Electricity and magnetics are two aspects of the same unique electromagnetic military force . This simple but sinewy fact demand a proportion between the two , the so - call galvanic - magnetic duality . The practice of law of electromagnetism appear symmetrical , but a team of physicists argue that at the most profound grade , they are not because they are disrupted by gravity .

The conjecture , published inPhysical Review Letters , was put forward by Professor Ivan Agullo from Louisiana State University and pardner from the University of Valencia . They suggest that at the quantum level , the preservation of electromagnetic charges is broken .

This symmetry has an challenging consequence . It require the existence of magnetic charges that   are make out charismatic monopoles . galvanising charges can be positive or disconfirming ( protons and electron , for good example ) , but magnetized objects always have two poles . If you break a magnet , you cease up with two magnets , not a north perch and a south pole .

The search for magnetic monopoles has   been inconclusive and it had people working on substitute takes to save the proportion . Agullo rather indicate that the symmetry itself is not correct .

" gravitation spoils the symmetry disregarding of whether magnetic monopoles exist or not . This is shocking , " Agullo state in astatement . " The bottom line is that the symmetricalness can not exist in our existence at the key level because gravity is everywhere . "

Their starting point for this work was looking at how the fermion   –   the family of particle that include quarks , electrons , and neutrinos   – act . They applied a definitive gravitative field ( we still do n’t have a quantum possibility of gravity ) to photon and saw this lack of balance .

" We have been capable to publish the theory of the   electromagnetic field   in a way that very much resembles the hypothesis of fermions , and prove this absence of proportion by using hefty technique that were developed for fermion , " Agullo added .

Agullo is currently investigating a likely test for this idea . photon are oscillation in the electromagnetic field and they can be breathe with oscillation in a particular direction . This outcome , call polarisation , has many practical software ( three-D cinemas , for deterrent example ) and might be found in several astronomical source .

The polarisation of photons emitted by the Big Bang , the cosmic microwave oven background , is believed to not be influenced by the gravity of the universe . But if the galvanic - magnetic duality is not valid , then this is no longer unfeigned . Agullo is presently judge to estimate how big the effect would be , so outride tuned : We might presently find out if gravity has kill the magnetic monopoles .