Mapping Lorentz Invariance Violations into Equivalence Principle Violations

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that violations of the equivalence principle and Lorentz invariance produce similar observable effects, enabling bounds on one to inform limits on the other, with implications for experimental sensitivity.

Contribution

It establishes a mapping between equivalence principle violations and Lorentz invariance violations, allowing translation of experimental bounds between the two.

Findings

Experimental bounds on Lorentz violations can constrain equivalence principle violations.

Current technology may be far from detecting certain predicted signals.

The most stringent bound suggests a signal seven orders of magnitude beyond current capabilities.

Abstract

We point out that equivalence principle violations, while not dynamically equivalent, produce the same kinematical effects as Lorentz invariance violations for particle processes in a constant gravitational potential. This allows us to translate many experimental bounds on Lorentz invariance violations into bounds on equivalence principle violations. The most stringent bound suggests that a postive signal in an E\"otv\"os experiment may be at least seven orders of magnitude beyond current technology.