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Quantum Mechanics of Gravitational Waves
Maulik Parikh1,2, Frank Wilczek1,3,4,5, George Zahariade1,2
1Physics Department, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|September 3, 2021
Summary
Quantum gravity predicts fundamental noise affecting falling bodies. Detecting this quantum gravitational noise could confirm gravity quantization and reveal source properties, potentially measurable at gravitational wave detectors.
Area of Science:
- Quantum physics
- General relativity
- Gravitational wave astronomy
Background:
- Classical physics models gravity deterministically (Newton's law, Einstein's equations).
- Quantum field theory is a successful framework for other fundamental forces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the implications of treating gravity as a quantum field.
- To determine the effects on experimental observables, specifically falling bodies.
Main Methods:
- Modeling the gravitational field as a quantum field.
- Deriving a stochastic equation for the separation of two falling particles.
Main Results:
- Falling bodies experience random fluctuations (noise) due to the quantum gravitational field.
- The noise characteristics depend on the quantum state of the gravitational field.
Conclusions:
- Detection of quantum gravitational noise is a potential experimental test for quantum gravity.
- This noise may be detectable at gravitational wave detectors.
- Observing this noise could elucidate properties of gravitational wave sources.
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