Browsing by Author "Horoto, Langa"

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    A new perspective on Kaluza-Klein theory
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-12) Horoto, Langa; Scholtz, Frederik G. ; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science. Dept. of Physics.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Kaluza-Klein theories are classical theories that unify fundamental forces by treating them as general relativity in more than four spacetime dimensions. The existing theories of this nature make predictions which are not consistent with experiments. In this work, we develop a variant of such theories which is free of all their shortcomings. We achieve this through introduction of a postulate regarding matter and curvature of spacetime which we utilize in con- structing the Lagrangian. The resulting Lagrangian is the simplest Lagrangian respecting all the symmetries of 4D gauge theories and naturally incorporates the Higgs mechanism. However; such a Lagrangian is at odds with the current interpretation of General Relativity. We show that it is this inconsistency of gauge theories and interpretation of general relativity that results in the incor- rect value of the cosmological constant computed from quantum theory. From the equations that follow it is clear that - contrary to the popular assumption- the Ricci flat higher dimensional spacetime can not result in the complete the- ory of fundamental forces. We construct the standard model and show that the minimum number of dimensions of spacetime encompassing all fundamental forces is 16 which is again at variance with other higher dimensional theories. We conclude by showing that the theory does not only results in unification of the fundamental forces but also that of bosons and fermions by demonstrating that spin is a consequence of isometries of spacetime in the same manner that charge is.