Short Range Tests of Gravity

ORAL

Abstract

Gravity was the first force to be described mathematically, yet it is the only fundamental force not well understood. The Standard Model of quantum mechanics describes interactions between the fundamental strong, weak and electromagnetic forces while Einstein's theory of General Relativity (GR) describes the fundamental force of gravity. There is yet to be a theory that unifies inconsistencies between GR and quantum mechanics. Scenarios of String Theory predicting more than three spatial dimensions also predict physical effects of gravity at sub-millimeter levels that would alter the gravitational inverse-square law. The Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP), a central feature of GR, states that all objects are accelerated at the same rate in a gravitational field independent of their composition. A violation of the WEP at any length would be evidence that current models of gravity are incorrect. At the Humboldt State University Gravitational Research Laboratory, an experiment is being developed to observe gravitational interactions below the 50-micron distance scale. The experiment measures the twist of a parallel-plate torsion pendulum as an attractor mass is oscillated within 50 microns of the pendulum, providing time varying gravitational torque on the pendulum. The size and distance dependence of the torque amplitude provide means to determine deviations from accepted models of gravity on untested distance scales.

Authors

  • Michael Ross

    Humboldt State University

  • V.V. Shlyaptseva

    California State University, Dominguez Hills, Univ of California - Irvine, University of Chicago, UC Merced, NINT, Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland, MIT, NASA/GSFC, CRESST/UMBC \& NASA/GSFC, LLNL, MPI for Plasma Physics, Remeis-Sternwarte/ECAP/FAU, Humboldt State University, University of Nevada Reno, The University of Michigan, University of Nevada, Reno, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Univ of Nevada - Reno, University of Nevada, Reno - Physics Department, Jilin University, China, Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science, Department of Physics \& Astronomy, California State University, Long Beach, CA 90840, UC Santa Barbara, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, University of California at Merced, Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas (CNRS/Ecole Polytechnique/UPMC/Universit\'e Paris Sud), Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557 USA, University of Nevada-Reno

  • V.V. Shlyaptseva

    California State University, Dominguez Hills, Univ of California - Irvine, University of Chicago, UC Merced, NINT, Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland, MIT, NASA/GSFC, CRESST/UMBC \& NASA/GSFC, LLNL, MPI for Plasma Physics, Remeis-Sternwarte/ECAP/FAU, Humboldt State University, University of Nevada Reno, The University of Michigan, University of Nevada, Reno, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Univ of Nevada - Reno, University of Nevada, Reno - Physics Department, Jilin University, China, Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science, Department of Physics \& Astronomy, California State University, Long Beach, CA 90840, UC Santa Barbara, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, University of California at Merced, Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas (CNRS/Ecole Polytechnique/UPMC/Universit\'e Paris Sud), Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557 USA, University of Nevada-Reno

  • V.V. Shlyaptseva

    California State University, Dominguez Hills, Univ of California - Irvine, University of Chicago, UC Merced, NINT, Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland, MIT, NASA/GSFC, CRESST/UMBC \& NASA/GSFC, LLNL, MPI for Plasma Physics, Remeis-Sternwarte/ECAP/FAU, Humboldt State University, University of Nevada Reno, The University of Michigan, University of Nevada, Reno, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Univ of Nevada - Reno, University of Nevada, Reno - Physics Department, Jilin University, China, Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science, Department of Physics \& Astronomy, California State University, Long Beach, CA 90840, UC Santa Barbara, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, University of California at Merced, Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas (CNRS/Ecole Polytechnique/UPMC/Universit\'e Paris Sud), Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557 USA, University of Nevada-Reno

  • V.V. Shlyaptseva

    California State University, Dominguez Hills, Univ of California - Irvine, University of Chicago, UC Merced, NINT, Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland, MIT, NASA/GSFC, CRESST/UMBC \& NASA/GSFC, LLNL, MPI for Plasma Physics, Remeis-Sternwarte/ECAP/FAU, Humboldt State University, University of Nevada Reno, The University of Michigan, University of Nevada, Reno, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Univ of Nevada - Reno, University of Nevada, Reno - Physics Department, Jilin University, China, Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science, Department of Physics \& Astronomy, California State University, Long Beach, CA 90840, UC Santa Barbara, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, University of California at Merced, Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas (CNRS/Ecole Polytechnique/UPMC/Universit\'e Paris Sud), Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557 USA, University of Nevada-Reno