New Experimental Limit on the Photon Rest Mass with a Rotating Torsion Balance

Jun Luo, Liang-Cheng Tu, Zhong-Kun Hu, and En-Jie Luan
Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 081801 – Published 26 February 2003

Abstract

A rotating torsion balance method is used to detect the product of the photon mass squared and the ambient cosmic vector potential Ae. The signal is modulated by rotating the torsion balance to ensure the effectiveness of detection for all possible orientations of the vector potential. The influences of sidereal disturbances of environment are also removed by virtue of this modulation method. The experimental result shows μγ2Ae<1.1×1011   Tm/m2, with μγ1 as the characteristic length associated with photon mass. If the ambient cosmic vector potential Ae is 1012   Tm due to cluster level fields, we obtain a new upper limit on photon mass of 1.2×1051   g.

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  • Received 24 August 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.90.081801

©2003 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Jun Luo, Liang-Cheng Tu, Zhong-Kun Hu, and En-Jie Luan

  • Department of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People’s Republic of China

Comments & Replies

Problems with the Rotating-Torsion-Balance Limit on the Photon Mass

Alfred Scharff Goldhaber and Michael Martin Nieto
Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 149101 (2003)

Luo et al. Reply:

Jun Luo, Liang-Cheng Tu, Zhong-Kun Hu, and En-Jie Luan
Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 149102 (2003)

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Issue

Vol. 90, Iss. 8 — 28 February 2003

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