Massless graviton in de Sitter as second sound in two-fluid hydrodynamics

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Authors: G. E Volovik
Cited by: 0

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