Abstract
At the 1990 Moriond workshop, attended by many of those working on the Fifth Force, Orrin Fackler stated: “The Fifth Force is dead.” No one disagreed. At the time there was no evidence that such a force, as initially proposed, with a strength approximately 1 % that of the gravitational force and a range of about 100 m, existed. More formally, Eric Adelberger and other members of the Eöt-Wash group concluded (Adelberger et al. 1990, p. 3291):
We have made a sensitive, systematic search for interactions mediated by ultra-low-mass scalar or vector bosons using two different detector dipoles and two different sources. We find absolutely no evidence for any new interactions ascribable to such particles. Our results break new ground over ranges from roughly 1 AU down to roughly 30 cm,1 and are considerably more precise than any of those which claim evidence for ‘new physics’.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
This range included the suggested range for the Fifth Force of approximately 100 m.
- 2.
The effects observed in both the original Eötvös experiment and in Thieberger’s experiment are still unexplained. Boynton’s initial results have been superseded by his later results.
- 3.
This was similar to Bennett’s experiment at the lock on the Snake River, discussed in Part I.
- 4.
These were discussed in Part I.
- 5.
The group included Blayne Heckel, one of the leaders of the Eöt-Wash group.
- 6.
Recall the earlier discussions of possible coupling to either baryon or lepton number.
- 7.
The current uncertainty on the value of G is 120 ppm. The latest CODATA (Committee on Data for Science and Technology) value is (6. 673 84 ± 0. 000 80) × 10−11 m3 kg−1 s−2.
- 8.
This appears to show an apparently repulsive gravitational force, a rather odd result. The force is, of course, attractive.
- 9.
The group included Paul Boynton, who had reported both positive and negative earlier results on the Fifth Force. Boynton’s later negative results were regarded as superseding his earlier work.
- 10.
The group also included Fischbach and Talmadge, two of the initial proposers of the Fifth Force hypothesis.
- 11.
As we shall see below, this is not quite accurate.
- 12.
The title of the paper was: “New tests of the universality of free fall.”
- 13.
The group also stated that (Su et al. 1994, p. 3614):
We also test Weber’s claim that solar neutrinos scatter coherently from single crystals with cross-sections \(\sim 10^{23}\) times larger than the generally accepted value and rule out the existence of such cross-sections.
For a more detailed history of this episode see Franklin (2010).
- 14.
The major purpose of the experiment, as the title of the paper reveals, was to measure G, the gravitational constant.
- 15.
- 16.
The Eöt-Wash group continued its whimsy with the naming of their new apparatus.
- 17.
This was an improved version of the original Eöt-Wash torsion balance.
- 18.
Focardi’s paper was presented at a conference in 2000, but the conference proceedings were not published until 2002.
- 19.
For various personal reasons Bennett did not publish these results until 2001.
- 20.
The title of their paper is: “Testing the equivalence principle on a trampoline.”
- 21.
This was the approximate range suggested in the initial paper, based on the (later withdrawn) results of Stacey and his collaborators. The data of the Eötvös and his collaborators is consistent with ranges up to 1 AU.
- 22.
- 23.
As we saw in Part I and in the history presented above, this is not accurate.
- 24.
See Footnote 22.
- 25.
As we saw in Part I and in the history presented above, this is not accurate.
