gravity. Their details also support quantitative ideas concerning the unification of strong, electromagnetic and weak forces, and of all these with gravity.
Details
- From B-Modes to Quantum Gravity and Unification of Forces
- Krauss, Lawrence (Author)
- Wilczek, Frank (Author)
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Contributor)
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Digital object identifier: 10.1142/S0218271814410016
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Identifier TypeInternational standard serial numberIdentifier Value0218-2718
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Identifier TypeInternational standard serial numberIdentifier Value1793-6594
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Electronic version of an article published in INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MODERN PHYSICS D, 23, 12, 2014. 10.1142/S0218271814410016 Copyright World Scientific Publishing Company http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/S0218271814410016
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Krauss, Lawrence M., & Wilczek, Frank (2014). From B-modes to quantum gravity and unification of forces. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MODERN PHYSICS D, 23(12). http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/S0218271814410016