Laboratory Test of Newton's Second Law for Small Accelerations

ORAL

Abstract

We have tested the proportionality of force and acceleration in Newton's second law, F=ma, in the limit of small forces and accelerations. Our tests reach well below the acceleration scales relevant to understanding several current astrophysical puzzles such as the flatness of galactic rotation curves, the Pioneer anomaly, and the Hubble acceleration. We find good agreement with Newton's second law at accelerations as small as 5 $\times$ 10$^{-14}$ m/s$^{2}$.

Authors

  • Brian Woodahl

    IUPUI

  • Kurt Wiesenfeld

    Miami University, Summa Health System, Akron, John Carroll University, Prof, Dr, BfS, Germany, Florida State University, Monmouth College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Kenyon College, University of Cincinnati, Brookhaven National Lab, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Dept. of Chermical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Cleveland State University, The Neurological Institute, Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Cleveland Clinic, Un. of Stockholm, The University of Akron, Case Western Reserve University, West Virginia University, Kalamazoo College and Editor, American Journal of Physics, Denison University, University of Southern Florida, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universitat, BfS (Germany), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Department of Physics, West Virginia University, Kansas State University, The Pennsylvania State University, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Purdue University, Saint Jospeh's College, University of Washington, Indiana University, University of Potsdam, Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Kurt Wiesenfeld

    Miami University, Summa Health System, Akron, John Carroll University, Prof, Dr, BfS, Germany, Florida State University, Monmouth College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Kenyon College, University of Cincinnati, Brookhaven National Lab, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Dept. of Chermical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Cleveland State University, The Neurological Institute, Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Cleveland Clinic, Un. of Stockholm, The University of Akron, Case Western Reserve University, West Virginia University, Kalamazoo College and Editor, American Journal of Physics, Denison University, University of Southern Florida, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universitat, BfS (Germany), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Department of Physics, West Virginia University, Kansas State University, The Pennsylvania State University, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Purdue University, Saint Jospeh's College, University of Washington, Indiana University, University of Potsdam, Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Kurt Wiesenfeld

    Miami University, Summa Health System, Akron, John Carroll University, Prof, Dr, BfS, Germany, Florida State University, Monmouth College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Kenyon College, University of Cincinnati, Brookhaven National Lab, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Dept. of Chermical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Cleveland State University, The Neurological Institute, Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Cleveland Clinic, Un. of Stockholm, The University of Akron, Case Western Reserve University, West Virginia University, Kalamazoo College and Editor, American Journal of Physics, Denison University, University of Southern Florida, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universitat, BfS (Germany), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Department of Physics, West Virginia University, Kansas State University, The Pennsylvania State University, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Purdue University, Saint Jospeh's College, University of Washington, Indiana University, University of Potsdam, Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Kurt Wiesenfeld

    Miami University, Summa Health System, Akron, John Carroll University, Prof, Dr, BfS, Germany, Florida State University, Monmouth College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Kenyon College, University of Cincinnati, Brookhaven National Lab, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Dept. of Chermical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Cleveland State University, The Neurological Institute, Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Cleveland Clinic, Un. of Stockholm, The University of Akron, Case Western Reserve University, West Virginia University, Kalamazoo College and Editor, American Journal of Physics, Denison University, University of Southern Florida, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universitat, BfS (Germany), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Department of Physics, West Virginia University, Kansas State University, The Pennsylvania State University, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Purdue University, Saint Jospeh's College, University of Washington, Indiana University, University of Potsdam, Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Kurt Wiesenfeld

    Miami University, Summa Health System, Akron, John Carroll University, Prof, Dr, BfS, Germany, Florida State University, Monmouth College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Kenyon College, University of Cincinnati, Brookhaven National Lab, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Dept. of Chermical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Cleveland State University, The Neurological Institute, Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Cleveland Clinic, Un. of Stockholm, The University of Akron, Case Western Reserve University, West Virginia University, Kalamazoo College and Editor, American Journal of Physics, Denison University, University of Southern Florida, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universitat, BfS (Germany), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Department of Physics, West Virginia University, Kansas State University, The Pennsylvania State University, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Purdue University, Saint Jospeh's College, University of Washington, Indiana University, University of Potsdam, Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Kurt Wiesenfeld

    Miami University, Summa Health System, Akron, John Carroll University, Prof, Dr, BfS, Germany, Florida State University, Monmouth College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Kenyon College, University of Cincinnati, Brookhaven National Lab, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Dept. of Chermical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Cleveland State University, The Neurological Institute, Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Cleveland Clinic, Un. of Stockholm, The University of Akron, Case Western Reserve University, West Virginia University, Kalamazoo College and Editor, American Journal of Physics, Denison University, University of Southern Florida, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universitat, BfS (Germany), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Department of Physics, West Virginia University, Kansas State University, The Pennsylvania State University, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Purdue University, Saint Jospeh's College, University of Washington, Indiana University, University of Potsdam, Georgia Institute of Technology