Equivalence principle and bound kinetic energy

Area of Science:

• Fundamental Physics
• Gravitational Physics
• Quantum Mechanics

Background:

• The Einstein equivalence principle is a cornerstone of general relativity and fundamental physics.
• Testing the equivalence principle for antimatter is experimentally challenging.
• Internal kinetic energy within bound systems is a factor in precision tests of physical laws.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of internal kinetic energy in bound matter systems for testing the Einstein equivalence principle.
• To derive indirect constraints on equivalence principle violations for antimatter using normal matter experiments.
• To establish new limits on potential violations of the equivalence principle between matter and antimatter.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the gravitational sector of the Standard Model Extension (SME) framework.
• Estimated nucleon kinetic energy in light atomic species via Green's function Monte Carlo calculations.
• Employed a Woods-Saxon model for kinetic energy estimation in heavier atomic species.

Main Results:

• Established stringent, indirect limits on equivalence principle violations for antimatter.
• New constraints on matter-antimatter equivalence principle violations range from a few parts in 10^6 to parts in 10^8.
• Surveyed sensitivities of current and future experimental tests of the equivalence principle.

Conclusions:

• Internal kinetic energy of bound systems provides a powerful tool for probing fundamental symmetries.
• Indirect tests using normal matter bound systems offer a viable pathway to constrain antimatter physics.
• The derived constraints significantly advance our understanding of the equivalence principle and potential new physics.