Image: NASA/D.Berry
Light from some of the universe's most energetic explosions is allowing scientists to probe the nature of space-time, according to new observations of so-called gamma-ray bursts from the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's Ikaros spacecraft. Photons released by these bursts help place limits on a unified model of all of the forces of nature — what scientists call a "theory of everything."
Using the Gamma-Ray Burst Polarimeter (GAP) onboard the spacecraft, a team of Japanese scientists have made the most precise measurements of energetic gamma-ray burst photons to date.
"This result puts a fundamental constraint on quantum gravity, a dream theory reconciling Einstein's theory of relativity and quantum theory," Kenji Toma, of Osaka University, said in a statement.
A quantum universe
Gamma-ray bursts are exceptioinally powerful explosions thought to result from violent events like star deaths and collisions of dense neutron stars. Toma and his team used detailed measurements of gamma-ray bursts to study the properties of the photons and determine their polarization, or how their electric fields are oriented in relation to the motion of the particles. The electric field of polarized light bounces up and down on an axis perpendicular to the direction the photons travel in. [5 Reasons We May Live in a Multiverse]
"Most 3D projection systems in movie theaters project two versions of the movie at two different polarizations — both at 45 degrees to the horizontal, but perpendicular to each other — so that when you view the movie through appropriately polarized glasses, the left eye sees the version of the movie meant for the left eye, and the right eye sees the version meant for the right," astrophysicist Derek Fox of the University of Pennsylvania told SPACE.com by email. Fox was not part of the team behind these findings, but studies gamma-ray bursts like those observed in this case.
The findings could have implications for superstring theory — the idea that all fundamental particles are actually loops of vibrating string — which is one attempt to unify nature's forces and create a theory of everything. If the idea is right, it would help reconcile two contradictory theories: Einstein's general relativity, which describes things that are very big, like gravity, and quantum mechanics, which describes the realm of the very small.
"We live in a quantum universe — quantum mechanics is needed to describe the behavior of all forces and all particles at the subatomic level," Fox said. "Ultimately, we can hope to develop a 'quantum gravity' theory of these phenomena."
Violating symmetry
Superstring theory scientists predict that if particles and anti-particles (antimatter is an opposite form of normal matter) traded places and time was reversed, the world would still look the same. If any evidence is uncovered that matter and antimatter actually act differently, or violate their apparent symmetry, it could offer support for superstring theory.
"If it were proven to be violated by any physical process, even at some tiny level, then this would radically change the direction of current theoretical approaches to constructing a unified model of all the forces of nature," Fox said.
Collecting observational evidence can prove challenging, as many quantum structures are too small to probe with present-day technology on Earth, making a space-based probe a necessity.
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28 Comments
Add CommentIt is not mentioneed how the researchers know the polarization of the gamma rays when they are first launched.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAlso, "The powerful forces involved in such events accelerate photons almost to the speed of light."
Seriously? Who wrote this, and who edited it?
The article needs a complete rewrite.
@Percival: This is science news reporting, not actual science. Further, speed of light usually refers to the speed in a vacuum; through other mediums light travels slower. For example it takes light something like 180,000 years to travel from the core of our sun to the surface. Theoretically if you could produce light with many times more energy than our sun creates it could travel from the center to the surface in less time. You are correct with your overall though process: light is not a baryon and therefore should not contain mass, etc. When on thinks of accelerating something to the speed of light we are generally referring to a baryon particle which cannot reach the speed of light (it has mass). Google "god particle" for some amazing science news on baryons.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe bottom line that comes after a lot of hype about "superstring theory" is that the observations fail to find any rotation of the Gamma-ray photon polarity.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOne more falsification in a 40-year string :) of negative results.
Theoretical physics is in quite a state today. The unfolding "nigthmare scenario" (nothing beyond the heuristic standard model with its well-known shortcomings) at the LHC and the impending demise of "WIMP" theory, string theory, supersymmetry and assorted wingnuts like axions and extra-dimensions, beg the question: What has gone very wrong in theoretical physics!?
Using the Perimeter Institute - 100s of high-powered thinkers, an ocean of coffee, torrents of words, but, alas, no major discoveries worth writing home about - as a microcosm for the whole field of theoretical physics, consider the following only slightly humorous take on the situation.
100 Ferraris, Aston Martins, Shelby Cobras, Harley Davidsons, etc. with their engines racing at full speed but going nowhere because they are all up on blocks.
