graviton

noun

grav·i·ton ˈgra-və-ˌtän

: a hypothetical particle with zero charge and rest mass that is held to be the quantum of the gravitational field

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Supergravity includes gravitons — the gravitational equivalent of photons — and adds a supersymmetric partner, the gravitino. —

Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 10 May 2023 Quantum gravity in Flatland is a theory not of gravitons but of shape-shifting tori. —

Steven Carlip, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2015 However, trying to incorporate a graviton into the picture with existing math has led scientists into a tangle of impossible math, such as equations ending in infinities. —

Sarah Wells, Popular Mechanics, 10 Feb. 2023 Scientists theorize that one such frequency should map to the theoretical graviton. —

Sarah Wells, Popular Mechanics, 10 Feb. 2023 As a 2006 study demonstrated, a Jupiter-mass planet in tight orbit around a neutron star would interact with approximately one graviton per decade, which is collisionless enough to fit the bill to describe dark matter. —

Ethan Siegel, Forbes, 9 Apr. 2021 In the 1930s, Wolfgang Pauli and Markus Fierz proposed a graviton with mass. —

Quanta Magazine, 18 Aug. 2020 Two groups of scientists may have finally solved that problem, by proposing an experiment to determine if the graviton exists without ever observing it directly. —

Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, 8 Mar. 2018 The elusive graviton has been the subject of debate in theoretical physics for almost 100 years. —

Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 27 Jan. 2020 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'graviton.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.