close
Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

The gravitational interaction: Spin, rotation, and quantum effects-a review

  • Review Articles
  • Published:
Save article
View saved research
General Relativity and Gravitation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Previous work on spin, rotation, and quantum effects in gravitation is surveyed, with particular emphasis on the gravitational two-body interaction, both for elementary particles and for macroscopic bodies. Applications considered include (a) the precession of a gyroscope, (b) rotational effects on the equations of motion for the orbit, (c) binary systems, particularly the binary pulsar PSR 1913+16, and (d) the prospects of measuring spin-orbit and spin-spin forces in the laboratory. In addition, we discuss quantum effects that arise in the interaction between elementary particles. In particular, we point out the potentially decisive role of these forces in high-density matter, with emphasis on the fact that repulsive forces arise that may prevent gravitational collapse. All of the above considerations are within the framework of Einstein's theory of general relativity, albeit extended to treat spin-dependent and quantum forces. Finally, we consider the additional quantum terms that are present if one works with a generalization of Einstein's theory, the Einstein-Cartan-Sciama-Kibble theory of gravitation, in which the spin of matter, as well as its mass, plays a dynamical role.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+
from $39.99 /Month
  • Starting from 10 chapters or articles per month
  • Access and download chapters and articles from more than 300k books and 2,500 journals
  • Cancel anytime
View plans

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles, books and news in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.

References

  1. Mathisson, M. (1937).Acta Phys. Polon.,6, 163.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Einstein, A., Infeld, L., and Hoffmann, B. (1938).Ann. Math.,39, 65.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Fock, V. A. (1939).J. Phys. USSR,1, 81; (1964).The Theory of Space Time and Gravitation, 2nd revised ed. (Macmillan, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Papapetrou, A. (1951).Proc. Phys. Soc.,64, 57.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Papapetrou, A. (1951).Proc. R. Soc. London,A209, 248.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Corinaldesi, E., and Papapetrou, A. (1951).Proc. R. Soc. London,A209, 259.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Schiff, L. I. (1960).Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA,46, 871; (1964).Proceedings on the Theory of Gravitation, Jablonna, Poland, 1962. ed. Infeld, L. (Gauthier-Villars, Paris), p. 71.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Everitt, C. W. F., Fairbank, W. M., and Schiff, L. I. (1971). InThe Significance of Space Research for Fundamental Physics, eds. Moore, A. F., and Hardy, V., (European Space Research Organization, Paris), p. 33.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Everitt, C. W. F. (1971).Proceedings of The Conference on Experimental Tests of Gravitation Theories, ed. Davies, R. W., (JPL Technical Memorandum 33-499), p. 68.

  10. Gupta, S. N. (1952).Proc. Phys. Soc.,A65, 161, 608; (1954).Phys. Rev.,96, 1683; (1957).Rev. Mod. Phys.,29, 334; (1962). InRecent Developments in General Relativity (Pergamon Press, London and New York), p. 251; (1968).Phys. Rev.,172, 1303; Barker, B. M., Bhatia, M. S., and Gupta, S. N. (1967).Phys. Rev.,158, 1498;162, E1750; Barker, B. M., Bhatia, M. S., and Gupta, S. N. (1969).Phys. Rev., 182, 1387; Barker, B. M., Gupta, S. N., and Kaskas, J. (1969).Phys. Rev.,182, 1391; Barker, B. M., and Gupta, S. N. (1974).Phys. Rev. D, 9, 334;Gupta, S.N. (1976).Phys. Rev. D,14, 2596;Gupta,S. N., and Radford, S. F. (1979).Phys. Rev. D,19, 1065.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Barker, B.M., Gupta, S.N., and Haracz, R. D. (1966).Phys Rev.,149, 1027.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Corinaldesi, E. (1956).Proc. R. Soc. London,A69, 189; (1971).Nuovo Cimento Lett.,2, 909; Iwasaki, Y. (1971).Nuovo Cimento Lett.,1, 783.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Barker, B. M., and O'Connell, R. F. (1970).Phys. Rev. D,2, 1428.

    Google Scholar 

  14. O'Connell, R. F. (1968).Phys. Rev. Lett.,20, 69; (1969).Astrophys. Space Sci., 4, 119; (1969).Nuovo Cimento Lett.,1, 933.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Barker, B. M., and O'Connell, R. F. (1970).Nuovo Cimento Lett.,4, 561.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Barker, B. M., and O'Connell, R. F. (1970).Phys. Rev. Lett.,25, 1511.

    Google Scholar 

  17. O'Connell, R. F., and Surmelian, G. L. (1971).Phys. Rev. D,4, 286.

    Google Scholar 

  18. O'Connell, R. F. (1971).In Proceedings of the Conference on Experimental Tests of Gravitation Theories, ed. Davies R. W., (JPL Technical Memorandum 33-499), p. 82.