The blocks are the old failing paradigms of cosmology and particle physics, and no one is going anywhere until a new unified paradigm is identified and people get their intellectual wheels back on the solid ground of nature.
If that new unified paradigm sounds absurd and impossible, consider that Einstein said quite seriously : "If at first an idea does not sound absurd, then there is no hope for it."
Time to consider radically different comprehensive paradigms, so long as they are derived from empirical evidence, can make definitive predictions and can PASS definitive predictions.
Theories that cannot make and pass definitive predictions should be studiously ignored until they can at least make definitive predictions by which they can be tested, because that is the definition of science.
Robert L. Oldershaw
Discrete Scale Relativity
http://www3.amherst.edu/~rloldershaw
"... Theories that cannot make and pass definitive predictions should be studiously ignored until they can at least make definitive predictions by which they can be tested, because that is the definition of science ..."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt's good to read that. SciAm give it lip service these days.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPerhaps it is time to drive the pseudo-scientists out of the temple of theoretical physics, and replace them with a new generation of theoretical physicists who understand the scientific method and insist on its demanding but elegant way to make real discoveries about nature.
Have we not had enough of Ptolemaic model-building over the last 40 years ("epicycles" added to make failed theories fit observations)?
Have we not had enough excuses and rationalizations for why their theories generate only problems and unending fool's errands (e.g., AWOL "wimps","magnetic monopoles", "strings", "sparticles" etc.)?
Have we not had enough unjustified hype to last several lifetimes?
Nature is one unified entity and there should be one unified paradigm for all of nature.
Robert L. Oldershaw
Discrete Scale Relativity
http://www3.amherst.edu/~rloldershaw
"Photons streaming from gamma-ray bursts have thus far shown no changes in the rotation of their polarity. Such a rotation would indicate a lack of symmetry if time were reversed and particles and anti-particles switched."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYes, reversing time and switching particles and antiparticles would be a neat trick! I'd be interested in learning more about this 'science'.
This is not even SA news reporting - it's subscription content from "SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved..."
I agree with Percival that the statement "The powerful forces involved in such events accelerate photons almost to the speed of light" is nonsensical, and recommend that no one Google "god particle". Anyone who hasn't already been inundated with "god particle" news reports doesn't need to read the news outlet misinformation now.
What are you smoking. you're an idiot quoting a few truths.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe very definition of a theory is it has passed rigorous testing.
Theoretical predictions will by the very fact they are theoretical mean they may not be able to be tested at this time, it does not invalidate any prediction that you cant test it. So again what are you smoking?
It is time to consider all paradigms that have not been invalidated, choose the most likely (if you can only choose one) and then go about testing it until it fails.
"It is time to consider all paradigms that have not been invalidated, choose the most likely (if you can only choose one) and then go about testing it until it fails."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is the approach that been practiced now for many decades - moreover, in many cases, such as dark matter, they are presumed valid on the basis of their not being proven invalid. Physicists are so certain that dark matter exists that generations of new theories have been established on the basis of its existence. Wrap your multiverses up with strings - whatever you like as long as your theory can be neatly expressed mathematically and cannot be falsified.
This new method of physics is certainly an expensive one, but those who cooperate can be continuously published and funded...
Yeah this is pretty terrible, but the comments are even more depressing. Number 2 is especially egregious.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPhotons always travel at the speed of light, they never travel any slower or faster. Light as a wave may propagate more slowly from one position to another in an optically dense medium through absorption, re-emittance and scattering. But the individual photons making up the macroscopic wave never travel at anything other than c.
Whether or not something is a baryon has nothing to do with a particle's mass. Being a hadron, a composite particle made of quarks interacting under the strong force (of which baryons are a subset), raises the possibility of that particle acquiring mass through the strong force in the absence of a Higgs mechanism. But through the Higgs mechanism those particles which interact weakly and not strongly can acquire mass. These include leptons (electrons, for example) and gauge bosons (the Z and W). But there exist gauge bosons that have no mass, such as the photon (and hypothesised graviton).
To summarise anything which has mass, be it a hadron, lepton or boson, cannot reach the speed of light. Anything massless has no choice but to travel at the speed of light.
Well put. I admitedly didn't want to get involved...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light#Speed_of_visible_light
"The effective velocity of light in various transparent substances containing ordinary matter, is less than in vacuum. For example the speed of light in water is about 3/4 of that in vacuum. However, the slowing process in matter is thought to result not from actual slowing of particles of light, but rather from their absorption and re-emission from charged particles in matter."
