Related papers: Mass, inertia and gravitation
Vacuum fluctuations of quantum fields are altered in presence of a strong gravitational background, with important physical consequences. We argue that a non-trivial spacetime geometry can act as an optically active medium for quantum…
The proposed temporal fluctuations model attempt for a unitary vision on gravity, electromagnetism and inertia. On obtain Newton law of gravitation and Coulomb law by starting from simple principles. On obtain too the main results of…
We consider a congruence of null geodesics in the presence of a quantized spacetime metric. The coupling to a quantum metric induces fluctuations in the congruence; we calculate the change in the area of a pencil of geodesics induced by…
We establish a general relation between the canonical energy-momentum tensor of Lagrangian dynamics and the tensor that acts as the source of the gravitational field in Einstein's equations, and we show that there is a discrepancy between…
In order to clarify why the zero-point energy associated with the vacuum fluctuations cannot be a candidate for the dark energy in the universe, a comparison with the Casimir effect is analyzed in some detail. A principle of epistemology is…
We examine the role of consistency with causality and quantum mechanics in determining the properties of gravitation. We begin by examining two different classes of interacting theories of massless spin 2 particles -- gravitons. One…
We show that a slowly varying Newton's constant, consistent with existing bounds, can potentially explain a host of observations pertaining to gravitational effects or phenomena across distances spanning from planetary to the cosmological,…
The gravitational back-reaction is calculated for the conformally invariant scalar field within a black cosmic string interior with cosmological constant. Using the perturbed metric, the gravitational effects of the quantum field are…
Gravitation might make a preferred frame appear, and with it a clear space/time separation--the latter being, a priori, needed by quantum mechanics (QM) in curved space-time. Several models of gravitation with an ether are discussed: they…
We propose an effective harmonic oscillator model in order to treat the fluctuations of the gravitational, strong and weak nuclear fields. With respect to the gravitational field, first we use the model to estimate its fluctuating strength,…
A central aspect of the cosmological constant problem is to understand why vacuum energy does not gravitate. In order to account for this observation, while allowing for nontrivial dynamics of the quantum vacuum, we motivate a novel…
We consider the motion of a massive particle in a static, weakly-curved spacetime where the gravitational field is taken to be quantized. We find that Newton's law of free-fall is modified by quantum-gravitational corrections, in addition…
The quantum contributions to the gravitational action are relatively easy to calculate in the higher derivative sector of the theory. However, the applications to the post-inflationary cosmology and astrophysics require the corrections to…
This work presents physical consequences of our theory of induced gravity (Ref.1) regarding: 1) the requirement to consider shape and materials properties when calculating graviton cross section collision area; 2) use of Special Relativity;…
Recent progress in table-top experiments offers the opportunity to show for the first time that gravity is not compatible with a classical description. In all current experimental proposals, such as the generation of gravitationally induced…
It has been argued since 1948, when it was experimentally demonstrated, that the Casimir effect-where two non-charged conducting plates have a weak but measurable force on each other dependent on the inverse fourth power of the distance…
I will argue that the inertial mass is greater than the gravitational mass for all objects which are held together primarily by gravitational forces. Thus, for celestial objects, like planets, stars and galaxies, their inertial mass is…
We study gravitational properties of vacuum energy by erecting a geometry on the stress-energy tensor of vacuum, matter and radiation. Postulating that the gravitational effects of matter and radiation can be formulated by an appropriate…
Several attempts to construct theories of gravity with variable mass are considered. The theoretical impacts of allowing the rest mass to vary with respect to time or an appropriate curve parameter are examined in the framework of Newtonian…
Quantum vacuum fluctuations tend to be strongly anti-correlated, which reduces their observable effects. However, time dependence can upset the cancellation of these anti-correlated fluctuations and greatly enhance their effects. This form…