实验室测试引力红移,使用微型时钟网络进行测试
Xin Zheng1, Jonathan Dolde1, Matthew C Cambria1
1Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
Nature communications
|August 12, 2023
概括
科学家通过比较不同高度的原子钟来测试爱因斯坦的广义相对论. 该实验证实了预测的重力红移,显示时钟在更高的重力潜力下更快地滴答.
科学领域:
- 物理 物理学 物理
- 一般相对论一般相对论.
- 量子力学就是量子力学.
背景情况:
- 爱因斯坦的广义相对论认为,引力潜力会影响时间.
- 引力红移描述了重力如何影响光的频率和计时.
研究的目的:
- 为了对引力红移进行基于实验室的盲测试.
- 以高精度测量由于引力电位差异引起的频率梯度.
主要方法:
- 利用了5个原子组合之间的差分钟比较.
- 跨越1厘米的高度差,以测量频率梯度.
- 为了客观性,采用了一个盲目的实验设置.
主要成果:
- 测量的一小部分频率梯度为 -12.4 ± 0.7 (stat) ± 2.5 (sys) × 10^-19/cm.
- 结果与一般相对论预测的红移梯度为-10.9 × 10^-19/cm一致.
- 对毫米尺度的高度变化表现出敏感性,使相对论重力潜力测量成为可能.
结论:
- 该实验为引力红移提供了强有力的实验室证据.
- 突出了差分钟比较对地质测量和基本物理学的潜力.
- 建议在寻找新物理学,引力波探测和量子引力研究中的应用.
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