References
Achilli, V., Baldi, P., et al.: A geophysical experiment on Newton’s inverse-square law. Il Nuovo Cim. 112(B), 775–803 (1997)
Adelberger, E., Gundlach, J.H., et al.: Torsion balance experiments: a low-energy frontier of particle physics. Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys. 62, 102–134 (2009)
Adelberger, E.G., Heckel, B.R., et al.: Searches for new macroscopic forces. Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci. 41, 269–320 (1991)
Adelberger, E.G., Stubbs, C.W., et al.: Testing the equivalence principle in the field of the Earth: particle physics at masses below 1 \(\upmu\) eV. Phys. Rev. D 42, 3267–3292 (1990)
Baldi, P., Campari, E.G., et al.: Testing Newton’s inverse square law at intermediate scales. Phys. Rev. D 64, 082001-1–082001-7 (2001)
Bennett, W.R.: Modulated-source Eötvös experiment at little goose lock. Phys. Rev. Lett. 62, 365–368 (1989)
Bennett, W.R.: Hunting the fifth force on the Snake river. In: Budker, D., Bucksbaum, P.H., Freedman, S.J. (eds.) Art and Symmetry in Experimental Physics. American Institute of Physics Conference Proceedings Series, vol. 596, pp. 123–155. American Institute of Physics, Melville, NY (2001)
Braginskii, V.B., Panov, V.I.: Verification of the equivalence of inertial and gravitational mass. JETP Lett. 34, 463–466 (1972)
Carusotto, S., Cavasinni, V., et al.: Test of g universality with a Galileo type experiment. Phys. Rev. Lett. 69, 1722–1725 (1992)
Carusotto, S., Cavasinni, V., et al.: Limits on the violation of G-universality with a Galileo-type experiment. Phys. Lett. A 183, 355–358 (1993)
Carusotto, S., Cavasinni, V., et al.: g-universality test with a Galileo-type experiment. Il Nuovo Cim. 111(B), 1259–1275 (1996)
Cornaz, A., Hubler, B., et al.: Determination of the gravitational constant at an effective interaction distance of 112 m. Phys. Rev. Lett. 72, 1152–155 (1994)
Cruz, J.Y., Harrison, J.C., et al.: A test of Newton’s inverse square law of gravitation using the 300-m tower at Erie, Colorado. J. Geophys. Res. 96, 20073–20092 (1991)
Darwin, G.H.: Periodic orbits. Acta Math. 21, 99–242 (1897)
Dermott, S.F., Murray, C.D.: The dynamics of tadpole and horseshoe orbits: I. Theory. Icarus 48, 1–11 (1981)
Dittus, H., Mehls, C.: A new experimental baseline for testing the weak equivalence principle at the Bremen drop tower. Class. Quantum Gravity 18, 2417–2425 (2001)
Faller, J.E.: The measurement of little g: a fertile ground for precision measurement science. J. Res. Nat. Inst. Stand. Technol. 110, 559–581 (2005)
Fischbach, E., Aronson, S.H., et al.: Reanalysis of the Eotvos experiment. Phys. Rev. Lett. 56, 3–6 (1986)
Fischbach, E., Talmadge, C.: Six years of the fifth force. Nature 356, 207–215 (1992)
Fitch, V.L., Isaila, M.V., et al.: Limits on the existence of a material-dependent intermediate-range force. Phys. Rev. Lett. 60, 1801–1804 (1988)
Focardi, S.: Newton’s gravitational law. In: Cianci, R., Collina, R., Francaviglia, M., Fre, P. (eds.) Recent Developments in General Relativity, Genoa 2000, pp. 417–421. Springer, Genoa (2002)
Franklin, A.: The Neglect of Experiment. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1986)
Franklin, A.: Gravity waves and neutrinos: the later work of Joseph Weber. Perspect. Sci. 18, 119–151 (2010)
Gillies, G.T.: The Newtonian gravitational constant: recent measurements and related studies. Rep. Prog. Phys. 60, 151–225 (1997)
Gundlach, J.H.: Laboratory test of gravity. New J. Phys. 7, 205-1–205-22 (2005)
Gundlach, J.H., Schlamminger, S., et al.: Laboratory tests of the equivalence principle at the university of Washington. Space Sci. Rev. 148, 201–216 (2009)
Gundlach, J.H., Smith, G.L., et al.: Short-range test of the equivalence principle. Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 2523–2526 (1997)
Heckel, B., Adelberger, E., et al.: Results on the strong equivalence principle, dark matter, and new forces. Adv. Space Res. 25, 1225–1230 (2000a)