  19. Barker, B. M., and O'Connell, R. F. (1972).Phys. Rev. D,6, 956.

    Google Scholar 

  20. O'Connell, R. F. (1972).Gen. Rel. Grav.,3, 123.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Barker, B. M., and O'Connell, R. F. (1974).Gen. Rel. Grav.,5, 539.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Barker, B. M., and O'Connell, R. F. (1974).Phys. Rev. D,10, 1340.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Barker, B. M., and O'Connell, R. F. (1975).Phys. Rev. D,11, 711.

    Google Scholar 

  24. O'Connell, R. F. (1974). Lectures inProceedings of Course 56 of The International School of Physics “Enrico Fermi”, ed. Bertotti, B., (Academic Press, New York), p. 496.

    Google Scholar 

  25. O'Connell, R. F. (1970).Phys. Lett.,32A, 402.

    Google Scholar 

  26. O'Connell, R. F. (1972).Phys. Rev. D,6, 3035.

    Google Scholar 

  27. O'Connell, R. F., and Rasband, S. N. (1971).Nature Phys. Sci.,232, 193.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Hulse, R. A., and Taylor, J. H. (1975).Astrophys. J. Lett.,195, L51.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Barker, B. M., and O'Connell, R. F. (1975).Phys. Rev. D,12, 329.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Barker, B. M., and O'Connell, R. F. (1915).Astrophys. J. Lett.,199, L25.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Barker, B. M., and O'Connell, R. F. (1978).In Physics and Astrophysics of Neutron Stars and Black Holes: Proceedings of Course 65 of the International School of Physics “Enrico Fermi”, Varenna, Italy, 1975, eds. Giacconi, R., and Ruffini, R. (North-Holland).

  32. Börner, G., Ehlers, J., and Rudolph, E. (1975).Astron. Astrophys.,44, 417.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Cho, C. F., and Hari Dass, N. D. (1976).Ann. Phys. (N. Y.),96, 406.

    Google Scholar 

  34. D'Eath, P. D. (1975).Phys. Rev. D,12, 2183.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Chan, L. H., and O'Connell, R. F. (1977).Phys. Rev. D,15, 3058 (1977).

    Google Scholar 

  36. McCrea, J. D., and O'Brien, G. (1977).In Abstracts of the Eighth International Conference on Gravitation and Relativity (Waterloo, Canada), p. 248; (1978).Gen. Rel. Grav.,9, 1101; O'Brien, G. (1979).Gen. Rel. Grav.,10, 129.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Barker, B. M., and O'Connell, R. F. (1976).Phys. Rev. D,14, 861.

    Google Scholar 

  38. O'Connell, R. F. (1975).Gen. Rel. Grav.,6, 99.

    Google Scholar 

  39. Sakurai, J. J. (1967).Advanced Quantum Mechanics (Addison-Wesley, Reading, Massachusetts).

    Google Scholar 

  40. Cartan, E. (1922).C. R. Acad. Sci.,174, 593; (1923).Ann. Ec. Norm. Sup.,40, 325; (1924).Ann. ec. Norm. Sup.,41, 1; (1925).Ann. ec. Norm. Sup.,42, 17.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Sciama, D. W. (1962).In Recent Developments in General Relativity (Pergamon Press, London), p. 415.

    Google Scholar 

  42. Kibble, T. W. B. (1961).J. Math. Phys.,2, 212.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Heyl, F. W., von der Heyde, P., Kerlick, G. D., and Nester, J. M. (1976).Rev. Mod. Phys.,48, 393.

    Google Scholar 

  44. O'Connell, R. F. (1976).Phys. Rev. Lett., 37, 1653;38, 298(E).

    Google Scholar 

  45. O'Connell, R. F. (1977).Phys. Rev. D,16, 1247.

    Google Scholar 

  46. Hiida, K., and Okamura, H. (1972).Prog. Theor. Phys.,47, 1743.

    Google Scholar 

  47. Misner, C. W., Thorne, K. S., and Wheeler, J. A. (1973).Gravitation, (Freeman, San Francisco), Chap. 39.

    Google Scholar 

  48. Synge, J. L. (1970).Proc. R. Irish Acad. Sect. A,69, 11.

    Google Scholar 

  49. Schwinger, J. (1970).Particles, Sources, and Fields, (Addison-Wesley, Reading, Massachusetts), Vol I.

    Google Scholar 

  50. Lense, J., and Thirring, H. (1918).Phys. Z.,19, 156.

    Google Scholar 

  51. de Sitter, W. (1916).Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.,77, 155, 481.

    Google Scholar 

  52. Kalitzin, N. St. (1958).Nuovo Cimento,9, 365.

    Google Scholar 

  53. Bogorodskii, A. F. (1959).Astron. Zh.,36, 883. [(1960).Sov. Astron.-AJ,3, 857].

    Google Scholar 

  54. Breen, B. (1974).J. Phys. A,7, 216.

    Google Scholar 

  55. Schiff, L. I. (1969). InIn Honor of Philip M. Morse, eds. Feshback, H., and Ingard, K. U. (M.I.T. U.P., Cambridge, Massachusetts), Chap. 13.

