Laboratory test of Newton's second law for small accelerations

Phys Rev Lett. 2007 Apr 13;98(15):150801. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.150801. Epub 2007 Apr 13.

Abstract

We have tested the proportionality of force and acceleration in Newton's second law, F=ma, in the limit of small forces and accelerations. Our tests reach well below the acceleration scales relevant to understanding several current astrophysical puzzles such as the flatness of galactic rotation curves, the Pioneer anomaly, and the Hubble acceleration. We find good agreement with Newton's second law at accelerations as small as 5 x 10(-14) m/s(2).

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.