Grand Unified Theory

As a grand unified theory (English Grand Unified Theory, GOOD, Grand Unification also ) is called in physics a theory that unites three of the four known fundamental physical forces, namely the strong interaction, the weak interaction and the electromagnetic force.

General Description

It is believed that these basic forces at the time of the Big Bang were a single force, which split up after cooling in these three known forces. Prerequisite for this would be that the strong nuclear force becomes weaker at high energy, whereas the electromagnetic force and the weak interaction, which are not asymptotically free, become stronger at high energy. At a certain, very high energy then all three forces have the same strength and may prove to be different aspects of a single force. The grand unified theory predicts further that at this energy all matter particles with spin 1 /2, for example, electrons and quarks, are essentially the same, which would lead to further standardization.

Conditions in which this force would be generated, are not practically produced, as to over-sized particle would be constructed. One way to check for the existence of a unified force nevertheless, are Protonenzerfälle that are postulated by almost all unified theories. By the previous absence of proof of such decays was a minimum for the energy at which the unification can occur are given. It is equal to 160,000 joules at a yev (1024 eV = 1 Yottaelektronenvolt ).

For a full description of all known physical phenomena this association would also have the fourth fundamental force, gravity, include the general theory of relativity. Such a theory, quantum physics and gravitational theory combines ( quantum gravity ), is referred to as " world formula " (English " Theory of Everything "). Candidates are, for example, string theory, or rather the unification of the five string theory approximations, the so-called M-theory, loop quantum gravity and to a limited extent the twistor theory.