[Physics] Do all four fundamental forces have effects on space time

curvatureforcesgeneral-relativityinteractionsspacetime

  1. Since gravity, a fundamental force, takes effect through ripples in spacetime, do the other fundamental forces do the same?

  2. For example, since gravitational waves are ripples in space time, are electromagnetic waves also ripples?

  3. Or is it just gravity that acts that way?

  4. If so, why does gravity have that special property?

  5. Side question:
    Since the force carriers for strong and weak forces don't exist outside their ranges, does that mean their (tiny) gravitational ripples "vanish" outside their ranges?

  6. Do the strong and weak forces have their own "waves"?

Best Answer

Electromagnetic waves (light) are ripples in the electromagnetic field, instead of the spacetime metric.

As far as other forces making waves: Each of the fundamental forces has a particle that carries that force. For electromagnetism, it's the photon, which is the minimum unit of energy in an electromagnetic wave. Similarly, a graviton is the minimum unit of energy in a gravitational wave. These are the force carrier particles for EM and gravity. The W and Z bosons carry the weak nuclear force, but they are too heavy and unstable to last long enough to identify as a wave. Nuclear forces are a little weirder than gravity and EM. I would say they do not have ripples in the same way, but you can read more here: nuclear force waves.

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