Quantum gravitational states of ultracold neutrons as a tool for probing of beyond-Riemann gravity

TL;DR

This paper investigates how quantum gravitational states of ultracold neutrons can be used to detect beyond-Riemann gravity effects, improving existing constraints by an order of magnitude through theoretical calculations relevant to qBOUNCE experiments.

Contribution

It provides a theoretical analysis of beyond-Riemann gravity effects on ultracold neutron states, enhancing constraints from previous studies.

Findings

BRG contributions affect transition frequencies of UCN states

Constraints on BRG parameters are improved by an order of magnitude

Potential for UCN experiments to probe new gravitational physics

Abstract

We analyze a possibility to probe beyond-Riemann gravity (BRG) contributions, introduced by Kostelecky and Li (see Phys. Rev. D 103, 024059 (2021) and Phys. Rev. D 104, 044054 (2021)) on the basis of the Effective Field Theory (EFT) by Kostelecky Phys. Rev. D 69, 105009 (2004). We carry out such an analysis by calculating the BRG contributions to the transition frequencies of the quantum gravitational states of ultracold neutrons (UCNs). These states are being used for a test of interactions beyond the Standard Model (SM) and General Relativity (GR) in the qBOUNCE experiments. We improve by order of magnitude some constraints obtained by Kostelecky and Li (2106.11293 [gr-qc]).