A graviton is a hypothetical particle that is said to be what makes gravity do its thing. It’s existed only in theory for over a century.
Now, a team at Stockholm University has devised a way to potentially uncover these elusive quantum entities, which would have enormous implications for the scientific world. How significant? It would essentially rewrite the rules of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.
The experiment involves cooling a 1,800 kg aluminum bar to just above absolute zero and attaching it to quantum sensors. Then, gravitational waves cause tiny vibrations in the aluminum, which would be detectable as discrete quantum jumps and energy levels. Each vibration could potentially signal the presence of a single graviton.
As novel as the approach is, it draws inspiration from an earlier attempt. In the 1960s, a physicist named Joseph Weber used solid aluminum cylinders to detect gravitational waves. Weber’s claims were discredited when other researchers failed to replicate his results using his methods, but modern researchers have some modern advancements on their side, like cryogenic cooling. The phenomena Weber originally described would remain undetected until 2015.
Confirming the existence of gravitons would be a massive leap toward integrating gravity into the standard model of particle physics, which currently lacks a quantum description of gravity. The standard model explains how matter and various forces of the universe combined to make the universe, and gravity has long been one of the biggest gaps.
Better quantum sensing technology is still required, but it’s all a step in the right direction.
The post Scientists Are One Step Closer to Identifying a Gravity Particle appeared first on VICE.
The post Scientists Are One Step Closer to Identifying a Gravity Particle appeared first on VICE.
