Bounds on the photon mass via the Shapiro effect in the solar system
Fuente:
arXiv
Enregistré dans:
| Auteurs principaux: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Preprint |
| Publié: |
2024
|
| Sujets: | |
| Accès en ligne: | |
| Tags: |
Ajouter un tag
Pas de tags, Soyez le premier à ajouter un tag!
|
| _version_ | 1866913581355761664 |
|---|---|
| author | Malta, P. C. Zarro, C. A. D. |
| author_facet | Malta, P. C. Zarro, C. A. D. |
| contents | We study the effects of a finite mass for the photon on its propagation in a weak gravitational field. In particular, we analyse the gravitational time delay, also known as the Shapiro effect. We work in isotropic coordinates in the weak-field limit and find that the mass-dependent corrections enhance the gravitational time delay. Doppler-tracking data from the Cassini mission allow us to set an upper bound on the photon mass, namely $m_γ< 4.9 \times 10^{-7} \, {\rm eV/c^2}$ at $95\%$ CL. We also discuss next-generation solar-system tests of general relativity that could improve this upper limit, potentially by a factor of ten. Though not competitive with the currently best limits, our bound is at the ballpark of earlier ones based on the gravitational bending of light by the Sun. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2403_12286 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Bounds on the photon mass via the Shapiro effect in the solar system Malta, P. C. Zarro, C. A. D. General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology High Energy Physics - Phenomenology We study the effects of a finite mass for the photon on its propagation in a weak gravitational field. In particular, we analyse the gravitational time delay, also known as the Shapiro effect. We work in isotropic coordinates in the weak-field limit and find that the mass-dependent corrections enhance the gravitational time delay. Doppler-tracking data from the Cassini mission allow us to set an upper bound on the photon mass, namely $m_γ< 4.9 \times 10^{-7} \, {\rm eV/c^2}$ at $95\%$ CL. We also discuss next-generation solar-system tests of general relativity that could improve this upper limit, potentially by a factor of ten. Though not competitive with the currently best limits, our bound is at the ballpark of earlier ones based on the gravitational bending of light by the Sun. |
| title | Bounds on the photon mass via the Shapiro effect in the solar system |
| topic | General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology High Energy Physics - Phenomenology |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.12286 |