http://arxiv.org/abs/1907.09542
We propose a high precision satellite experiment to further test Einstein’s General Relativity and constrain extended theories of gravity. We consider the frequency shift of a photon radially exchanged between two observers, one located on Earth and the other on a satellite in circular orbit in the equatorial plane. In General Relativity there exists a peculiar satellite-distance at which the static contribution to the frequency shift vanishes since the effects induced by pure gravity and special relativity compensate, while it can be non-zero in extended theories of gravity, like in models with screening mechanisms. As an experimental device placed on the satellite we choose a system of hydrogen atoms which can exhibit the $1$s spin-flip transition from the singlet (unaligned proton-electron spins) to the triplet (aligned proton-electron spins) state induced by the absorption of photons at $21.1$cm ($1420$MHz). The observation of an excited state would indicate that the frequency of the emitted and absorbed photon remains unchanged according to General Relativity predictions. On the contrary, a non-zero frequency shift, as predicted in extended theories of gravity, would prevent the spin-flip transition and the hydrogen atoms from jumping into the excited state. Such a detection would signify a smoking-gun signature of new physics beyond special and general relativity.
L. Buoninfante, G. Lambiase and A. Stabile
Wed, 24 Jul 19
13/60
Comments: 7 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables
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