Abstract
We have tested the proportionality of force and acceleration in Newton's second law, F = ma, in the limit of small forces and accelerations. Our tests reach well below the acceleration scales relevant to understanding several current astrophysical puzzles such as the flatness of galactic rotation curves, the Pioneer anomaly, and the Hubble acceleration. We find good agreement with Newton's second law at accelerations as small as 5 x 10(-14) m/s(2).
Published in:
Physical Review Letters 98,15 (2007)
Link to original published article:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.150801
Keywords
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Date of Version
January 2007
Recommended Citation
Gundlach, J. H.; Schlamminger, S.; Spitzer, C. D.; Choi, K. Y.; Woodahl, B. A.; Coy, J. J.; and Fischbach, E., "Laboratory test of Newton's second law for small accelerations" (2007). Department of Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications. Paper 870.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/physics_articles/870