Theorist suggests a way to test gravitational Casimir attraction: (Phys.org)—James Quach, a research fellow at Tokyo University is suggesting that it might be possible to observe a gravitational Casimir attraction by carrying out an experiment he has envisioned. In his paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, he suggests that it might be possible to detect such an attraction using two mirrors that are able to reflect gravitational waves. Despite thousands of years of thought and study, scientists still cannot explain gravity—one current theory suggests its force comes about due to gravitational particles called gravitons, but no one has been able to prove they exist. In his paper, Quach suggests an experiment using superconducting materials may be the key. Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-03-theorist-gravitational-casimir.html#jCp
I have not read the paper yet, but from a glance it seems to suggest a return to a push gravity concept... The Casimir effect they are using as analogy, while described as an attractive force, is the result of a decreased vacuum pressure between the plates comparred to their outer surfaces... Leading essentially to what has been explored over and over as a push or shadow gravity model. That aside, I am unclear just how one could go about detecting the effect of gravitons without first proving that gravity acts differently on two separate masses or one mass tested in different orientations. If the graviton is the force carrier of gravitation, whether it represents an attractive or pushing force, it has to be acting on mass at a fundamental level. I know whole atoms have been tested and confirmed to gravitate the same as more massive objects. I believe there was some proposed experiment to test individual neutrons, not sure it was ever actually conducted. But how would anyone test the interaction for quarks and electrons? But, like I said I have not done more than glance at the paper.......
I thought the article interesting obviously, look forward to your [and others] interpretation on the situation after more research.
Think of the graviton as what makes up gravitational radiation [waves]. The likelihood the graviton will be directly detected is nil. Whe're having a hard time directly detecting gravitational radiation. If you're convinced that the graviton predicted by QM is what makes up gravitational waves then they've been indirectly detected.
Good question and partly the reason I posted the article..... From the article it does say..... "Quach suggests that a mirror made from a superconducting material might do the trick, if it is first cooled down to near absolute zero. He has done the math and found that such a setup might actually work. He believes that if such an experiment were carried out, it would prove the existence of gravitons. Not mentioned are the ramifications should the experiment succeed. An ability to reflect gravity "waves" it would seem, would allow scientists to create shields or coatings that when applied to objects would make them weightless, because the gravity pulling them down would be reflected away". I'm actually none the wiser as to how, but maybe some else would like to comment?
I'm skeptical that a supercooled superconducting material can alter how its mass interacts with the rest of reality. But then I'm only a layperson and not a mathematician.