The blokes at CERN , with the LHC have just shortly after locating the elusive Higgs Particle/Boson , have found that string theory is not correct/wrong/kaput.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThat's a disaster for a lot of theorists.
Peter Higgs is happy , after 50 years his theory is proved to be correct.
@m
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am smoking Danish Black Cavendish. Mighty tasty.
Your comments indicates that you have little or no understanding of how science works.
Robert L. Oldershaw
Discrete Scale Relativity
http://www3.amherst.edu/~rloldershaw
Do you have a source for this information? I'd like to read up on their determination that string theory is kaput.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSince "string theory" evades definitive predictions by which it could potentially be falsified, it cannot be falsified or kaputed and therefore is currently in the category of unfalsifiable pseudo-science.
What actually they do is say: maybe this, or maybe that,or maybe somewhere in another "universe" of the 10^500 "universe" "multiverse". Then if something turns up, they say: "Oh yeah, we predicted that".
You betcha! Gotta love that postmodern pseudo-science!
RLO
http://www3.amherst.edu/~rloldershaw
Well, only some versions are dead. As I understand, it seems that no matter how high you look, the supersymmetric particles could always have a little higher energies...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=is-supersymmetry-dead
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/06/20/beyond-higgs-on-supersymmetry-or-lack-thereof/
Robert L. Oldershaw
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDiscrete Scale Relativity applies perfectly tailor -fitted for this Article on "new observations of so-called gamma-ray bursts"
"The bottom line that comes after a lot of hype about "superstring theory" is that the observations fail to find any rotation of the Gamma-ray photon polarity.
Take note that Rotation of Gamma-ray photon polarity is ruled out, since that would indicate "Time Reversal" in the higher dimensions of Dynamic Spacetime in the Phase Space Slice maps where Gamma Ray Burst occour.
Scientist have not yet developed Tool's & instument's to probe the 5th. Dimension, where the humble "Graviton" can be physically observed during Time Reversal,...up to 9,10,11 dimensions of space-time, where the super- high -energies occour in GRB's Region's(extended version's of Einstein's Gravitational Field Equation)permit's these functions.
Ref 57. rloldershaw 10:34 PM 12/4/12 “discrete fractal paradigm also is able to elegantly retrodict more than 35 fundamental parameters from the subatomic to the galactic scales.” Repeat below article is a brief snapshot of the significant role that occurs in GRB's process using these basic principals
1) I am in a confirmed agreement with the physical applications of your para to all orbital Celestial bodies , including the planets,moon”s etc within our Solar System,though the fundamental parameters are RAISED above 65 from the 35 that you mentioned,
2) Included is a Spherical Axis, and a Reverse Cylindrical Axis ,OVERLAPPING AT CERTAIN PERIOD’S OF A FIXED TIME, can be Emperically Verified,within our SOLAR SYSTEM- even from the ground level on earth.
3) Whenever the Angular Momentum of Planetary Celestial Bodies Orbitals sweep through ” EQUEAL ANGLES AT ONE FIXED TIME,IN A PERFECT SYMMETRY FORMATION.
4) We are in “DYNAMICAL CLASSICAL PHASE TRANSITION CONVERGENCE” WHICH CAN BE characterized by the phase diagram, as the critical behavior at the phase transition approaches as a “FUNCTION OF TIME FREEZE IN THE FIFTH DIMENSION”. We find a novel fluctuation induced dynamical CONVERGENCE stability, which occurs at long wavelength-(GRAVITON’S)
“STAGING CASCADE OF DISTANT PARRALLLELISM within a slice of Phase space
"accelerate photons almost to the speed of light."?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisShouldn't this read protons?
Cheers
Now, that makes sense! Thanks for clarifying!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"The powerful forces involved in such events accelerate photons almost to the speed of light."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDo photons travel less than the speed of light? LOL
"Light from some of the universe's most energetic explosions is allowing scientists to probe the nature of space-time, according to new observations of so-called gamma-ray bursts..."
Gamma ray is not light. Editor should review high school physics.
'allaphor' deciphered the error above - the text should read protons, not photons:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this'The powerful forces involved in such events accelerate protons almost to the speed of light.'
