Test of the weak equivalence principle for neutrinos and photons

Journal Article · Sun Jan 17 23:00:00 EST 1988 · Phys. Rev. Lett.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.60.176· OSTI ID:5717284

Krauss, L M; Tremaine, S

The observation of a neutrino burst within 3 H of the associated optical burst from supernova 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud provides a new test of the weak equivalence principle, by demonstrating that neutrinos and photons follow the same trajectories in the gravitational field of the Galaxy. The accuracy of the test depends on the poorly known mass distribution in the outer parts of the Galaxy, but is at least 0.5% and probably much better. This result provides direct evidence that the Shapiro geodesic time delay is identical, to this accuracy, for different elementary particles, independent of spin and internal quantum numbers.

• Research Organization: Center for Theoretical Physics and Department of Astronomy, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
• OSTI ID: 5717284
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. Lett.; (United States) Vol. 60:3; ISSN PRLTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
640106 -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Cosmology
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
DATA
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EQUIVALENCE PRINCIPLE
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FERMIONS
FIELD THEORIES
GENERAL RELATIVITY THEORY
INFORMATION
LEPTONS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
NEUTRINOS
NUMERICAL DATA
PHOTONS
STARS
SUPERNOVAE
THEORETICAL DATA
VARIABLE STARS