Newton’s second law versus modified-inertia MOND: A test using the high-latitude effect

The modified-inertia MOND is an approach that proposes a change in Newton’s second law at small accelerations as an alternative to dark matter. Recently it was suggested that this approach can be tested in terrestrial laboratory experiments. One way of doing the test is based on the static high-latitude equinox modified-inertia effect: around each equinox date, 2 spots emerge on the Earth where static bodies experience spontaneous displacement due to the violation of Newton’s second law required by the modified-inertia MOND. Here, a detailed theory of this effect is developed and estimates of the magnitude of the signal due to the effect are obtained. The expected displacement of a mirror in a gravitational-wave interferometer is found to be about ${10}^{-14}\mathrm{m}$. Some experimental aspects of the proposal are discussed.

Figure 1

Displacement of the mirror as function of time. The instant $t_p$ corresponds to $t=16\mathrm{s}$.