Gamma rays are EM radiation - light. Please see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light#Electromagnetic_spectrum_and_visible_light
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma_rays
Ref.20,above, jtdwyer- Gamma rays are EM radiation - light.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTake note that,In GRBs or X-ray pulsar, absorption spectral lines of positron's were observed.Therefore the surprise is significant,as it indicates a "Time Reversal"
In Japan they should read the book of Vasily Yanchilin, the Quantum Theory of Gravitation (2003), in which convincing arguments are presented that the general theory of relativity is wrong. This theory was developped to explain the special theory of relativity, which is still valid if understood thus that the speed of light is independent of the movements of observers. Namely it is related to the potential of the total mass of the universe, which is in every direction the same on a certain spot and at a certain time, all according Yanchilin's new theory. The mistake Einstein made is that he did not accept that time is related to physical processes: When electrons in a smaller atom move faster then the unit of time shrinks and total duration of a process becomes smaller. But when the unit of length shrinks (near mass) then the distance becomes bigger. Photons are curved toward mass in their trajectory; they are accellerated in a gravitational field where that unit of length shrinks and processes become faster (the second becomes shorter).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRead more on www.janjitso.blogspot.com about the new gravitational theory in a few sentences explained. And know that black holes do not exist as they are based on the wrong general theory of relativity. (Neither accellerated expansion of the universe; the Nobelprize physics 2011 has to be returned. Neither negative energy, the cosmological constant, inflation and string theory so far is superfluous).
Re.: "Take note that,In GRBs or X-ray pulsar, absorption spectral lines of positron's were observed.Therefore the surprise is significant,as it indicates a "Time Reversal"."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis article's statements at the top of page 2 contradict your otherwise unsupported statement:
"Studying three gamma-ray bursts with significantly more precision than ever before, Toma and his team found no change in the polarization of the photons, implying that the symmetry is consistent to at least one part in 10 million. This is a new record in constraining the rules that govern nature, and will influence attempts to create a unified theory."
BTW, I'm not a particle physicist, but IMO any time reversal that might occur during electron-positron annihilation occurs only at quantum scales for some particles. I've personally ingested a positron-emitting radionuclide drink prior to undergoing PET scans and experienced no apparent time reversal effects...
Also, do positrons produce identifiable spectra? I think the gamma ray photons produced by positron-electron annihilations should produce identifiable spectra - by virtue of their wavelength...
Now, now, Ladies and Gentlemen, an allusion is made here to the Theory of Everything, which concept, as the good Professor Stephen Hawking, now at Perimeter, in his most famous book surmised: "should be understandable in broad principle by everyone, not just a few scientists." I fully agree. For instance, first-year students should not be put off by any more abstract theories but attracted instead by the sheer simplicity and beauty of the final theory, which would also seem blatantly all-too obvious in hindsight.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFrom above: We live in a quantum universe — quantum mechanics is needed to describe the behavior of all forces and all particles at the subatomic level," Fox said. "Ultimately, we can hope to develop a 'quantum gravity' theory of these phenomena."
And the best way for that is to investigate what known physical entity is found to be common to these two realms of quantum gravity and quantum mechanics, yet seemingly at loggerheads with each other the past century. In this regard, the cosmic background radiation (CBR) beautifully comes in for the rescue.
Return of the aether
The quantum photon particles of the CBR pervade these macroscopic and submicroscopic realms. Moreover, as the renowned authority and guru of modern cosmology has said:
"Aether Drift
Black body radiation can appear isotropic only in one frame of motion. An observer moving relative to this frame finds that the Doppler shift makes the radiation hotter than average in the direction of motion, cooler in the backward direction. That means the CBR acts as an aether, giving a local definition for preferred motion."
P J E Peebles, Principles of Physical Cosmology, Princeton University Press (1993); p. 151
Please see also: http://www.sittampalam.net/Relativity.htm
Thus, with the momentum of the CBR photons, we can now unify a concept of quantum gravity with the quantum mechanical realm of atomic and subatomic particles - in one simple and Newtonian, classical mechanical theory!
Please see also:http://www.sittampalam.net/Synopsis.htm
Thank you all
www.toe.tv
I did briefly refer to you summary and also to
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_background_radiation
CBR photons make for an exceedingly sparse source of energy to explain any universal kinetic effects. As I understand, we detect energy only in its material effects. In the vacuum of space there is little material to reflect the full energy contained within or to identify its nature. However, the photons of the CBR could provide some indication of background energy density.
It seems to me that a great deal of undetected energy is necessary to account for the primordial expansion of the universe - and gravitation as well!
I suspect that this undetected background energy that is responsible for producing not only the CBR but detected quantum fluctuations. The physical annihilation of virtual particle-antiparticle pairs should be a product of vacuum energy density and, I suggest, an indirect measure gravitational field strength.
