Gravity-Like Interactions At The Nanoscale

Highly sensitive measurements show that gravitational attraction also holds at the nanoscale, at least up to 0.04 to 4 nanometers.

AsianScientist (May 27, 2015) – University of Tokyo researchers have measured the gravity-like force in the nanometer range by precisely measuring the scattering of neutrons off Xenon atoms.

The research, published in Physical Review Letters, confirmed that the expected distribution based on known interactions and the distribution determined in the current experiment were extremely accurately matched, further limiting the possible range in which a gravity-like force may exist.

As two objects get closer, the gravitational attraction that acts between them increases in inverse proportion to the square of the distance separating them. For example, if the distance between two objects is reduced by half, the gravitational force acting between them increases four times. However, it has not been experimentally verified if this relation holds even in the microscopic world of atoms and electrons below separations of say 100 microns.

By using the small angle scattering neutron beam-line at the HANARO research reactor at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Assistant Professor Yoshio Kamiya of the International Center for Elementary Particle Physics and colleagues were able to precisely measure the scattering angle of a cooled beam of neutrons irradiating xenon atoms. The research group achieved the highest ever search sensitivity for object separations in the range of 0.04 to 4 nanometers.

This research into gravity-like interactions at nanometer separations may offer clues to understanding the structure of space-time and gravity. Verification experiments for gravity-like interactions are usually said to be challenging due to high background from stronger nuclear and electromagnetic interactions. This research has demonstrated one possible scheme to investigate such gravity-like interactions.

The article can be found at: Kamiya et al. (2015) Constraints On New Gravitylike Forces In The Nanometer Range.

———

Source: The University of Tokyo.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

Asian Scientist Magazine is an award-winning science and technology magazine that highlights R&D news stories from Asia to a global audience. The magazine is published by Singapore-headquartered Wildtype Media Group.

Related Stories from Asian Scientist