Heckel, B.R., Adelberger, E.G., et al.: Torsion balance test of coupled forces. In: Kursunoglu, B.N., Mintz, S.L., Perlmutter, A. (eds.) Quantum Gravity, Generalized Theory of Gravitation, and Superstring Theory-Based Unification, pp. 153–160. Plenum, New York (2000b)
Hermann, S., Dittus, H., et al.: Testing the equivalence principle with atomic interferometry. Class. Quantum Gravity 29 (18), 184003-1–184003-12 (2012)
Kuroda, K., Mio, N.: Limits on a possible composition-dependent force by a Galilean experiment. Phys. Rev. D 42, 3903–3907 (1990)
Liu, Y.-C., Yang, X.-S., et al.: Testing non-Newtonian gravitation on a 320 m tower. Phys. Lett. A 169, 131–133 (1992)
Moffat, J.W., Gillies, G.T.: Satellite Eötvös test of the weak equivalence principle for zero-point vacuum energy. New J. Phys. 4, 92.1–92.6 (2002)
Moore, M.W., Boudreaux, A., et al.: Testing the inverse-square law of gravity: a new class of torsion pendulum null experiments. Class. Quantum Gravity 6, A97–A117 (1994)
Moore, G.I., et al.: Determination of the gravitational constant at an effective mass separation of 22 m. Phys. Rev. D 38, 1023–1029 (1988)
Niebauer, T.M., McHugh, M.P., et al.: Galilean test for the fifth force. Phys. Rev. Lett. 59, 609–612 (1987)
Nobili, A.M., Bramanti, D., et al.: The ‘Galileo–Galilei’ (GG) project: testing the equivalence principle in space and on Earth. Adv. Space Res. 25, 1231–1235 (2000)
Pace, E., De Martini, F., et al.: A capacitive detector to test the principle of equivalence in a free fall experiment. Rev. Sci. Inst. 63, 3112–3119 (1992)
Reasenberg, R.D., Phillips, J.D.: Testing the equivalence principle on a trampoline. Class. Quantum Gravity 18, 2435–2445 (2001)
Roll, P.G., Krotkov, R., Dicke, R.: The equivalence of inertial and passive gravitational mass. Ann. Phys. 26, 442–517 (1964)
Romaides, A.J., Sands, R.W., et al.: Second tower experiment: further evidence for Newtonian gravity. Phys. Rev. D 50, 3608–3613 (1994)
Romaides, A.J., Sands, R.W., et al.: Final results from the WABG tower gravity experiment. Phys. Rev. D 55, 4532–4536 (1997)
Sanders, A.J., Deeds, W.E.: Proposed new determination of the gravitational constant G and tests of Newtonian gravitation. Phys. Rev. D 46, 480–504 (1992)
Schlamminger, S., Choi, K.Y., et al.: Test of the equivalence principle using a rotating torsion balance. Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 041101-1–041101-4 (2008)
Slobodrian, R.J.: Study of new fundamental forces in a microgravity environment. Class. Quantum Gravity 9, 1115–1119 (1992)
Smith, G.L., Hoyle, C.D., et al.: Short-range tests of the equivalence principle. Phys. Rev. D 61, 022001-1–022001-20 (2000a)
Su, Y., Heckel, B.R., et al.: New tests of the universality of free fall. Phys. Rev. D 50, 3614–3636 (1994)
Thieberger, P.: Search for a substance-dependent force with a new differential accelerometer. Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 1066–1069 (1987c)
Unnikrishnan, C.S.: Search for a 5th force. Pramana J. Phys. 41(Supplement S), 395–411 (1993)
Venema, B.J., Majumder, P.K., et al.: Search for a coupling of the Earth’s gravitational field to nuclear spins in atomic mercury. Phys. Rev. Lett. 68, 135–138 (1992)
Wagner, T.A., Schlamminger, S., et al.: Torsion-balance tests of the weak equivalence principle. Class. Quantum Gravity 29(18), 184002-1–184002-15 (2012)
Will, C.W.: The confrontation between general relativity and experiment. Living Rev. Relativ. 17, 1–117 (2014)
Yang, X., Liu, W., et al.: Testing the intermediate-range force at separations around 50 meters. Chin. Phys. Lett. 8, 329–332 (1991)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Franklin, A., Fischbach, E. (2016). The Fifth Force Since 1991. In: The Rise and Fall of the Fifth Force. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28412-5_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28412-5_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28411-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28412-5
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)