The Collaborative International Dictionary
graviton \graviton\ n. (Physics) A theoretical gauge boson that mediates the (extremely weak) gravitational interactions between particles; the quantum of the gravitational field, having zero rest mass and a spin of 2.
Wiktionary
n. (context particle English) A hypothetical gauge boson that regulates the gravitational force. It would have a spin of 2 and zero rest mass.
Wikipedia
In theoretical physics, the graviton is a hypothetical elementary particle that mediates the force of gravitation in the framework of quantum field theory.
If it exists, the graviton is expected to be massless (because the gravitational force appears to have unlimited range) and must be a spin-2 boson. The spin follows from the fact that the source of gravitation is the stress–energy tensor, a second-order tensor (compared to electromagnetism's spin-1 photon, the source of which is the four-current, a first-order tensor). Additionally, it can be shown that any massless spin-2 field would give rise to a force indistinguishable from gravitation, because a massless spin-2 field would couple to the stress–energy tensor in the same way that gravitational interactions do. As the graviton is hypothetical, its discovery would unite quantum theory with gravity. This result suggests that, if a massless spin-2 particle is discovered, it must be the graviton.
There is no complete theory of gravitons due to an outstanding mathematical problem with renormalization. This problem has been a major motivation for models beyond quantum field theory, such as string theory.
Graviton (Franklin Hall) is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Avengers #158, dated April 1977. He was created by writer Jim Shooter and artist Sal Buscema. Over the years he has mainly opposed the Avengers in their various incarnations.
Originally a gravity researcher Franklin Hall gains the ability to control gravity, corrupted by the power he becomes a supervillain using the name "Graviton". He is confronted and defeated by the Avengers as he tried to destroy the facility where he did his original research. In subsequent appearances Graviton seems to struggle with control of his powers and often loses because of this. Graviton has appeared to have died on more than one occasion, but has returned each time through various means. He later becomes part of Advanced Idea Mechanics' High Council as "Minister of Science".
Graviton has appeared in the The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes cartoon series and Franklin Hall (played by Ian Hart), Graviton's alter ego, appeared on an episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. where he researched "Gravitonium". While the show left it open that Hall could return as Graviton that has yet to occur.
A graviton is a hypothetical elementary particle that transmits the force of gravity.
Graviton may also mean:
- Graviton (comics), a supervillain in Marvel Comics
- Graviton City, a fictional city in the Project A-ko anime which includes a school of the same name.
Usage examples of "graviton".
The high-energy proton spectrpmetry clusters flunked out, too, as did the gravimetric distortion mapping scanner, the fixed angle gamma frequency counter, the wide-angle EM radiation imaging scanner, the quark population analysis counter, the Z-range particulate spectrometry sensor, the low-frequency EM flux sensor, the localized subspace field stress sensor, the parametric subspace field stress sensor, the hydrogen-filter subspace flux scanner, the linear calibration subspace flux sensor, the variable band optical imagining cluster, the virtual aperture graviton flux spectrometer, the high-resolution graviton flux spectrometer, the very low energy graviton spin pola-rimeter, the passive imaging gamma interferometry sensor, the low-level imagining sensor, the virtual particle mapping camera, and even the life-form analysis instrument counter.
In 1974, when Scherk and Schwarz proposed that one particular pattern of string vibration was the graviton particle, they were able to exploit such an indirect approach and thereby predict the tension on the strings of string theory.
The dark-haired woman was shoulder to shoulder with them on her knees, fitting the forward dorsal tractor control node with devices capable of marrying telekinetic energy to the attractive and repellant forces in a directed graviton stream.
He spoke of problems with linear and angular momentum, potential fields, quantum tunneling by photons, leptons, baryons, gravitons.
That was the day that Jeffrey Horton began pursuing the stimulated emission of gravitons, the tiny bosons which were the vector of universal gravity.
The Destroyer had already altered its trajectory toward populated regions of the forest ring, but Den Soa broadcast the modulated graviton recordings while they were still decelerating, and the giant harvester responded with an indecipherable gravitonic rumble of its own and dutifully changed course toward a remote and unpopulated section of the ring.
Maybe later both would have the influence to tell offensive interlopers and political hacks to find some gravitons and go fly a kite.
The metal flows in a molecular stream butand this is what makes the process so importantit greedily absorbs gravitons from the nearest layer, thus setting off a chain of liquefying reactions.
But some of the gravitons are radiated in the form of gravitic energythat hissing sound you heard and therefore it takes about an hour before a newly liquefied piece of metal returns to its solid state.
This was the phenomenal effect of a sailship's amazing gravitonic sails, backwashing the torrent of gravitons back up and out of the black hole, pulling in a depression in the first event horizon as the backwashing gravitonic flow reduced the black hole's universe ripping effect.
The temptation of so many star-jellies must have overcome the branchers’ fear of the graviton beam.
Titan could stop the branchers with its graviton beam, if only it could reach the jellies.
As an important example, Scherk and Schwarz found that for the vibrational pattern whose properties make it a candidate for the graviton messenger particle, the energy cancellations are perfect, resulting in a zero-mass gravitational-force particle.
Nevertheless, the Elaysian managed to keep his wits about him, and was fumbling in his yellow robes for a phaser when the Catullan let loose with the graviton discharger from the other end of the corridor.
Even human beings could have done it, if they had had access to the necessary gravitons, graviphotons, and grayiscalars, and in all those supplies Wan-To was immensely rich.