Self-interacting scalar fields and the Eot-Wash experiment

          @misc{ scivideos_PIRSA:06060047,
            doi = {10.48660/06060047},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/06060047},
            author = {Upadhye, Amol},
            keywords = {Cosmology},
            language = {en},
            title = {Self-interacting scalar fields and the Eot-Wash experiment},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics},
            year = {2006},
            month = {jun},
            note = {PIRSA:06060047 see, \url{https://scivideos.org/index.php/pirsa/06060047}}
          }
          

Abstract

Experiments have ruled out unit-strength scalar-mediated fifth forces on scales ranging from 0.1 mm to 10,000 AU. However, allowing the scalar to have a quartic self-interaction weakens these constraints considerably. This weakening is due to the "chameleon mechanism", which gives the scalar field an effective mass that depends on the local matter density. I will describe the chameleon mechanism and discuss experimental constraints on self-interacting scalar fields. In particular, I will compare the chameleon-mediated self interaction to constraints from the Eot-Wash experiment, at the University of Washington, which comes closest to detecting such a scalar field today. It will be shown that a quartic self interaction of unit strength is just out of reach of the current Eot-Wash experiment, but will be readily visible to their next-generation instrument.