Determination of the gravitational constant at an effective mass separation of 22 m

Journal Article · Mon Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Phys. Rev. D; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.38.1023· OSTI ID:6921073

Moore, G I; Stacey, F D; Tuck, G J; Goodwin, B D; Linthorne, N P; Barton, M A; Reid, D M; Agnew, G D

A vacuum balance that compares the weights of 10-kg stainless-steel masses suspended in evacuated tubes at different levels in a hydroelectric reservoir is being used to measure the gravitational attractions of layers of lake water up to 10 m in depth. The mean effective distance between interacting masses in this experiment is 22 m, making it the largest-scale measurement of G using precisely controlled moving masses. The experiment extends laboratory-type measurements into the range previously explored only by geophysical methods. Assuming purely Newtonian physics the value of the gravitational constant determined from data obtained so far is G = 6.689(57) x 10/sup -11/ m/sup 3/ kg/sup -1/s/sup -2/, which agrees with laboratory estimates. The data admit at a 0.6 standard deviation level the parameters of non-Newtonian gravity inferred from geophysical measurements in mines and a tower. These measurements push the estimated ranges of non-Newtonian forces down to a scale accessible to our reservoir experiment, so that experimental improvements now at hand may provide a critical test of non-Newtonian effects.

• Research Organization: Physics Department, University of Queensland, Brisbane Q4067, Australia
• OSTI ID: 6921073
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. D; (United States), Vol. 38:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
GRAVITATION
MEASURING METHODS
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
MASS
STAINLESS STEELS
WATER RESERVOIRS
YUKAWA POTENTIAL
ALLOYS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
NUCLEAR POTENTIAL
POTENTIALS
POWER PLANTS
STEELS
SURFACE WATERS
640106* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Cosmology
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