In this last case, a sufficiently sensitive detector of local particle-antiparticle annihilations in a vacuum should detect some (possible minute) variation at varying altitudes - distances from the Earth's center of mass (or in Earth orbit).
While general relativity describes the effects of gravitation in as the 'curvature' (for a point mass) or local distortion of some unnamed geometrical aspect spacetime, specified in terms of an abstract system of coordinates. I suggest that it is gradient fields of undetected kinetic vacuum energy density that is physically described by the abstract geometry of GR gravitation.
Note that, in this case, gravity is not a property of matter at all! It is instead a property of spacetime. Its quantum effect is limited to its directional interaction with mass-energy to produce (as I understand) inertial momentum. I think this would mean that no 'unified theory' could fully describe gravity as a property of matter in the context of quantum particle theory. There is no quantum gravitational effect produced by the exchange of any force mediating particles.
I also think this external conception of gravity also best explains its local 'weakness' in comparison to the forces of matter - and, in contrast to their limited local effects requiring the physical exchange of mediating particles, gravitation's effectiveness over vast ranges of spatial distance.
23. jtdwyer in reply to patrick 08:34 AM 12/13/12
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRe.: "Take note that,In GRBs or X-ray pulsar, absorption spectral lines of positron's were observed.Therefore the surprise is significant,as it indicates a "Time Reversal".
I am sorry that I did not refer you to the the complete context,prior in Ref.Blog 16 below,
Take note that Rotation of Gamma-ray photon polarity is ruled out, since that would indicate "Time Reversal" in the higher dimensions of Dynamic Spacetime in the Phase Space Slice maps, where Gamma Ray Burst occour.
Scientist have not yet developed Tool's & instument's to probe the 5th. Dimension's "GRAVITO-MAGNETIC FIELD", where the humble "Graviton" can be physically observed during Time Reversal,...up to 9,10,11 dimensions of space-time, where the super- high -energies occour in GRB's Region's(extended version's of Einstein's Gravitational Field Equation)permit's these Field's ,functions,and a slew of unknown particles.
The Geometrization of Dynamical Kinematics that drives the "Gravitomagnetic Field" in the 5th.Dimension permeating all of space, along with the associated "Torque's,this field imparts high density energy which synchronizes the Phase Space slice & automatically determine the force and "Torque functions" needed to accomplish a stated goal (in the 5th.Dimension ) In the degenerate case the stated goal is a complete description of the converging energy density , and the aim is to determine the forces and "TORQUE's" which reproduce the motion under "Reverse dynamic's (Cylinder-polar cordinates)" by exerting a sort of DRAG DUE TO INVOLVEMENT OF " GRAVITO-MAGNETIC FIELD" A DRAG IN SYNCHRONISED PHASE-SPACE,during a CLASSICAL ORBITAL SYMMETRY OVERLAP of the Cylinder-Polar coordinates versus the Spherical Coordinates of our Dynamic space-time ( Even within our Solar System).
Thank you, Sir, for your response again here, in reply to which, kindly consider also the following.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this1) The CBR photons may "make for an exceedingly sparse source of energy," but the momentum a photon packs (e/c) can really send an atom in isolate space packing to kingdom come. The photons collectively can thus move mountains (that is, the constituent atoms in bulk matter, by simple and successive momentum transfer).
2) "a great deal of undetected energy is necessary to account for the primordial expansion of the universe - and gravitation as well!"
I would presume from this that you uncritically accept the universal-expansion interpretation. However, as critical as you are, you should also check out its veracity, starting with: http://www.sittampalam.net/Editors.htm.
3) " The physical annihilation of virtual particle-antiparticle pairs," too, is an ad hoc interpretation, made in the oblivion of the natural fact that the atom is a BREATHING ENTITY. That is to say, the basic atom breathes in (absorbs) a quantum of mass-energy (or, a quantum from the ambient vacuum aether field) over the inhalation, or vibrational, half cycle and, under steady-state conditions, breathes out an equal quantum over the subsequent exhalation (emission) half cycle; and it is such mass-energy exchanges between matter and the ambient vacuum aether field that we now conveniently call virtual particles that mysteriously flit in and out of existence.
(4) For the quantum gravitational effect of the CBR, which is also the aether, please see:
http://www.sittampalam.net/Gravity.htm and
http://www.sittampalam.net/AntiGravity.htm
Thank you, and Cheers!
I think I critically accept, in a general sense, universal expansion - as critical as I am...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThank you, Sir!