Numerical forecasts for lab experiments constraining modified gravity: the chameleon model

TL;DR

This paper develops numerical solutions for chameleon modified gravity models considering experimental chamber effects, refining previous analytical forecasts and identifying chamber-specific phenomena relevant for future atom interferometry tests.

Contribution

It introduces a numerical approach to model chameleon fields in laboratory settings, improving the accuracy of predictions for experimental tests of modified gravity.

Findings

Refined forecasts for chameleon field effects in vacuum chambers.

Identification of chamber-specific effects impacting experimental sensitivity.

Enhanced modeling accuracy over previous analytical methods.

Abstract

Current acceleration of the cosmic expansion leads to coincidence as well as fine-tuning issues in the framework of general relativity. Dynamical scalar fields have been introduced in response of these problems, some of them invoking screening mechanisms for passing local tests of gravity. Recent lab experiments based on atom interferometry in a vacuum chamber have been proposed for testing modified gravity models. So far only analytical computations have been used to provide forecasts. We derive numerical solutions for chameleon models that take into account the effect of the vacuum chamber wall and its environment. With this realistic profile of the chameleon field in the chamber, we refine the forecasts that were derived analytically. We finally highlight specific effects due to the vacuum chamber that are potentially interesting for future experiments.