    Google Scholar 

  56. Pirani, F. A. E. (1956).Acta Phys. Polon.,15, 389.

    Google Scholar 

  57. Tulczyjew, W. M. (1959).Acta Phys. Polon.,18, 393.

    Google Scholar 

  58. Dixon, W. (1964).Nuovo Cimento,34, 317.

    Google Scholar 

  59. Mℝller, C. (1972).The Theory of Relativity, 2nd ed., (Oxford University Press), p. 176; (1949).Commun. Dublin Inst. Adv. Stud.,A5, 1.

  60. Pryce, M. H. L. (1948).Proc. R. Soc. London,A195, 62.

    Google Scholar 

  61. Newton, T. D., and Wigner, E. P. (1949).Rev. Mod. Phys.,21, 400.

    Google Scholar 

  62. Hanson, A. J., and Regge, T. (1974).Ann. Phys. (N.Y.),87, 498.

    Google Scholar 

  63. Salisbury, W. W. (1969).Nature,224, 782.

    Google Scholar 

  64. Frehland, E. (1971).Nature,230, 11.

    Google Scholar 

  65. Beams, J. M. (1971).Phys. Today,24, 35.

    Google Scholar 

  66. Zeldovich, Ya. B., and Novikov, I. D. (1971).Relativistic Astrophysics (University of Chicago Press), p. 37.

  67. Braginsky, V. B., Caves, C. M., and Thorne, K. S. (1977),Phys. Rev. D,15, 2047.

    Google Scholar 

  68. Taylor, J. H., Hulse, R. A., Fowler, L. A., Gullahorn, G. E., and Rankin, J. M. (1976).Astrophys. J. Lett.,206, L53.

    Google Scholar 

  69. Taylor, J. H., Fowler, L. A., and McCulloch, P. M. (1979).Nature 277, 437.

    Google Scholar 

  70. Blandford, R., and Teukolsky, S. A. (1976),Astrophys. J.,205, 580.

    Google Scholar 

  71. Hari-Dass, N. D., and Radhakrishnan, V. (1975).Astrophys. Lett.,16, 135.

    Google Scholar 

  72. Blandford, R., and Smarr, L. L. (1976).Astrophys. J.,207, 574.

    Google Scholar 

  73. Welton, T. (1948).Phys. Rev.,74, 1157.

    Google Scholar 

  74. Wigner, E. P. (1939),Ann. Math.,40, 149.

    Google Scholar 

  75. Goudsmit, S. A., and Uhlenbeck, G. E. (1925).Physica (The Hague),5, 266.

    Google Scholar 

  76. Trautman, A. (1973).Nature Phys. Sci.,242, 7.

    Google Scholar 

  77. Adamowicz, W., and Trautman, A. (1975).Bull. Acad. Polon. Sci., Ser. Sci. Math. Astronom. Phys.,23, 339.

    Google Scholar 

  78. Kerlick, G. D. (1915).Phys. Rev. D,12, 3005.

    Google Scholar 

  79. Hehl, F. W., and Datta, B. K. (1971).J. Math. Phys.,12, 1334.

    Google Scholar 

  80. Hehl, F. W. (1976).Rep. Math. Phys. (Warsaw),9, 55.

    Google Scholar 

  81. Costa de Beauregard, O. (1942).C.R. Acad. Sci. (Paris),214, 904; (1943).J. Math. Pures Appl.,22, 85; (1964).Phys. Rev.,134, B471.

    Google Scholar 

  82. Weyssenhoff, J., and Raabe, A. (1947).Acta Phys. Pol.,9, 7.

    Google Scholar 

  83. Costa de Beauregard, O. (1964).Phys. Rev.,134, B471; (1965).Phys. Rev.,139, B1443; (1972).Found. Phys.,2, 111; (1972).Gen. Rel. Grav.,3, 391; (1975).Can. J. Phys.,53, 2355.

    Google Scholar 

  84. Costa de Beauregard, O., Imbert, C., and Levy, Y. (1977).Phys. Rev. D,15, 3553.

    Google Scholar 

  85. Goos, F., and Hänchen, F. (1947).Am. Phys. (Leipzig),1, 333; (1951).Ann. Phys. (Leipzig),5, 251.

    Google Scholar 

  86. Imbert, C. (1972).Phys. Lett.,41A, 51; (1972).Phys. Rev. D,5, 787.

    Google Scholar 

  87. Costa de Beauregard, O. (1966).In Perspectives in Relativity and Gravitation (Indiana Press), p. 44.

  88. O'Connell, R. F., and Wigner, E. P. (1977).Phys. Lett.,61A, 353.

    Google Scholar 

  89. Foldy, L. L., and Wouthuysen, S. A. (1950).Phys. Rev.,78, 29.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Alabama University, 35486, Alabama

    B. M. Barker

  2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, 70803, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

    R. F. O'Connell

Authors
  1. B. M. Barker
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. F. O'Connell
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Barker, B.M., O'Connell, R.F. The gravitational interaction: Spin, rotation, and quantum effects-a review. Gen Relat Gravit 11, 149–175 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00756587

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00756587

Keywords