Related papers: Long range gravity tests and the Pioneer anomaly
Modern astrophysical and cosmological models are plagued with two severe theoretical difficulties, namely, the dark energy and the dark matter problems. Relative to the former, high-precision observational data have confirmed with startling…
The standard cosmological model is based on general relativity and includes dark matter and dark energy. An important prediction of this model is a fixed relationship between the gravitational potentials responsible for gravitational…
Possible models of modified gravity are being extensively studied now, with most phenomenological motivations coming from puzzles and tensions in cosmology due to a natural desire to better fit the known and newly coming data. At the same…
Weak gravitational lensing provides a means of testing the long-range properties of gravity. Current measurements are consistent with standard Newtonian gravity and inconsistent with substantial modifications on Mpc scales. The data allows…
In this work we present a brief discussion about modified and extended cosmological models using current observational tests. We show that according to these astrophysical samples based in late universe measurements, theories like $f(R)$…
In this manuscript, it is shown that the Pioneer anomaly is the local evidence for an expanding universe. In other words, its value is a direct measure of the Hubble constant while its sign shows the expanding behavior of the dynamics of…
In this review we aim to describe the most stringent tests of the strong equivalence principle, the fundamental principle of General Relativity, using pulsar timing. For this purpose, we first construct the parametrized post-Newtonian and…
The Einstein equivalence principle is certainly a key element in the development of new enhanced theories of gravity. Although being an important building block in Einstein's general relativity, theoretically predicted violations of its…
In the present paper we consider the possibility of observationally testing Horava gravity at the scale of the Solar System, by considering the classical tests of general relativity (perihelion precession of the planet Mercury, deflection…
General relativity has passed all solar system experiments and neutron star based tests, such as binary pulsar observations, with flying colors. A more exotic arena for testing general relativity is in systems that contain one or more black…
General Relativity (GR) is a phenomenologically successful theory that rests on firm foundations, but has not been tested on cosmological scales. The advent of dark energy (and possibly even the requirement of cold dark matter), has…
This work provides a short but comprehensible overview of some relevant aspects of metric-affine theories of gravity in relation to the physics and astrophysics of compact objects. We shall highlight the pertinence of this approach to…
As a consequence of the equivalence principle and of the existence of a negative vacuum energy, we show how a weak but universal linear response of the vacuum to a local gravitational potential suffices to explain the main features of…
We describe here how planetary ephemerides are built in the framework of General Relativity and how they can be used to test alternative theories. We focus on the definition of the reference frame (space and time) in which the planetary…
The unification of quantum field theory and general relativity is a fundamental goal of modern physics. In many cases, theoretical efforts to achieve this goal introduce auxiliary gravitational fields, ones in addition to the familiar…
We report on a \lessim 1% test of the Lense-Thirring effect with the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft and on certain features of motion of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto which contradict the hypothesis that the Pioneer anomaly can be caused…
The field equations of general relativity are shown to derive from the existence of a limit force or of a limit power in nature. The limits have the value of c^4/4G and c^5/4G. The proof makes use of a result by Jacobson. All known…
In the context of a parametric theory (with the time being a dynamical variable) we consider the coupling between the quantum vacuum and the background gravitation that pervades the universe (unavoidable because of the universality of…
Modified gravity theories with an effective Newton constant that varies over cosmological timescales generally predict a different gravitational wave luminosity distance than General Relativity. While this holds for a uniform variation, we…
We argue that the so-called "Pioneer Anomaly" is related to the quantum vacuum fluctuations. Our approach is based on the hypothesis of the gravitational repulsion between matter and antimatter, what allows considering, the virtual…