Field Theory of Gravitation: Desire and Reality

Abstract

A retrospective analysis of the field theory of gravitation, describing gravitational field in the same way as other fields of matter in the flat space-time, is done. The field approach could be called "quantum gravidynamics" to distinguish it from the "geometrodynamics" or general relativity. The basic propositions and main conclusions of the field approach are discussed with reference to classical works of Birkhoff, Moshinsky, Thirring, Kalman, Feynman, Weinberg, Deser. In the case of weak fields both "gravidynamics" and "geometrodynamics" give the same predictions for classical relativistic effects. However, in the case of strong field, and taking into account quantum nature of the gravitational interaction, they are profoundly different. Contents of the paper: 1) Introduction; 2) Two ways in gravity theory: 2.1.Hypotheses of Poincar\'e and Einstein, 2.2. Gravity as a geometry of space, 2.3. Gravitation as a material field in flat space-time; 3) Classical theory of tensor field: 3.1.Works of Birkhoff and Moshinsky, 3.2.Works of Thirring and Kalman, 3.3.Thirring and Deser about identity of GR and FTG; 4) Quantum theory of tensor field; 5) Modern problems in field theory of gravitation: 5.1.Multicomponent nature of tensor field, 5.2.Choice of energy-momentum tensor of gravitational field, 5.3.Absence of black holes in FTG, 5.4.Astrophysical tests of FTG; 6) Conclusions.