Constraints on Gravitational Shielding: Difference between revisions

Scientific Paper
Title	Constraints on Gravitational Shielding
Author(s)	Michele Caputo
Keywords	Gravitational Shielding, extinction coefficient, Gravity, equivalence principle
Published	2006
Journal	Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy

Latest revision as of 10:39, 16 July 2026

Constraints on Gravitational Shielding is a short review paper by the geophysicist Michele Caputo, published under the title "On new limits of the coefficient of gravitation shielding" in the Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 439–441 (2006; sometimes cited as 2007). It re-examines the experimental and observational upper limits on the hypothetical phenomenon of gravitational shielding and updates the state of the art.

Abstract

(Summary — see the published article for the full abstract.) New limits on the coefficient of gravitation shielding have become available in the literature. Caputo reviews and discusses these values in order to update the state of the art, observing that the most recently published limits are not necessarily the smallest — and that the smallest limits are the ones of interest when planning new experimental research or evaluating possible theoretical gravitational-shielding effects. The work builds on the extinction (shielding) coefficient introduced by Quirino Majorana and on Caputo's own earlier bound (λ < 6×10⁻¹⁶, 1962).

Background: limits on gravitational shielding

Gravitational shielding is the hypothesis that an intervening mass could partially screen the gravitational attraction between two other bodies. Such an effect would violate the equivalence principle and is absent from both Newtonian gravitation and general relativity. To quantify it, Quirino Majorana introduced an extinction (shielding) coefficient h that modifies Newton's force law. Reported upper limits include:

Laboratory measurements: ≈ 4.3×10⁻¹⁵ m²/kg
1997 total solar-eclipse gravity-anomaly data (Yang & Wang, 2002): ≈ 6×10⁻¹⁹ m²/kg
Lunar laser ranging (Eckhardt, 1990): ≈ 10⁻²² m²/kg; Williams et al.: (3 ± 5)×10⁻²² m²/kg

To date no experiment has produced a positive detection; all measurements remain consistent with zero shielding.

Publication details

Author: Michele Caputo
Published as: "On new limits of the coefficient of gravitation shielding"
Journal: Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy 27(4), 439–441 (2006)
Publisher: Indian Academy of Sciences / Springer
DOI: 10.1007/BF02709369

External links

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Infobox paper
 | title = Constraints on Gravitational Shielding
-| author = [[]]
+| author = [[Michele Caputo]]
-| keywords = [[Gravitational Shielding]]
+| keywords = [[Gravitational Shielding]], extinction coefficient, [[Gravity]], equivalence principle
-| published = 2007
+| published = 2006
-| journal = [[None]]
+| journal = Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy
 }}
+'''''Constraints on Gravitational Shielding''''' is a short review paper by the geophysicist [[Michele Caputo]], published under the title "On new limits of the coefficient of gravitation shielding" in the ''Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy'', vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 439–441 (2006; sometimes cited as 2007). It re-examines the experimental and observational upper limits on the hypothetical phenomenon of gravitational shielding and updates the state of the art.
 ==Abstract==
+''(Summary — see the [https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02709369 published article] for the full abstract.)'' New limits on the coefficient of gravitation shielding have become available in the literature. Caputo reviews and discusses these values in order to update the state of the art, observing that the most recently published limits are not necessarily the smallest — and that the smallest limits are the ones of interest when planning new experimental research or evaluating possible theoretical gravitational-shielding effects. The work builds on the extinction (shielding) coefficient introduced by Quirino Majorana and on Caputo's own earlier bound (λ < 6×10<sup>−16</sup>, 1962).
+==Background: limits on gravitational shielding==
+Gravitational shielding is the hypothesis that an intervening mass could partially screen the gravitational attraction between two other bodies. Such an effect would violate the [[equivalence principle]] and is absent from both Newtonian gravitation and [[general relativity]]. To quantify it, Quirino Majorana introduced an extinction (shielding) coefficient ''h'' that modifies Newton's force law. Reported upper limits include:
+* Laboratory measurements: ≈ 4.3×10<sup>−15</sup> m²/kg
+* 1997 total solar-eclipse gravity-anomaly data (Yang &amp; Wang, 2002): ≈ 6×10<sup>−19</sup> m²/kg
+* Lunar laser ranging (Eckhardt, 1990): ≈ 10<sup>−22</sup> m²/kg; Williams ''et al.'': (3 ± 5)×10<sup>−22</sup> m²/kg
+To date no experiment has produced a positive detection; all measurements remain consistent with zero shielding.
+==Publication details==
+* '''Author:''' [[Michele Caputo]]
+* '''Published as:''' "On new limits of the coefficient of gravitation shielding"
+* '''Journal:''' ''Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy'' '''27'''(4), 439–441 (2006)
+* '''Publisher:''' Indian Academy of Sciences / Springer
+* '''DOI:''' [https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02709369 10.1007/BF02709369]
+==External links==
+* [https://www.ias.ac.in/article/fulltext/joaa/027/04/0439-0441 Full text — Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy (Indian Academy of Sciences)]
+* [https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02709369 Article record on SpringerLink]
 [[Category:Scientific Paper|constraints gravitational shielding]]
-[[Category:Gravity]]
+[[Category:Gravity|constraints gravitational shielding]]