General relativity theory (GR) says that each field, possessing energy and, therefore, mass, bends space-time; and we perceive this curvature as a gravitational field. According to Einstein’s idea and equations in general relativity, both the electromagnetic field, the field of nuclear forces, and any other field is actually gravitational.
Nevertheless, for the time being physics is usually limited to flat space in the special relativity theory (STR), and therefore is forced to consider any elementary objects point-like, in other words, structureless.
“With the new solution to the equations it’s possible to explain the gravitational nature of the fundamental electric charge, the rest mass of the particle, express them in terms of space curvature, as well as calculate the radius of an elementary particle,” Yuri Khlestkov, one of the authors of the study, associate professor at NRNU MEPhI, told Sputnik.
According to Khlestkov, the proton radius, with an accuracy of 0.04%, coincides with the experimental value obtained in 2010 by Randolf Pohl’s group on muonic hydrogen, the microcosm area where the gravitational influence was considered negligible.
According to scientists, such results can result in the identification of new properties of particles and fields that will help solve many of the pressing problems of energy and space exploration.