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arXiv:1207.2442gr-qc

Torsion-balance tests of the weak equivalence principle

T. A. Wagner, S. Schlamminger, J. H. Gundlach, E. G. Adelberger

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Abstract

We briefly summarize motivations for testing the weak equivalence principle and then review recent torsion-balance results that compare the differential accelerations of beryllium-aluminum and beryllium-titanium test body pairs with precisions at the part in $10^{13}$ level. We discuss some implications of these results for the gravitational properties of antimatter and dark matter, and speculate about the prospects for further improvements in experimental sensitivity.

arXiv comments
17 pages, 9 figures (in press Classical Quantum Gravity 2012)
Journal reference
DOI
doi:10.1088/0264-9381/29/18/184002
Subjects
gr-qcGeneral Relativity and Quantum Cosmology hep-exHigh Energy Physics, Experiment

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Linked by 1 identifiable commenter in 3 comments across 3 threads, from Oct 2018 to Apr 2021.

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Discussed in comments3 threads

  1. Particle mystery: physicists confirm the muon is more magnetic than predicted 1 comment

    • Yes. This would be extremely helpful for experimentalists who spend a lot of their time pointing out, for example, that one's new theory can't violate the equivalence principle by very much at all. Similarly, it would be helpful for people planning new experiments to know…

      ISLView on HNParent context

  2. Military Has Been Researching "Anti-Gravity" For Nearly 70 Years 1 comment

    • We have already tested the equivalence principle toward dark matter [1]. It appears to fall like everything else, at the 1% or better level. It is extremely difficult for modifications of gravity to simultaneously fit the cosmic microwave background, big-bang nucleosynthesis…

      ISLView on HNParent context

  3. The Reason We Haven’t Directly Detected Dark Matter 1 comment

    • Moreover, locally, it is expected to be approximately uniform in density, which makes any gravitational interaction negligible. Nevertheless, our gravitational experiments can say things about the properties of dark matter (it generally obeys the Equivalence Principle)…

      ISLView on HNParent context

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