Result of the MICROSCOPE Weak Equivalence Principle test

Abstract

The space mission MICROSCOPE dedicated to the test of the Equivalence Principle (EP) operated from April 25, 2016 until the deactivation of the satellite on October 16, 2018. In this analysis we compare the free-fall accelerations ($a_{\mathrm{A}}$ and $a_{\mathrm{B}}$) of two test masses in terms of the Eötvös parameter $\eta (\mathrm{A},\mathrm{B})=2\frac{a_{\mathrm{A}}-a_{\mathrm{B}}}{a_{\mathrm{A}}+a_{\mathrm{B}}}$. No EP violation has been detected for two test masses, made from platinum and titanium alloys, in a sequence of 19 segments lasting from 13 to 198 hours down to the limit of the statistical error which is smaller than $10^{-14}$ for $\eta (\mathrm{Ti},\mathrm{Pt})$. Accumulating data from all segments leads to $\eta (\mathrm{Ti},\mathrm{Pt})=[-1.5\pm 2.3(\mathrm{stat})\pm 1.5(\mathrm{syst})]\times 10^{-15}$ showing no EP violation at the level of $2.7\times 10^{-15}$ if we combine stochastic and systematic errors quadratically. This represents an improvement of almost two orders of magnitude with respect to the previous best such test performed by the Eöt-Wash group. The reliability of this limit has been verified by comparing the free falls of two test masses of the same composition (platinum) leading to a null Eötvös parameter with a statistical uncertainty of $1.1\times 10^{-15}$.

arXiv commentClass. Quantum Grav. 39 204009

References in corpus (32)

• Observational Evidence from Supernovae for an Accelerating Universe and a Cosmological Constant
• Measurements of Omega and Lambda from 42 High-Redshift Supernovae
• The Confrontation between General Relativity and Experiment
• Chameleon Fields: Awaiting Surprises for Tests of Gravity in Space
• Chameleon Cosmology
• The String Dilaton and a Least Coupling Principle
• Test of the Equivalence Principle Using a Rotating Torsion Balance
• Symmetron Fields: Screening Long-Range Forces Through Local Symmetry Restoration
• Torsion-balance tests of the weak equivalence principle
• Runaway dilaton and equivalence principle violations
• The MICROSCOPE mission: first results of a space test of the Equivalence Principle
• Tests of Chameleon Gravity
• Equivalence Principle Violations and Couplings of a Light Dilaton
• k-Mouflage gravity
• On the Unification Problem in Physics
• MICROSCOPE mission: first constraints on the violation of the weak equivalence principle by a light scalar dilaton
• Noise Based Detection and Segmentation of Nebulous Objects
• Lunar Laser Ranging Tests of the Equivalence Principle
• The new lunar ephemeris INPOP17a and its application to fundamental physics
• Screening fifth forces in k-essence and DBI models
• Space test of the Equivalence Principle: first results of the MICROSCOPE mission
• The light U boson as the mediator of a new force, coupled to a combination of Q, B, L and dark matter
• MICROSCOPE limits for new long-range forces and implications for unified theories
• MICROSCOPE limits on the strength of a new force, with comparisons to gravity and electromagnetism
• Exploring the Foundations of the Universe with Space Tests of the Equivalence Principle
• Gaussian regression and power spectral density estimation with missing data: The MICROSCOPE space mission as a case study
• Regression analysis with missing data and unknown colored noise: application to the MICROSCOPE space mission
• MICROSCOPE instrument in-flight characterization
• MICROSCOPE mission analysis, requirements and expected performance
• MICROSCOPE Mission scenario, ground segment and data processing
• MICROSCOPE: systematic errors
• MICROSCOPE mission: Data analysis principle

Cited by in corpus (19)

• MICROSCOPE mission: final results of the test of the Equivalence Principle
• Testing Theories of Gravity with Planetary Ephemerides
• From axion quality and naturalness problems to a high-quality ${\mathbb{Z}}_N$ QCD relaxion
• MICROSCOPE's constraint on a short-range fifth force
• MICROSCOPE mission analysis, requirements and expected performance
• Experimental targets for dark photon dark matter
• MICROSCOPE Mission scenario, ground segment and data processing
• MICROSCOPE mission: Data analysis principle
• MICROSCOPE: systematic errors
• Galaxy rotation curve in hyperconical universes: a natural relativistic MOND
• Solving nonlinear Klein-Gordon equations on unbounded domains via the Finite Element Method
• Axion Bounds from Quantum Technology
• Proposal for a Bell Test with Entangled Atoms of Different Mass
• Phenomenological Implications of a Magnetic 5th Force
• Distinct radial acceleration relations of galaxies and galaxy clusters supports hyperconical modified gravity
• Probing new light scalars with the lepton anomalous magnetic moment and the weak equivalence principle violation
• Dark matter pair absorption
• Sky localization and polarization mode reconstruction of gravitational waves from GW170104 and GW150914
• The Yukawa potential of a non-homogeneous sphere, with new limits on an ultralight boson