Massless graviton in de Sitter as second sound in two-fluid hydrodynamics
Abstract
The concept of gravitons and their masses, clear in the case of Minkowski spacetime, remains ambiguous for de Sitter spacetime. Here, we used a two-fluid approach to de Sitter thermodynamics and found a collective mode that is analogous to second sound in the two-fluid dynamics of the de Sitter state. This mode is massless and propagates at the speed of light. This suggests that this second-sound analog is a massless graviton propagating in de Sitter spacetime. The type of graviton this mode represents requires further consideration.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Quantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect
Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research
Cosmology and Gravitation Theories
Publication details
- Journal / source
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Publication date
- 2 January 2026
- Document type
- Preprint