权益分类	功能权益	普通用户	{{item.name}}会员
{{category.name}}	{{benefitItem.name}}

RUI: Parallel-Plate Torsion Pendulum for Investigations of Short-range Gravitational Physics

RUI：用于短程引力物理研究的平行板扭摆

基本信息

批准号：
1065697
负责人：
Charles Hoyle
金额：
$ 11.72万
依托单位：
Humboldt State University Foundation
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2011
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2011-08-01 至 2014-07-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1065697&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
RUI Parallel Plate Torsion Pendulum

项目摘要

The goal of this project is to test the Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP) of General Relativity and the gravitational inverse-square law (ISL) at unprecedented levels. The WEP will be tested at the millimeter scale and the ISL will be probed over sub-millimeter distances with unprecedented sensitivity. Both tests will use a novel parallel-plate torsion pendulum design. Since 1999, experimental limits have improved dramatically so that the ISL has proven valid over distances down to approximately 55 micrometers. A dedicated test of the WEP, however, has not been performed below the millimeter scale. The initial work under this award will probe the WEP at the millimeter scale and below. This measurement will be accomplished with a novel parallel-plate torsion pendulum design that will provide an essentially null experiment and use multiple composition dipole combinations. Subsequently, a more difficult test of the gravitational ISL will be pursued by decreasing the pendulum/attractor mass separation to 100 micrometers. This configuration will probe the ISL down to distances of approximately 20 micrometers.In recent years the study of the gravitational interaction at short (sub-millimeter) distance scales has gained much attention due in a large part to unification scenarios arising in string or M-theory that require more than three spatial dimensions, some of which could be macroscopic. Short-range tests of gravity and the WEP also investigate possible proposed mechanisms that endeavor to explain the accelerated expansion of the universe, generally attributed to Dark Energy. Finally, such tests present the possibility to search for hypothetical new interactions due to exotic particles or other phenomena. Many scenarios concerning these effects predict a violation of the WEP or gravitational ISL at short distances. The project will be performed in the Gravitational Physics Laboratory at Humboldt State University, the only arena in which undergraduate physics students at Humboldt State University may obtain hands-on research experience. This award provides continued support for the laboratory, undergraduate stipends, equipment improvements, and support for dissemination of results including student presentations. Collaboration with the University of Washington Eöt-Wash group will expedite machining projects as well as allow one undergraduate per year from Humboldt State to gain valuable experience working with the group as an undergraduate research assistant during the summer months. In addition, software tools developed for data acquisition and analysis will be transferrable to educational opportunities in the upper division classroom.

这个项目的目标是在前所未有的水平上检验广义相对论的弱等价原理(WEP)和引力反平方定律(ISL)。WEP将在毫米级进行测试，ISL将以前所未有的灵敏度在亚毫米距离内进行探测。这两个测试都将使用一种新的平行板扭转摆设计。自1999年以来，实验极限有了显著的改进，因此ISL已被证明在大约55微米的距离内是有效的。然而，WEP的专用测试尚未在毫米级以下进行。根据该奖项的初步工作将在毫米及以下的尺度上探测WEP。这项测量将通过一种新的平行板扭转摆设计来完成，该设计将提供基本上为零的实验并使用多个组合偶极组合。随后，将通过将摆/吸引子的质量分离减小到100微米来进行更困难的重力ISL测试。这种构型将探测ISL到大约20微米的距离。近年来，短(亚毫米)距离尺度上的引力相互作用的研究受到了极大的关注，这在很大程度上是由于弦或M理论中出现的统一场景，这些场景需要超过三个空间维度，其中一些可能是宏观的。重力和WEP的短程测试还调查了可能提出的机制，这些机制试图解释宇宙的加速膨胀，通常被归因于暗能量。最后，这样的测试提供了寻找由于外来粒子或其他现象而产生的假设的新相互作用的可能性。许多与这些影响有关的情景预测，在短距离内会违反WEP或重力ISL。该项目将在洪堡州立大学的引力物理实验室进行，这是洪堡州立大学本科生获得实践研究经验的唯一场所。该奖项为实验室、本科生津贴、设备改进和成果传播(包括学生演讲)提供持续支持。与华盛顿大学Eöt-Wash小组的合作将加快机械加工项目，并允许洪堡州立大学每年有一名本科生在夏季几个月作为本科生研究助理与该小组合作，获得宝贵的经验。此外，为获取和分析数据而开发的软件工具将可用于高年级教室的教育机会。