Breaking diffeomorphism invariance and tests for the emergence of gravity

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Anber M. M., AYDEMİR U., Donoghue J. F.

PHYSICAL REVIEW D, vol.81, no.8, 2010 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 81 Issue: 8
  • Publication Date: 2010
  • Doi Number: 10.1103/physrevd.81.084059
  • Journal Name: PHYSICAL REVIEW D
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: No

Abstract

If general relativity is an emergent phenomenon, there may be small violations of diffeomorphism invariance. We propose a phenomenology of perturbatively small violations of general relativity by the inclusion of terms which break general covariance. These can be tested by matching to the parameterized post-Newtonian formalism. The most sensitive tests involve pulsar timing and provide an extremely strong bound, with a dimensionless constraint of order 10(-20) relative to gravitational strength.