Quantum Gravity Corrections to the Fall of the Apple

TL;DR

This paper investigates how quantum gravity effects modify classical free-fall, revealing stochastic noise in particle trajectories influenced by the quantum state of gravity.

Contribution

It introduces a model for quantum gravitational corrections to Newtonian free-fall, highlighting stochastic effects dependent on the gravitational quantum state.

Findings

Quantum gravity induces stochastic noise in particle trajectories.

Newton's law is modified by quantum-gravitational effects.

The noise characteristics depend on the gravitational quantum state.

Abstract

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 to the known special-relativistic and post-Newtonian modifications. The quantum-gravitational corrections take the form of stochastic noise in the particle trajectory, where the statistical properties of the noise depend on the quantum state of the gravitational field.