Published March 1, 2016 | Version v1
Journal article

Test of the Equivalence Principle in the Dark sector on galactic scales

  • 1. Department of Mathematics, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140 (South Africa)

Description

The Einstein Equivalence Principle is a fundamental principle of the theory of General Relativity. While this principle has been thoroughly tested with standard matter, the question of its validity in the Dark sector remains open. In this paper, we consider a general tensor-scalar theory that allows to test the equivalence principle in the Dark sector by introducing two different conformal couplings to standard matter and to Dark matter. We constrain these couplings by considering galactic observations of strong lensing and of velocity dispersion. Our analysis shows that, in the case of a violation of the Einstein Equivalence Principle, data favour violations through coupling strengths that are of opposite signs for ordinary and Dark matter. At the same time, our analysis does not show any significant deviations from General Relativity

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2016/03/032

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Journal Volume
2016
Journal Issue
03
Journal Page Range
p. 032
ISSN
1475-7516

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
47095872
Subject category
S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY;
Descriptors DEI
COUPLING; EQUIVALENCE PRINCIPLE; GALAXIES; GENERAL RELATIVITY THEORY; GRAVITATIONAL LENSES; NONLUMINOUS MATTER; SCALARS; TENSORS; VELOCITY
Descriptors DEC
FIELD THEORIES; LENSES; MATTER; RELATIVITY THEORY