supergravity

American  

[soo-per-grav-i-tee] / ˌsu pərˈgræv ɪ ti /

noun

Physics.

1. supersymmetry

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supergravity British  

/ ˌsuːpəˈɡrævɪtɪ /

noun

1. physics any of various theories in which supersymmetry is applied to the theory of gravitation

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supergravity Scientific  

/ so̅o̅′pər-grăv′ĭ-tē /

1. A quantum field theory that combines general relativity with supersymmetry in order to unify gravity with the other fundamental forces of nature. Supergravity predicts the existence of the graviton as a carrier for the force of gravity, as well as a corresponding particle called the gravitino, neither of which have been observed experimentally.

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Etymology

Origin of supergravity

First recorded in 1975–80; super- + gravity

Example Sentences

Dr. Deser worked with Bruno Zumino, one of the originators of supersymmetry, to add gravity to the theory, creating the theory of supergravity.

From New York Times • May 8, 2023

He and Dr. Zumino published a paper about supergravity in June 1976.

From New York Times • May 8, 2023

“I was very worried he’d ask me some difficult question about supergravity to which I’d not know the answer.”

From Scientific American • Aug. 6, 2019

Van Nieuwenhuizen remembers the night he watched their computer program crunch through the supergravity calculations, fearful it would prematurely grind to a halt, indicating that the theory was wrong.

From Nature • Aug. 5, 2019

One was that people were not really making much progress toward showing that supergravity was finite or that it could explain the kinds of particles that we observe.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking