Search for Lorentz Violation in a Short-Range Gravity Experiment

TL;DR

This paper reports an experimental test of the inverse square law at short distances to constrain Lorentz violation parameters within the Standard-Model Extension, achieving limits around 10,000 for certain coefficients.

Contribution

It provides new experimental bounds on Lorentz violation in gravity using a short-range test with a planar mass geometry.

Findings

Limits on SME coefficients of Lorentz violation are around 10,000.

The experiment constrains deviations from Newtonian gravity at short distances.

Results improve understanding of Lorentz symmetry in the gravitational sector.

Abstract

An experimental test of the Newtonian inverse square law at short range has been used to set limits on Lorentz violation in the pure gravity sector of the Standard-Model Extension. On account of the planar test mass geometry, nominally null with respect to inverse square forces, the limits derived for the SME coefficients of Lorentz violation are on the order s ~ 10000.