Nuclear Limits on Non-Minimally Coupled Gravity

Abstract

We explore alternate theories of gravity where the gravitational term in the Lagrangian $\frac{R}{8\pi G}$ is replaced by a function $f_1(R)$ and the matter Lagrangian is multiplied by a function $f_2(R)$. We argue that nuclear physics can provide strong experimental constraints on such theories. In particular using energy conditions on the pressure in the ${}^4$He nucleus, for $f_1(R)=\frac{R}{8\pi G}$ and $f_2(R)=1+\lambda R$, we find a limit of $|\lambda |<5\times 10^{-12}{m}^2$, more than thirty orders of magnitude stronger than the previous limit.

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