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Gravitational Mass Carried by Sound Waves.
Angelo Esposito1,2,3, Rafael Krichevsky1, Alberto Nicolis1
1Department of Physics, Center for Theoretical Physics, Columbia University, 538W 120th Street, New York, New York, 10027, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|April 2, 2019
Summary
Sound waves carry mass, challenging the long-held belief that they do not. This gravitational mass means sound waves interact with and generate gravity, with potential experimental applications.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Acoustics
- Gravitation
Background:
- The prevailing understanding is that sound waves do not transport mass.
- This notion is based on linear-order approximations in physics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mass transport properties of sound waves beyond linear order.
- To extend previous findings on superfluids to solids and ordinary fluids.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing effective field theory techniques.
- Applying theoretical analysis to nonrelativistic media.
Main Results:
- Sound waves demonstrably carry gravitational mass.
- This implies sound waves are affected by gravity and generate their own gravitational field.
- Findings confirmed for superfluids and extended to solids and ordinary fluids.
Conclusions:
- The common statement about sound waves not transporting mass is incomplete.
- Sound waves possess gravitational mass, influencing and being influenced by gravity.
- Potential for novel experimental investigations into acoustic-gravitational interactions.
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