Talk detail

MG15 - Talk detail

Back to previous page

 Participant

Pernot-Borràs, Martin

Institution

ONERA  - 29 Avenue de la Division Leclerc - Châtillon - Ile-de-France - France

Session

PT6

Accepted

No

Order

Time

Talk

Oral abstract

Title

The MICROSCOPE mission: first constraints on theories of modified gravity.
Coauthors Pernot-Borràs, Martin; Bergé, Joël; Brax, Philippe; Métris, Gilles; Rodrigues, Manuel; Touboul, Pierre; Uzan, Jean-Philippe

Abstract

MICROSCOPE is a French space mission developed by ONERA and CNES, which recently improved the test of the Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP) by an order of magnitude, reaching a level of 2.10^-14 on the Eötvos parameter. The experiment is based on testing Universality of Free Fall in orbit, with an ultrasensitive accelerometer composed of two test masses of different composition. The results of this experiment may provide new constraints on alternative theories of gravity. This work aims to compute these constraints. It focuses on scalar-tensor theories, which introduce a new scalar field besides Einstein’s gravity. By coupling to matter, it gives rise to a 5th force that can violate WEP or induce other effects that should appear in MICROSCOPE data. In this talk, I will present our new constraints on the Dilaton model and show newest results on the Chameleon model. This latter scalar field was proposed as a dark energy candidate that could satisfy local gravity constraints through a screening mechanism. Such mechanism makes its dynamics such, that its associated 5th force can be negligible in high density environment. Being in space, MICROSCOPE represents an unprecedented opportunity for testing the existence of a Chameleon.

Pdf file

 

Back to previous page