Gravitation, Electromagnetism, Strong Nuclear Force and Weak Nuclear Force. Surely those four terms are familiar to you: they are the fundamental forces that govern the universe in which we live. However, in all of them, probably Gravity It is very familiar to all of us, responsible for keeping our feet on the ground and keeping the planets of the solar system moving around the sun.
You might think that such a common and nearby force is no longer mysterious, but you’d be wrong: gravity still exists A riddle For theoretical physics and it seems only GravityA hypothetical undetected particle could provide a solution to this problem.
The missing link
Defining gravity has always been a major challenge. From Newton’s first theory to Einstein’s modern curvature of spacetime, this concept has varied greatly throughout history. However, many physicists assert that the only solution to this multidimensional concept is to provide an explanation. Quantum vision. Therefore, since the second half of the 20th century, a large part of the scientific community has chosen to find a theory that unites all the quantum explanations of the microscopic world with classical physics, which explains the “massive” behaviors: A theory for everything.
However, gravity is the link that compromises this hypothesis, as it is one of the four fundamental forces that does not exist. A special particle that transmits it – The electromagnetic force is transmitted by photons and the weak and strong nuclear force by bosons. To overcome this major drawback, scientists tried to attach one of these particles to the case of gravity. Gravitational force. But, so far, its integration into current mathematical models and its implementation as particles analogous to photons or bosons has been a complete disaster.
What is Graviton?
If it exists, gravity is expected to be a particle Bad time Capable of spreading up to speed of light. To all this, it must be added that it will be identified as a particle Neutral In terms of charge, it combines very weakly with other particles, making its direct detection a major challenge. Also, a quantum theory of gravity requires gravity to work Photon-like form But unlike electromagnetism: here gravitons can interact with them, while photons don’t really have that ability.
An example of the interaction of gravity.
These specific requirements have, to date, hindered attempts to develop a simple quantum theory of gravity failure. However, to solve this problem, a good part of the scientific community chooses to defend a theory that ends the dilemma and brings all physics together under one concept: String theory. Subatomic particles such as electrons and quarks are not point entities, but rather strings vibrating through space at different frequencies. Each differs from the other by its resonance—electrons oscillate at a different frequency than photons or quarks—and, consequently, One of those vibrational frequencies corresponds to gravity.
Challenges and open questions
Regardless, its existence remains a viable hypothesis that, if true, could provide new perspectives on gravity and its nature. Merging with other elemental forces. For example, from a point of view Astrophysicist and cosmology will help us understand phenomena such as gravitational waves, dark matter and dark energy, and open up new ways to explore the universe at large.
Also, there may be gravity Technical applications Possibilities. Although detecting it remains a major challenge, the development of new technologies and experimental methods will open the door to novel techniques to study and use gravity at the quantum level. This fact could revolutionize fields such as aerospace engineering or remote sensing, although this is a big assumption.
Now, despite the progress or promising prospects, we must not forget that there is more to come Open questions and big challenges Around gravity. Its exact nature, its relationship to quantum gravity, or its role in unifying fundamental forces continue to be active topics in research, at least for the foreseeable future, and seem likely to continue to be.