Some Classical and Quantum Aspects of Gravitoelectromagnetism

Abstract

It has been shown that, even in linear gravitation, the curvature of space-time can induce ground state degeneracy in quantum systems, break the continuum symmetry of the vacuum and give rise to condensation in a system of identical particles. Condensation takes the form of a temperature-dependent correlation over distances, of momenta oscillations about an average momentum, of vortical structures and of a positive gravitational susceptibility. In the interaction with quantum matter and below a certain range, gravity is carried by an antisymmetric, second order tensor that satisfies Maxwell-type equations. Some classical and quantum aspects of this type of “gravitoelectromagnetism” were investigated. Gravitational analogues of the laws of Curie and Bloch were found for a one-dimensional model. A critical temperature for a change in phase from unbound to isolated vortices can be calculated using an XY-model.