Experimental Search for Non-Newtonian Forces in the Nanometer Scale with Slow Neutrons

TL;DR

This study used slow neutron scattering experiments to set new upper limits on hypothetical non-Newtonian forces at nanometer scales, improving constraints on potential new gravity-like interactions.

Contribution

The paper presents the first experimental search for non-Newtonian forces at nanometer distances using neutron scattering, providing improved upper limits on such interactions.

Findings

No evidence of new forces was observed.

Improved upper limits on coupling strength for forces between 0.3 nm and 9 nm.

Constraints interpreted for models involving baryon and lepton number dependence.

Abstract

Improved limits for new gravity-like short-range interactions, in which a scattering potential is modeled by the Yukawa-type parametrization, have been obtained by measuring the angular distribution of 6 \AA\ neutrons scattering from atomic xenon gas. We have collected approximately $1.4 \times 10^8$ small-angle neutron scattering events. The data are interpreted as no evidence of new forces and show improved upper limits on the coupling strength in the interaction range of $0.3$ nm to $9$ nm. These improved constraints are also interpreted as new limits for a model, in which a charge of the new forces is expressed as a linear combination of the baryon number and the lepton number.