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MODIFICATION TO EINSTEIN'S FIELD EQUATIONS IMPOSED BY STRING THEORY AND CONSEQUENCES FOR THE CLASSICAL TESTS OF GENERAL RELATIVITY

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Date Issued:
2013
Abstract/Description:
String theory imposes slight modifications to Einstein's equations of general relativity. In Green, Schwarz, and Witten's classic text, the authors claim that the gravitational field equations in empty space should contain, in addition to the Ricci tensor, an extra term which is first order in the string constant alpha-prime and proportional to the Riemann curvature tensor squared. They do admit, however, that this simple modification is just schematic. We show that these modified equations do not admit an isotropic solution. We then investigate the consequences of the modified gravitational equations when they are coupled to the dilaton field. Callan, Myers, and Perry have found a static isotropic solution to these equations. We calculate the additional perihelion precession of Mercury, the added deflection of photons by the sun, and the extra gravitational redshift which should be present if these equations hold. We determine that additional effects due to string theory in each of these cases are quite minuscule.
Title: MODIFICATION TO EINSTEIN'S FIELD EQUATIONS IMPOSED BY STRING THEORY AND CONSEQUENCES FOR THE CLASSICAL TESTS OF GENERAL RELATIVITY.
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Name(s): Frye, Christopher, Author
Efthimiou, Costas, Committee Chair
University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2013
Publisher: University of Central Florida
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: String theory imposes slight modifications to Einstein's equations of general relativity. In Green, Schwarz, and Witten's classic text, the authors claim that the gravitational field equations in empty space should contain, in addition to the Ricci tensor, an extra term which is first order in the string constant alpha-prime and proportional to the Riemann curvature tensor squared. They do admit, however, that this simple modification is just schematic. We show that these modified equations do not admit an isotropic solution. We then investigate the consequences of the modified gravitational equations when they are coupled to the dilaton field. Callan, Myers, and Perry have found a static isotropic solution to these equations. We calculate the additional perihelion precession of Mercury, the added deflection of photons by the sun, and the extra gravitational redshift which should be present if these equations hold. We determine that additional effects due to string theory in each of these cases are quite minuscule.
Identifier: CFH0004411 (IID), ucf:45087 (fedora)
Note(s): 2013-05-01
B.S.
Sciences, Dept. of Physics
Bachelors
This record was generated from author submitted information.
Subject(s): general relativity
string theory
classical tests
precession
perihelion
modified gravity
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004411
Restrictions on Access: public 2013-04-01
Host Institution: UCF

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