Anomalous gravity data during the 1997 total solar eclipse do not support the hypothesis of gravitational shielding

C. S. Unnikrishnan; A. K. Mohapatra; G. T. Gillies

doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.63.062002

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Anomalous gravity data during the 1997 total solar eclipse do not support the hypothesis of gravitational shielding

C. S. Unnikrishnan^*

A. K. Mohapatra^†

G. T. Gillies^‡

Gravitation Group, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai 400 005, India
NAPP Group, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore 560 034, India

Gravitation Group, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai 400 005, India

School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4746

^*Email address: unni@tifr.res.in
^†Email address: ashok@tifr.res.in
^‡Email address: gillies@virginia.edu

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Phys. Rev. D 63, 062002 – Published 12 February, 2001

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.63.062002

Abstract

We present arguments that rule out the recent suggestion by Wang et al. that their observations of anomalous gravity data during the 1997 total solar eclipse in China could be evidence for shielding of gravity of the Sun by the Moon, or could be pointing to some new property of gravitation. In fact, we are able to use their stretch of data obtained before and after the eclipse to constrain the characteristic shielding parameter to the lowest bound ever from a terrestrial experiment.

References (13)

Qian-shen Wang et al., Phys. Rev. D 62, 041101(R) (2000).
Q. Majorana, J. Phys. Radium 1, 314 (1930).
J.C. Harrison, J. Geophys. Res. 68, 1517 (1963).
G.T. Gillies, Rep. Prog. Phys. 60, 151 (1997).
V.B. Braginsky, V. N. Rudenko, and G.I. Rukman, Zh. Éksp. Teor. Fiz. 43, 51 (1962) [Sov. Phys. JETP 16, 36 (1963)].
C.S. Unnikrishnan and G.T. Gillies, Phys. Rev. D 61, 101101(R) (2000).
F. Nolting, J. Schurr, St. Schlamminger, and W. Kundig, Meas. Sci. Technol. 10, 487 (1999).
R. Tomaschek, Nature (London) 175, 937 (1955).
L.B. Slichter, M. Caputo, and C.L. Hager, J. Geophys. Res. 70, 1541 (1965).
The values of density we used for this discussion are from recent fits to the solar oscillation data. We are thankful to H. M. Antia for the data.
D.H. Eckhardt, Phys. Rev. D 42, 2144 (1990).
R.J. Crowley, J.F. Woodward, and W. Yourgrau, Astron. Nachr. 295, 203 (1974).
C. S. Unnikrishnan and G. T. Gillies (unpublished).

[c1] Qian-shen Wang et al., Phys. Rev. D 62, 041101(R) (2000).

[c2] Q. Majorana, J. Phys. Radium 1, 314 (1930).

[c3] J.C. Harrison, J. Geophys. Res. 68, 1517 (1963).

[c4] G.T. Gillies, Rep. Prog. Phys. 60, 151 (1997).

[c5] V.B. Braginsky, V. N. Rudenko, and G.I. Rukman, Zh. Éksp. Teor. Fiz. 43, 51 (1962) [Sov. Phys. JETP 16, 36 (1963)].

[c6] C.S. Unnikrishnan and G.T. Gillies, Phys. Rev. D 61, 101101(R) (2000).

[c7] F. Nolting, J. Schurr, St. Schlamminger, and W. Kundig, Meas. Sci. Technol. 10, 487 (1999).

[c8] R. Tomaschek, Nature (London) 175, 937 (1955).

[c9] L.B. Slichter, M. Caputo, and C.L. Hager, J. Geophys. Res. 70, 1541 (1965).

[c10] The values of density we used for this discussion are from recent fits to the solar oscillation data. We are thankful to H. M. Antia for the data.

[c11] D.H. Eckhardt, Phys. Rev. D 42, 2144 (1990).

[c12] R.J. Crowley, J.F. Woodward, and W. Yourgrau, Astron. Nachr. 295, 203 (1974).

[c13] C. S. Unnikrishnan and G. T. Gillies (unpublished).

Physical Review D

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Anomalous gravity data during the 1997 total solar eclipse do not support the hypothesis of gravitational shielding

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