Experimental bounds on interactions mediated by ultralow-mass bosons

Abstract

We use a rotating torsion balance to search for feeble forces arising from exchange of ultralow-mass bosons. Our limits on the differential horizontal acceleration of Be/Al or Be/Cu test-body pairs in the field of the Earth, \ensuremath{\Delta}${a}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$=(1.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}11}$ cm ${\mathrm{s}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2}$ and \ensuremath{\Delta}${a}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$=(0.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.7)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}11}$ cm ${\mathrm{s}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2}$, respectively, set improved bounds on interactions mediated by bosons with masses ranging between ${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}17}$ and ${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}6}$ eV.