Analytically derived limits on short-range fifth forces from quantum states of neutrons in the Earth's gravitational field

2007/03/09 by Alexander Westphal, H. Abele, Hartmut Abele +5
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research #FOS: Physical sciences #Geophysics and Sensor Technology #High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph) #Quantum, superfluid, helium dynamics #hep-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.hep-ph/0703108

9 pages, 2 figures, LaTeX, uses RevTeX 4

openalex publication_date 2007/03/09 · arxiv created 2007/03/12 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

Recently, quantum states of ultra-cold neutrons in the Earth's gravitational field have been observed for the first time. From the fact that they are consistent with Newtonian gravity on the 10 %-level, analytical limits on alpha and lambda of short-range Yukawa-like additional interactions are derived between lambda = 1 micrometer and 1 mm. We arrive for lambda > 10 micrometer at alpha < 2 ⋅ 10¹1 at 90 % confidence level. This translates into a limit g_s g_p / (ℏ c) < 2 ⋅ 10^-15 on the pseudo-scalar coupling of axions in the previously experimentally unaccessible astrophysical axion window.

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