what is the mechanism of gravity

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John Henckel - 08 Jan 2007 17:17 GMT

Sorry if this is too obvious, but I really would like a knowledgeable
answer.

on physicsforums.com, "yogi" says...

>> Einstein's theories are based upon the notion that the forces

produced between physically separated objects are due to a modification
(conditioning) of space, and not to traveling entities. The appeal of
the graviton is probably due in a large part to the success of QED

however, "pbm_phy" says...

>> General Relativity is often mis-stated as being the relativistic

explanation of gravity. It is not. ... The theory does not offer an
explanation of gravitation; that lies outside its scope, and does not
even hint at a mechanism.

which is correct?

Newton's first law says things travel in straight lines. GR defines
"straight". I have always thought this to be an explanation for the
mechanism of gravity. If it isn't, why not?

thanks in advance, John

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FrediFizzx - 08 Jan 2007 22:13 GMT

> Sorry if this is too obvious, but I really would like a knowledgeable
> answer.
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> which is correct?

Seems like the first one is more correct if you change "space" to
"spacetime" but we really don't know yet.

> Newton's first law says things travel in straight lines. GR defines
> "straight". I have always thought this to be an explanation for the
> mechanism of gravity. If it isn't, why not?

The "mechanism" that GR offers is that spacetime geometry is curved by
the presence of matter-energy. And there is not much doubt that that is
correct. However, you run into subtle things with what spacetime is in
the first place and how its geometry can be affected. Is spacetime
simply the mapping of how quantum objects interact? Do we know what all
the quantum objects are and/or might be? No. Is the graviton one of
them? I suspect that the graviton is not a quantum "object" persee but
maybe more like a phonon. A "quasi-quantum object"?

FrediFizzx

Quantum Vacuum Charge papers;
http://www.vacuum-physics.com/QVC/quantum_vacuum_charge.pdf
or postscript
http://www.vacuum-physics.com/QVC/quantum_vacuum_charge.ps
http://www.arxiv.org/abs/physics/0601110
http://www.vacuum-physics.com
The path to truth is thinner than a razor's edge.

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dishington - 09 Jan 2007 06:50 GMT

John Henckel asked..

yogi is correct to one level of abstraction down. However there is much
doubt that space is actually warped by the presence of mass. An alternative
theory that leaves space alone and has an acceleration field around a mass
is more intuitively satisfying.
Check:

http://www.lafn.org/~bd261

Chapter 3, Section 3.9, and Chapter 14.

Roland Dishington

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Natural Science Forum / Physics / Particle Physics / January 2007

what is the mechanism of gravity