Bounds on fifth forces from precision measurements on molecules
Abstract
Highly accurate results from frequency measurements on neutral hydrogen molecules H2, HD and D2 as well as the HD+ ion can be interpreted in terms of constraints on possible fifth-force interactions. Where the hydrogen atom is a probe for yet unknown lepton-hadron interactions, and the helium atom is sensitive for lepton-lepton interactions, molecules open the domain to search for additional long-range hadron-hadron forces. First principles calculations in the framework of quantum electrodynamics have now advanced to the level that hydrogen molecules and hydrogen molecular ions have become calculable systems, making them a search-ground for fifth forces. Following a phenomenological treatment of unknown hadron-hadron interactions written in terms of a Yukawa potential of the form V5(r)=β exp(-r/λ)/r current precision measurements on hydrogenic molecules yield a constraint β < 1 × 10-7 eV for long-range hadron-hadron interactions at typical force ranges commensurate with separations of a chemical bond, i.e. λ ~1 and beyond.
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