Astrometric test of the weak equivalence principle

Abstract

Weak equivalence principle (WEP) is, for the first time, tested by astrometry on quasars in the sky measured in two wavelengths. Compared to previous WEP tests based on the Shapiro time delay of massless particles, this one has profound superiority that nearly 1,700 quasars with best measured positions commonly in the optical and radio bands are available. It ensures that, among the tests with photons, this one can give the most significantly robust bound on possible violation of WEP.