Is There a Unified Theory Between General Relativity and Electromagnetism?

In summary, there have been attempts to unify general relativity and electromagnetism, but none have been successful. However, classical electromagnetism can be considered in general relativity by adding terms to the action of the system. Zee's book on GR also discusses the Kaluza-Klein theory, which involves a compact dimension. However, keeping this dimension compact is a challenge known as moduli stabilization.
  • #1
Karimselim1997
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I want know is there any unified and consistent theory between general relativity and electromagnetism ? If yes could you provide me any textbook ? I'm interest
 
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  • #2
Karimselim1997 said:
is there any unified and consistent theory between general relativity and electromagnetism ?

No. There have been various attempts at one over the years (Einstein worked on this for much of the latter part of his life), but none of them have worked out.
 
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  • #3
Not quantum but classical electromagnetism is well considered in general relativity. Here I have text of Dirac. He says just add terms of electromagnetic field and charge-field interaction to action of the system. For an example we can treat charged black holes in GR.
 
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  • #4
anuttarasammyak said:
classical electromagnetism is well considered in general relativity

In the sense that you can write the Maxwell Equations in tensor form in a curved spacetime and find consistent solutions to them, yes. But that's not the same as a unified field theory in which both gravity and electromagnetism are aspects of the same field. I understood the OP to be asking about the latter, but he's welcome to clarify.
 
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Zee's nutshell book on GR has a nice discussion on Kaluza-Klein theory, 5-dim GR with one dimension curled up into a circle. The extra freedom allows you to write the 5-dim. metric as a 4-dim. metric plus one 4-dim. vector potential A and a scalar.

However, making a dimension compact is 1 thing; keeping it compact is another. This problem is known as moduli stabilization, and is also a technical subtlety in string theory.

That's the closest answer I can think of.
 
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FAQ: Is There a Unified Theory Between General Relativity and Electromagnetism?

1. What is the difference between gravity and electromagnetism?

Gravity is a force that attracts objects with mass towards each other, while electromagnetism is a force that affects charged particles and can either attract or repel them.

2. How do gravity and electromagnetism interact with each other?

Gravity and electromagnetism do not directly interact with each other. However, gravity can affect the movement of charged particles, and electromagnetism can affect the movement of objects with mass.

3. Can gravity be shielded or blocked?

Gravity cannot be shielded or blocked. It is a fundamental force that acts on all objects with mass, regardless of any barriers or obstacles.

4. How is gravity and electromagnetism related to Einstein's theory of relativity?

Einstein's theory of relativity explains how gravity is not a force between masses, but rather a curvature of space and time caused by the presence of mass. Electromagnetism is also affected by this curvature, as it travels through space and time.

5. Can gravity and electromagnetism be unified into one theory?

Currently, there is no unified theory that combines gravity and electromagnetism. Many scientists are working on theories, such as string theory, to try and unify these two fundamental forces.

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