Eötvös Bounds on Couplings of Fundamental Parameters to Gravity

2008/05/31 by T. Dent, Thomas Dent
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Frequency and Time Standards #Atomic clock #Bounded function #Computational physics #Equivalence (formal languages) #Equivalence principle (geometric) #Geophysics and Gravity Measurements #Gravitation #Mathematical analysis #Mathematics #Physics #Quantum mechanics #Radioactive Decay and Measurement Techniques #Theoretical physics #Weak equivalence #astro-ph #gr-qc #hep-ph #physics.space-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.101.041102

published as Phys.Rev.Lett.101:041102,2008 · To be published (Phys.Rev.Lett.), minor changes and corrections, equivalent to journal version

arxiv created 2008/07/24 · openalex publication_date 2008/07/25 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

The possible dependence of fundamental couplings and mass ratios on the gravitational potential has been bounded by comparing atomic clock frequencies over Earth's elliptical orbit. Here we evaluate bounds on such a dependence from Eötvös-type experiments that test the weak equivalence principle, including previously neglected contributions from nuclear binding energy. We find that variations of fundamental parameters correlated with the gravitational potential are limited at 10(-8)-10(-9), an improvement of 2-3 orders of magnitude over atomic clock bounds.

Citations

• The fundamental constants and their variation: observational and theoretical status
• Dependence of nuclear magnetic moments on quark masses and limits on temporal variation of fundamental constants from atomic clock experiments
• Mach's Principle and a Relativistic Theory of Gravitation
• New Limits on Coupling of Fundamental Constants to Gravity UsingSr<mml:mprescripts/><mml:none/>87Optical Lattice Clocks
• Quark masses