VSL-Gravity in light of PSR B1913+16 full data set: Upper limits on graviton mass and its theoretical consequences

Very Special Linear Gravity (VSL-Gravity) is an alternative model of linearized gravity that incorporates massive gravitons while retaining only two physical degrees of freedom thanks to gauge invariance. Recently, the gravitational period-decay dynamics of the model has been determined using effect...

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Main Authors: Alexander Bonilla, Alessandro Santoni, Rafael C. Nunes, Jackson Levi Said
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:Physics Letters B
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269325001480
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author Alexander Bonilla
Alessandro Santoni
Rafael C. Nunes
Jackson Levi Said
author_facet Alexander Bonilla
Alessandro Santoni
Rafael C. Nunes
Jackson Levi Said
author_sort Alexander Bonilla
collection DOAJ
description Very Special Linear Gravity (VSL-Gravity) is an alternative model of linearized gravity that incorporates massive gravitons while retaining only two physical degrees of freedom thanks to gauge invariance. Recently, the gravitational period-decay dynamics of the model has been determined using effective field theory techniques. In this study, we conduct a comprehensive Bayesian analysis of the PSR B1913+16 binary pulsar dataset to test the predictions of VSL-Gravity. Our results place a 95% confidence level upper bound on the graviton mass at mg≲10−19eV/c2. Additionally, we observe a significant discrepancy in the predicted mass of one of the binary's companion stars. Lastly, we discuss the broader implications of a non-zero graviton mass, from astrophysical consequences to potential cosmological effects.
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spelling doaj-art-dccdea0ad10e4c36be0693d91eba84dd2025-08-20T02:17:26ZengElsevierPhysics Letters B0370-26932025-05-0186413938810.1016/j.physletb.2025.139388VSL-Gravity in light of PSR B1913+16 full data set: Upper limits on graviton mass and its theoretical consequencesAlexander Bonilla0Alessandro Santoni1Rafael C. Nunes2Jackson Levi Said3Observatório Nacional, Rua General José Cristino 77, São Cristóvão, 20921-400 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal Fluminense, 24210-346 Niterói, RJ, Brazil; Corresponding author.Institut für Theoretische Physik and Atominstitut, Technische Universität Wien, Wiedner Hauptstrasse 8–10, A-1040 Vienna, Austria; Instituto de Física, Pontificia Universidad de Católica de Chile, Avenida Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago, ChileInstituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 91501-970 Porto Alegre RS, Brazil; Divisão de Astrofísica, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, Avenida dos Astronautas 1758, São José dos Campos, 12227-010, SP, BrazilInstitute of Space Sciences and Astronomy, University of Malta, Msida, Malta; Department of Physics, University of Malta, Msida, MaltaVery Special Linear Gravity (VSL-Gravity) is an alternative model of linearized gravity that incorporates massive gravitons while retaining only two physical degrees of freedom thanks to gauge invariance. Recently, the gravitational period-decay dynamics of the model has been determined using effective field theory techniques. In this study, we conduct a comprehensive Bayesian analysis of the PSR B1913+16 binary pulsar dataset to test the predictions of VSL-Gravity. Our results place a 95% confidence level upper bound on the graviton mass at mg≲10−19eV/c2. Additionally, we observe a significant discrepancy in the predicted mass of one of the binary's companion stars. Lastly, we discuss the broader implications of a non-zero graviton mass, from astrophysical consequences to potential cosmological effects.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269325001480
spellingShingle Alexander Bonilla
Alessandro Santoni
Rafael C. Nunes
Jackson Levi Said
VSL-Gravity in light of PSR B1913+16 full data set: Upper limits on graviton mass and its theoretical consequences
Physics Letters B
title VSL-Gravity in light of PSR B1913+16 full data set: Upper limits on graviton mass and its theoretical consequences
title_full VSL-Gravity in light of PSR B1913+16 full data set: Upper limits on graviton mass and its theoretical consequences
title_fullStr VSL-Gravity in light of PSR B1913+16 full data set: Upper limits on graviton mass and its theoretical consequences
title_full_unstemmed VSL-Gravity in light of PSR B1913+16 full data set: Upper limits on graviton mass and its theoretical consequences
title_short VSL-Gravity in light of PSR B1913+16 full data set: Upper limits on graviton mass and its theoretical consequences
title_sort vsl gravity in light of psr b1913 16 full data set upper limits on graviton mass and its theoretical consequences
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269325001480
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