Unaccounted source of systematic errors in measurements of the Newtonian gravitational constant G

TL;DR

This paper suggests that unrecognized systematic errors, caused by deviations from Hooke's law due to dislocation avalanches, may explain the inconsistencies in measurements of the gravitational constant G.

Contribution

It introduces a novel hypothesis that dislocation avalanches cause deviations from Hooke's law, affecting G measurements and proposes experimental modifications to mitigate this error.

Findings

Deviations from linearity in G measurements support the dislocation avalanche hypothesis.

Subtle deviations from Hooke's law may be a significant source of systematic error in G measurements.

Proposed apparatus modifications could reduce these errors.

Abstract

Many precision measurements of G have produced a spread of results incompatible with measurement errors. Clearly an unknown source of systematic errors is at work. It is proposed here that most of the discrepancies derive from subtle deviations from Hooke's law, caused by avalanches of entangled dislocations. The idea is supported by deviations from linearity reported by experimenters measuring G, similar to what observed, on a larger scale, in low-frequency spring oscillators. Some mitigating experimental apparatus modifications are suggested.