Chameleons with field-dependent couplings

Journal Article · Fri Oct 15 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review. D, Particles Fields

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVD.82.083503· OSTI ID:21432355

Brax, Philippe ^[1]; Bruck, Carsten van de ^[2]; Mota, David F; Winther, Hans A ^[3]; Nunes, Nelson J ^[4]

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1. Institut de Physique Theorique, CEA, IPhT, CNRS, URA 2306, F-91191Gif/Yvette Cedex (France)
2. Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Sheffield, Hounsfield Road, Sheffield S3 7RH (United Kingdom)
3. Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, 0315 Oslo (Norway)
4. Institut fuer Theoretische Physik, Universitaet Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 16, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany)

Certain scalar-tensor theories exhibit the so-called chameleon mechanism, whereby observational signatures of scalar fields are hidden by a combination of self-interactions and interactions with ambient matter. Not all scalar-tensor theories exhibit such a chameleon mechanism, which has been originally found in models with inverse power runaway potentials and field-independent couplings to matter. In this paper we investigate field theories with field-dependent couplings and a power-law potential for the scalar field. We show that the theory indeed is a chameleon field theory. We find the thin-shell solution for a spherical body and investigate the consequences for Eoet-Wash experiments, fifth-force searches and Casimir-force experiments. Requiring that the scalar field evades gravitational tests, we find that the coupling is sensitive to a mass scale which is of order of the Hubble scale today.

• OSTI ID: 21432355
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Journal Name: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 82; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
CASIMIR EFFECT
CONFIGURATION
COUPLING
FIELD THEORIES
HUBBLE EFFECT
INTERACTIONS
MASS
MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS
SCALAR FIELDS
SIMULATION
SPHERICAL CONFIGURATION