English

Do Solar System experiments constrain scalar-tensor gravity?

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2020-03-18 v2

Abstract

It is now established that, contrary to common belief, (electro-)vacuum Brans-Dicke gravity does not reduce to general relativity for large values of the Brans-Dicke coupling ω\omega. Since the essence of experimental tests of scalar-tensor gravity consists of providing stringent lower bounds on ω\omega, the PPN formalism on which these tests are based could be in jeopardy. We show that, in the linearized approximation used by the PPN formalism, the anomaly in the limit to general relativity disappears. However, it survives to second (and higher) order and in strong gravity. This fact is relevant for experiments aiming to test second order light deflection and Shapiro time delay.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1906.05957,
  title  = {Do Solar System experiments constrain scalar-tensor gravity?},
  author = {Valerio Faraoni and Jeremy Côté and Andrea Giusti},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1906.05957},
  year   = {2020}
}

Comments

Explanation added, bibliography expanded. Matches the version accepted in Eur. Phys. J. C

R2 v1 2026-06-23T09:53:20.782Z