Things and Properties

[EdEarl]

Multiple part question:

 

An electron has several properties, including a -1 charge, with an electric field that becomes weaker with distance according to the inverse square law. Theoretically, at least, we can measure that field down to a Planck volume, but not within a Planck volume. Do we know if fields vary within Planck Volumes?

 

Gravity distorts space-time, but it cannot distort a Planck volume, because Planck length is calculated from constants, speed of light, gravitational constant, and the Planck constant, and the Planck volume is a volume of space with sides 1 Planck length. Is a Planck volume merely a measurement limit, and space is continuous (as fields are continuous?) and within Planck volumes space deform under the influence of gravity?

Edited January 29, 2016 by EdEarl

[swansont]

Gravity distorts space-time, but it cannot distort a Planck volume, because Planck length is calculated from constants, speed of light, gravitational constant, and the Planck constant, and the Planck volume is a volume of space with sides 1 Planck length.

 

I don't see how that follows. A light-second is calculated from constants, too, and we can measure such effects in a volume smaller than a cubic light-second.

 

Is a Planck volume merely a measurement limit, and space is continuous (as fields are continuous?) and within Planck volumes space deform under the influence of gravity?

The Planck length is the scale at which quantum gravity is necessary to see what's going on. So I think the answer here is that the question can't be answered, since we have no working quantum theory of gravity. So this relates to the above section in saying we can't trust GR to tell us what's happening inside that volume. That means we can neither confirm nor deny.

[EdEarl]

 

EdEarl, on 29 Jan 2016 - 09:39 AM, said:

Gravity distorts space-time, but it cannot distort a Planck volume, because Planck length is calculated from constants, speed of light, gravitational constant, and the Planck constant, and the Planck volume is a volume of space with sides 1 Planck length.

I don't see how that follows. A light-second is calculated from constants, too, and we can measure such effects in a volume smaller than a cubic light-second.

 

The Planck length is the scale at which quantum gravity is necessary to see what's going on. So I think the answer here is that the question can't be answered, since we have no working quantum theory of gravity. So this relates to the above section in saying we can't trust GR to tell us what's happening inside that volume. That means we can neither confirm nor deny.

A Planck length is the distance light travels in Planck time. Are you saying we can measure things inside a Planck volume, that a Planck length is variable, or something else?

[swansont]

A Planck length is the distance light travels in Planck time. Are you saying we can measure things inside a Planck volume, that a Planck length is variable, or something else?

 

 

We can't measure anything close to that scale. What I'm saying is we don't even have a working theory that tells us what's going on at that scale if gravity is involved.