Non-Newtonian Gravity and New Weak Forces: an Index of Measurements and Theory

Abstract

The precise measurement of weak effects plays a pivotal role in metrology and in the determination of the fundamental constants. Hence, the possibility of new weak forces, and the related question of non-Newtonian behaviour of the gravitational force, have been of special interest to both measurement scientists and those involved in precise tests of physical laws. To date there is no compelling evidence for any deviations from the predictions of Newtonian gravity in the nonrelativistic weak-field regime. A significant literature on this question has developed over the past few years, and a host of experiments and theoretical scenarios have been discussed. Moreover, a very close relationship exists between the experimental methodologies used to determine the absolute value of the Newtonian gravitational constant G, and those employed in searches for new weak forces and for breakdowns in the inverse-square law of gravity. We have therefore prepared a new index of measurements of such effects, using the original bibliographic work of Gillies as a starting point, but also including citations to the appropriate theoretical papers in the field. The focus of the present version of the index is then studies of the "fifth force", measurements of gravitational effects on antimatter, searches for a spin-component in the gravitational force, and related phenomena.