Probing the Brans-Dicke Gravitational Field by Cerenkov Radiation

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether charged particles can emit Cerenkov radiation in a Brans-Dicke gravitational field, proposing a potential observational signature to test the theory's validity beyond Einstein's gravity.

Contribution

It introduces the concept that Cerenkov radiation could occur in Brans-Dicke gravity and identifies conditions under which this effect can be used to distinguish it from Einstein's theory.

Findings

Cerenkov radiation is possible in Brans-Dicke gravity under certain parameters.

The effect vanishes as the Brans-Dicke parameter omega approaches infinity, aligning with Einstein's theory.

Provides a potential observational test for Brans-Dicke gravity.

Abstract

The possibility that a charged particle propagating in a gravitational field described by Brans-Dicke theory of gravity could emit Cerenkov radiation is explored. This process is kinematically allowed depending on parameters occurring in the theory. The Cerenkov effect disappears as the BD parameter omega tends to inftinity, i.e. in the limit in which the Einstein theory is recovered, giving a signature to probe the validity of the Brans-Dicke theory.