Null Test of Newton's Law of Gravitation on a 100-Micrometer Scale

这项研究的目的是在100微米范围内以1000分之一的分辨率测试牛顿引力的平方反比定律。为了达到这个灵敏度，实验将被冷却到1.2 K，并使用一个高灵敏度的超导加速度计来搜索来自精心设计的重力零源的信号。牛顿定律是爱因斯坦广义相对论的基石。然而，这个著名的定律受到了来自粒子理论几个方面的挑战。特别是，弦理论最近提出了在亚毫米范围内可能违反定律的情况。证实或拒绝这一预测将对我们对宇宙的理解产生重大影响。

The objective of this research is to test Newton's inverse-square law of gravitation with a resolution of 1 part in 1000 in the range near 100 micrometers. To reach this sensitivity, the experiment will be cooled to 1.2 K and a highly sensitive superconducting accelerometer will be used to search for a signal from a carefully designed gravitational null source.Newton's law is a cornerstone of Einstein's General Relativity. However, this celebrated law has been challenged from several fronts of particle theories. In particular, a possible violation of the law at sub-millimeter ranges has recently been suggested by string theories. Confirmation or rejection of this prediction would have a major impact on our understanding of the universe.