String theory and gravity

T. Damour, A. M. Polyakov

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

282 Scopus citations

Abstract

It is pointed out that string-loop effects may generate matter couplings for the dilaton allowing this scalar partner of the tensorial graviton to stay massless while contributing to macroscopic gravity in a way naturally compatible with existing experimental data. Under a certain assumption of universality of the dilaton coupling functions, the cosmological evolution drives the dilaton towards values where it decouples from matter. At the present cosmological epoch, the coupling to matter of the dilaton should be very small, but non zero. This provides a new motivation for improving the experimental tests of Einstein's Equivalence Principle.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1171-1176
Number of pages6
JournalGeneral Relativity and Gravitation
Volume26
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1994

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'String theory and gravity'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this