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Tests of Lorentz invariance using a microwave resonator
Peter Wolf1, Sébastien Bize, André Clairon
1Bureau International des Poids et Mesures, Pavillon de Breteuil, 92312 Sèvres CEDEX, France.
Physical Review Letters
|March 14, 2003
Summary
This study compared cryogenic sapphire oscillator and hydrogen maser frequencies to test Lorentz invariance. New constraints were set on preferred frame parameters, improving precision for the Kennedy-Thorndike test by 30-fold.
Area of Science:
- Fundamental physics
- Tests of special relativity
- Precision measurements
Background:
- Lorentz invariance is a cornerstone of modern physics.
- Deviations from Lorentz invariance could indicate new physics beyond the Standard Model.
- Previous experiments have constrained potential violations using various high-precision techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To set new, stringent constraints on potential violations of Lorentz invariance.
- To test the Mansouri and Sexl test theory by measuring frequency variations with orientation and velocity.
- To improve upon existing experimental limits for preferred frame effects.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of frequencies between a cryogenic sapphire oscillator and a hydrogen maser.
- Performing a Michelson-Morley type test by varying oscillator orientation.
- Performing a Kennedy-Thorndike type test by varying oscillator velocity relative to a preferred frame.
Main Results:
- Constrained the Mansouri and Sexl parameters: delta-beta + 1/2 = (1.5+/-4.2) x 10(-9).
- Achieved a 30-fold improvement for the beta-alpha - 1 parameter, constraining it to (-3.1+/-6.9) x 10(-7).
- Results are consistent with Lorentz invariance to the achieved precision.
Conclusions:
- The experiment provides strong evidence supporting Lorentz invariance.
- The improved constraints place significant limits on theories predicting violations of Lorentz symmetry.
- This work advances the search for new fundamental physics by pushing experimental boundaries.