Related papers: Atom-interferometry constraints on dark energy
Light scalar fields can drive the accelerated expansion of the universe. Hence, they are obvious dark energy candidates. To make such models compatible with tests of General Relativity in the solar system and "fifth force" searches on…
A scalar field is a favorite candidate for the particle responsible for dark energy. However, few theoretical means exist that can simultaneously explain the observed acceleration of the Universe and evade tests of gravity. The chameleon…
Light scalar fields are expected to arise in theories of high energy physics (such as string theory), and find phenomenological motivations in dark energy, dark matter, or neutrino physics. However, the coupling of light scalar fields to…
This paper describes the concept and the beginning of an experimental investigation of whether it is possible to directly detect dark energy density on earth using atom interferometry. The concept is to null out the gravitational force…
We discuss the use of atom interferometry as a tool to search for Dark Matter (DM) composed of ultra-light scalar fields. Previous work on ultra-light DM detection using accelerometers has considered the possibility of equivalence principle…
The physics of the "dark energy" that drives the current cosmological acceleration remains mysterious, and the dark sector may involve new light dynamical fields. If these light scalars couple to matter, a screening mechanism must prevent…
We use previously obtained experimental results by neutron interferometry to effectively constrain the parameter space of several prominent dark energy models. This investigation encompasses the environment-dependent dilaton field, a…
Chameleon scalar fields are dark energy candidates which suppress fifth forces in high density regions of the universe by becoming massive. We consider chameleon models as effective field theories and estimate quantum corrections to their…
We show that the chameleon scalar field can drive the current phase of cosmic acceleration for a large class of scalar potentials that are also consistent with local tests of gravity. These provide explicit realizations of a quintessence…
There is a deep connection between cosmology -- the science of the infinitely large --and particle physics -- the science of the infinitely small. This connection is particularly manifest in neutron particle physics. Basic properties of the…
Chameleons are a well motivated scalar field that might explain the observed late time accelerated expansion of the universe. Chameleons possess the interesting property that their mass, and hence interaction range, is dependent on the…
Chameleons are light scalar fields with remarkable properties. Through the interplay of self-interactions and coupling to matter, chameleon particles have a mass that depends on the ambient matter density. The manifestation of the fifth…
The physical origin of the dark energy that causes the accelerated expansion rate of the universe is one of the major open questions of cosmology. One set of theories postulates the existence of a self-interacting scalar field for dark…
The last few decades have provided abundant evidence for physics beyond the two standard models of particle physics and cosmology. As is now known, the by far largest part of our universe's matter/energy content lies in the `dark' and…
The acceleration of the expansion of the Universe has led to the construction of Dark Energy models where a light scalar field may have a range reaching up to cosmological scales. Screening mechanisms allow these models to evade the tight…
In general, modified gravity theories are modifications or extensions of Einstein's general relativity. Some of them give rise to additional scalar degrees of freedom in Nature. If these scalar fields exist and are light enough, they should…
Direct detection experiments for dark matter are increasingly ruling out large parameter spaces. However, light dark matter models with particle masses $<$ GeV are still largely unconstrained. Here we examine a proposal to use atom…
We describe the theory and first experimental work on our concept for searching on earth for the presence of dark content of the vacuum (DCV) using atom interferometry. Specifically, we have in mind any DCV that has not yet been detected on…
The chameleon mechanism appearing in massive tensor-scalar theory of gravity can effectively reduce the nonminimal coupling between the scalar field and matter. This mechanism is invoked to reconcile cosmological data requiring introduction…
The equivalence principle is important in fundamental physics. The fifth force, as a describing formalism of the equivalence principle, may indicate the property of an unknown theory. Dark matter is one of the most mysterious objects in the…