A possible quantum effect of gravitation

Abstract

Beginning from the standard Arnowitt–Deser–Misner (ADM) formulation of general relativity we construct a tentative model of quantum gravity from the point of view of an observer with constant proper acceleration, just outside of a horizon of spacetime. In addition of producing the standard results of black-hole thermodynamics, our model makes an entirely new prediction that there is a certain upper bound for the energies of massive particles. For protons, for instance, this upper bound is around \(1.1\times 10^{21}\) eV. The result is interesting, because this energy is roughly of the same order of magnitude as are the highest energies ever measured for protons in cosmic rays.