Is there a fifth force of nature? Asteroids provide new clues

In 2023, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission successfully returned a sample of dust and rocks from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. 

While this sample provides critical insights into the universe, the data collected by the mission may also offer a chance to explore new areas of physics. 

Potential fifth force of the universe 

A research team led by Yu-Dai Tsai, an astrophysicist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), utilized Bennu’s tracking data to investigate the potential existence of a fifth fundamental force in the universe.

“Interpreting the data we see from tracking Bennu has the potential to add to our understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of the universe, potentially revamping our understanding of the Standard Model of physics, gravity and dark matter,” explained Tsai. 

“The trajectories of objects often feature anomalies that can be useful in discovering new physics.”

Tracking near-Earth asteroids like Bennu

Given the potential implications for planetary defense, near-Earth asteroids like Bennu are closely monitored. 

The team leveraged ground-based tracking data gathered both before and during the OSIRIS-REx mission to investigate extensions of the Standard Model of physics, which currently explains three of the four known fundamental forces of the universe.

Since Bennu’s discovery in 1999, optical and radar astrometric data have helped refine its trajectory with precision. The OSIRIS-REx mission added to this with X-band radiometric and optical navigation tracking data.

“The tight constraints we’ve achieved translate readily to some of the tightest-ever limits on Yukawa-type fifth forces,” said study co-author Sunny Vagnozzi, an assistant professor at the University of Trento. 

“These results highlight the potential for asteroid tracking as a valuable tool in the search for ultralight bosons, dark matter and several well-motivated extensions of the Standard Model.”

Possibility of a fifth fundamental force 

The trajectory of a celestial body, like an asteroid, is shaped by gravity and other forces. Understanding these trajectories can uncover mysteries, especially when anomalies appear. 

Historically, for example, the existence of Neptune was inferred from irregularities in Uranus’s orbit before Neptune was ever directly observed.

By analyzing Bennu’s trajectory and developing corresponding models, the team established constraints on the possibility of a fifth fundamental force and the role of a potential mediating particle, such as an ultralight boson, in that force. 

A mediating particle acting upon a fifth force could alter the orbit of an asteroid like Bennu, which is why analyzing this tracking data is significant for physics research.

Dark matter and dark energy 

A new particle, such as an ultralight boson, could extend the Standard Model to include dark matter and dark energy – two phenomena strongly suggested by cosmological and astrophysical observations but not yet integrated into the current theoretical framework. 

While dark matter is believed to make up approximately 85% of the universe’s total matter, scientists still lack a concrete understanding of the particles and forces that constitute it.

Asteroid tracking and fifth-force physics 

Tsai and his team first explored the idea of using asteroid tracking to investigate fifth-force physics in a 2023 paper published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. 

After their work on Bennu, they now plan to continue this research with the asteroid Apophis, which will pass within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029.

NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft is scheduled to approach Apophis during this close flyby and stir up dust. 

Observations of how Earth’s gravity affects Apophis as it passes by will provide more data to aid in the search for evidence of fifth-force physics.

Probing fundamental questions in physics 

Looking ahead, the research team is also exploring the use of space quantum technologies and dedicated space missions to improve tracking accuracy or directly search for dark matter. 

These innovations could significantly enhance measurement precision and further support efforts to investigate subtle gravitational influences that may reveal the presence of new particles or forces.

Such advancements could pave the way for future breakthroughs as scientists continue to explore the fundamental forces that govern the universe.

This research represents an important step in using asteroid tracking data to probe fundamental questions in physics, offering a new method for investigating the universe’s hidden forces and particles.

The research is published in the journal Nature Communications Physics.

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