Fifth-Force Constraints from UV-Complete Scalar-Tensor Gravity
Alfio M. Bonanno, Emiliano M. Glaviano
TLDR
UV completeness in scalar-tensor gravity restricts fifth-force parameters, allowing current experiments to test and potentially falsify these models.
Key contributions
- Analyzes O(N) scalar multiplet nonminimally coupled to gravity via its RG flow.
- UV completeness restricts possible fifth-force parameters (strength α, range λ).
- Identifies a theoretically excluded region for (α,λ) that lies below current experimental limits.
- Proposes that improved fifth-force searches can directly test and falsify these models.
Why it matters
This paper bridges theoretical UV completeness with experimental physics, showing how fundamental theory can constrain observable parameters. It offers a clear target for improved fifth-force searches, potentially falsifying a class of scalar-tensor gravity models.
Original Abstract
We study an $O(N)$ scalar multiplet nonminimally coupled to gravity and follow its renormalization-group (RG) flow in the vicinity of an interacting, nonperturbatively UV-complete scaling regime of scalar-tensor theory. In the broken phase, the radial mode mediates a universal Yukawa correction to Newtonian gravity, parametrized by a strength $α$ and range $λ$. Imposing UV completeness -- regular RG trajectories that reach the UV scaling regime -- restricts the infrared data to a finite wedge, which maps to a narrow region in the $(α,λ)$ plane. Its complement is, therefore, ruled out by UV completeness alone. Remarkably, part of this theory-excluded domain lies below current experimental exclusion envelopes, so improved fifth-force searches can directly test and potentially falsify this class of UV-complete scalar-tensor models.
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