Possible evidence for non-Newtonian gravity in the Greenland ice gap

• Main Author: Ander, M.E.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Los Alamos National Laboratory 1988
• Subjects: Greenland; Ice 657003* > Theoretical & Mathematical Physics > Relativity & Gravitation; Testing; Measuring Methods; Ice Caps; 71 Classical And Quantum Mechanics; General Physics; Gravitation; Ice cap
• Online Access: https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1111207/

An Airy-type geophysical experiment was conducted down a 2 km deep hole in the Greenland ice cap in order to test for possible violations of Newton's inverse square law by making gravity measurements over a range of 213 m to 1460 m. A significant departure from Newtonian gravity was observed. This result can be explained by the existence of an attractive non-Newtonian component of gravity with a strength of about 3.4% that of Newtonian gravity at a scale of 1460 m. Unfortunately, we cannot completely, unambiguously attribute it to a breakdown of Newtonian gravity because we have shown that lateral density variations in the bedrock beneath the ice can cause such apparent departures. If such variations existed, they would have to be rather unusual but certainly no impossible. 8 refs.