Experimental Comparison of the Gravitational Force on Freely Falling Electrons and Metallic Electrons

1967/10/30 by F. C. Witteborn, W. M. Fairbank · 1 voice · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Experimental and Theoretical Physics Studies #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Relativity and Gravitational Theory

paper · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.19.1049

openalex publication_date 1967/10/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/26

Abstract

A free-fall technique has been used to measure the net vertical component of force on electrons in a vacuum enclosed by a copper tube. This force was shown to be less than 0.09mg, where m is the inertial mass of the electron and g is 980 cm/sec². This supports the contention that gravity induces an electric field outside a metal surface, of magnitude and direction such that the gravitational force on electrons is cancelled.

Cited by

• Density-functional theory of elastically deformed finite metallic system: Work function and surface stress
• Matter-gravity couplings and Lorentz violation

Discussions

• While special relativity says inertial mass is equivalent with energy , there are at least two more types of mass, for which equivalence seems not so certain - let me briefly summarize and ask for mor [stackexchange, 0 points]