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Superconducting-Gravimeter Tests of Local Lorentz Invariance
Natasha A Flowers1, Casey Goodge1, Jay D Tasson1
1Physics and Astronomy Department, Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota 55057, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|December 9, 2017
Summary
Superconducting gravimeters test local Lorentz invariance for gravity and matter-gravity couplings. This research achieves the best laboratory sensitivities to date for 13 Lorentz-violating operators.
Area of Science:
- Fundamental Physics
- Gravitational Physics
- Experimental Physics
Background:
- Local Lorentz invariance is a cornerstone of modern physics.
- Deviations from Lorentz invariance could signal new physics beyond the Standard Model.
- Gravitational interactions are a key area to search for such violations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally test the local Lorentz invariance of the gravitational interaction.
- To constrain parameters of matter-gravity couplings.
- To search for evidence of Lorentz-violating physics.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing superconducting-gravimeter measurements.
- Performing a maximum-reach analysis.
- Investigating 13 specific Lorentz-violating operators.
Main Results:
- Achieved the best laboratory sensitivities to date for Lorentz violation searches.
- Demonstrated significant improvements in sensitivity, exceeding an order of magnitude for some operators.
- Provided stringent constraints on Lorentz-violating effects in gravity.
Conclusions:
- Superconducting gravimeters are powerful tools for probing fundamental symmetries.
- The results place tight constraints on potential violations of local Lorentz invariance.
- This work advances the search for new physics through precision gravitational measurements.
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