An Improved Torsion Balance Test of the Equivalence Principle Towards the Sun

arXiv (Cornell University) 2026 Preprint Open access

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Authors: M. P. Ross, Shaw, E. A., C. Gettings, S. K. Apple, I. A. Paulson, J. H. Gundlach
DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2602.02815
Cited by: 0

Abstract

We search for violations of the Equivalence Principle towards the Sun using a rotating torsion balance apparatus. We set 95\%-confidence limits on violations with beryllium and aluminum test bodies of $η_{\odot, Be-Al} \leq 2.1 \times 10^{-13}$. These results are a factor of four improvement of previously reported results towards the Sun and a $\sim20\%$ improvement on previous torsion balance tests regardless of source.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Relativity and Gravitational Theory Cosmology and Gravitation Theories Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research

Publication details

Journal / source
arXiv (Cornell University)
Publication date
2 February 2026
Document type
Preprint