Some Consequences of Gravitationally Induced Electromagnetic Effects in Microphysics

TL;DR

This paper explores how gravitational fields can induce electromagnetic effects at small scales, especially in particles with spin, potentially leading to observable corrections to classical electromagnetic fields.

Contribution

It highlights the increasing influence of gravity on electromagnetic phenomena at subatomic scales and discusses possible experimental tests of these effects.

Findings

Gravitomagnetic effects become significant at the Compton wavelength scale.

The gravitational field can induce measurable corrections to Coulomb fields.

Spin plays a crucial role in the gravitational-electromagnetic interaction at quantum levels.

Abstract

We discuss the relation between the gravitational and electromagnetic fields as governed by the Einstein-Maxwell field equations. It is emphasized that the tendency of the gravitational field to induce electromagnetic effects increases as the size of the system goes down. In particular, the gravitational field, according to general relativity, tends to become dominated by the spin at distances of the order of the Compton wavelength. The relevant quantity which governs this behavior is the ratio S/M^2 where S is the (spin) angular momentum. For an electron, S/M^2 ~ 10^44. Therefore, gravitomagnetic effects will play a significant role in the subatomic domain. To analyze this situation we use the asymptotic structure in the form of the multipole fields. Some important consequences for the electromagnetic fields of charged particles with spin are pointed out. In particular, the gravitational field may induce corrections to the Coulomb field which can be tested experimentally.