By Thomas Váczy Hightower.
John
Wheeler applied the theory of general
relativity to the ZPE by creating a natural cut off in his theory of
geo-metro dynamics. In general relativity, the texture of space
curves as a function of the energy density. When the density becomes
sufficiently great, space pinches like it's forming a black
hole.
This gives rise to the formation of hyperspace structures,
that Wheeler called "wormholes."
The resulting view
is, that the fabric of space consists of constantly forming and
annihilating pairs of microscopic "mini" black holes and
white holes, which channel electric flux into and out of our three
dimensional space. These mini holes manifest dynamics which could be
modeled as turbulent, virtual plasma, that Wheeler calls the "quantum
foam." In this view the elementary particles are like bubbles or
vortices arising from the dynamics of the vacuum energy.
At first sight it seems to be impossible to tap this
energy, since it is extremely difficult experimentally to observe its
existence.
However, the theories of
quantum electrodynamics indicate, that all of the elementary
particles are dynamically interacting with the ZPE resulting in
vacuum polarization. In particular, quantum electrodynamics shows,
that the different elementary particles polarize the vacuum
differently.
If this is true, it offers virtually limitless
energy. It can best be supported by noting that there are
interpretations of quantum mechanics and relativity theory, which
imply the existence of a physically real, higher dimensional space,
and the notion of super space is well discussed in the physics
literature.
How the other conditions could
be fulfilled as well, can be understood by modeling the ZPE as
virtual plasma.
Like plasma, it is nonlinear
in its dynamical behavior; it may be driven off of
equilibrium by the abrupt motion of nuclei, and it might well be
sustained by an energy flux intersecting our 3 dimensional space from
a higher dimensional, super space.
In 1919, the Polish mathematician Theodor Kaluza
proposed, that the existence of a fifth
spatial dimension might allow the linking of general
relativity and electromagnetic theory. This idea was later refined by
the Swedish mathematician Oskar Klein, which expressed the theory,
that space consisted both of extended and curled-up
dimensions.
The extended dimensions are the 3
spatial common dimensions and the curled-up dimension found deep
within the extended dimensions and can be conceive of a
circle.
Experiments later showed that
Kaluza and Klein's curled-up dimension did not unite general
relativity and electromagnetic theory as originally hoped, but
decades later, string
theorists found the idea useful, even necessary.
The mathematics
used in super string theory requires at least 10
dimensions. That is, for the equations
that describe super string theory to begin to work out— for the
equations to connect general relativity to quantum mechanics, to
explain the nature of particles, to unify forces, and so on —
they need to make use of additional dimensions. These dimensions,
string theorists believe, are wrapped up in the curled-up space first
described by Kaluza and Klein.
In string theory, the elementary particles
we observe in particle accelerators could be thought of as the
"musical notes" or excitation modes of elementary
strings.
As in guitar playing, the string must be stretched under
tension in order to become excited. However, the strings in string
theory are floating in space time, they aren't tied down to a guitar.
Nonetheless, they have tension.
The string tension in string
theory is denoted by the quantity 1/(2 p a'), where a' is pronounced
"alpha prime" and is equal to the square of the string
length scale.
If string theory is to
be a theory of quantum gravity, then the average size of a string
should be somewhere near the length scale of quantum gravity, called
the Planck
length, which is about 1.6 x 10-33
centimeters, or about a millionth of a billionth of a billionth of a
billionth of a centimeter.
Unfortunately, this means that
strings are way too small to see by current or expected particle
physics technology (or financing!!) and so string theorists must
devise more clever methods to test the theory, than just looking for
little strings in particle experiments.
String theories are
classified according to whether or not the strings are required to be
closed loops, and whether or not the particle spectrum includes
fermions. In order to include fermions in string theory, there must
be a special kind of symmetry called super
symmetry, which means for every boson
(particle that transmits a force) there is a corresponding fermion
(particle that makes up matter).
Super symmetry relates the
particles that transmit forces to the particles that make up
matter.
Super
symmetric partners to currently known particles have not yet been
observed in particle experiments, but theorists believe this is
because super symmetric particles are too massive to be detected at
current accelerators. Particle accelerators could be on the verge of
finding evidence for high energy super symmetry in the next decade.
Evidence for super symmetry at high energy would be compelling
evidence, that string theory was a good mathematical model for Nature
at the smallest distance scales.
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