New experimental limits on non-Newtonian forces in the micrometer-range

الأصل · EN

We report measurements of the short-range forces between two macroscopic gold-coated plates using a torsion pendulum. The force is measured for separations between 0.7 μm and 7 μm, and is well described by a combination of the Casimir force, including the finite-temperature correction, and an electrostatic force due to patch potentials on the plate surfaces. We use our data to place constraints on the Yukawa-type "new" forces predicted by theories with extra dimensions. We establish a new best bound for force ranges 0.4 μm to 4 μm, and, for forces mediated by gauge bosons propagating in (4+n) dimensions and coupling to the baryon number, extract a (4+n)-dimensional Planck scale lower limit of M*>70 TeV.