Neutrons could test Newton's gravity and string theory

[laconicsax]

A pioneering technique using subatomic particles known as neutrons could give microscopic hints of extra dimensions or even dark matter, researchers say.

The idea rests on probing any minuscule variations in gravity as it acts on slow-moving neutrons in a tiny cavity.

http://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nphys1970.html">A Nature Physics report outlines how neutrons were made to hop from one gravitational quantum state to another.

These quantum jumps can test Newton's theory of gravity - and any variations from it - with unprecedented precision.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13097370

[DCKit]

1. Don't tell the Ignorati that it's just a theory, or they'll all go flying off into space. nt

[girl gone mad]

2. Sorry, string theory makes no predictions here..

so this won't be a test of string theory.

[laconicsax]

4. Yeah, I'm not sure where the author is getting that.

The article abstract only says the process could be used to test the equivalence principle and Newtonian gravity at the micrometer scale.

Then again, the inability to test experimental theology hasn't stopped string theorists yet.

[Odin2005]

5. It has to do with the Brane-World models that emerged out of String Theory.

The hypothesis is that on sub-millimeter scales gravity should be anomalously strong. The reasoning is based on that gravitons are thought to be closed loop strings and can float between branes, while all other known particles are open strings whose ends must be attached to a brane.

[laconicsax]

6. Well, that explains that. n/t

[eppur_se_muova]

3. Hmmmm ... does FEEBLE know about this?