LIMITS ON NEW FORCES COEXISTING WITH ELECTROMAGNETISM

We consider the limits arising from different electromagnetic systems on the existence of a possible new electromagnetic analogue of the fifth force. Although such a force may have no intrinsic connection to electromagnetism (or gravity), its effects could be manifested through various anomalies in electromagnetic systems, for appropriate values of the coupling strength and range. Our work generalizes that of Bartlett and Logl (who considered the case of a massive vector field coexisting with massless electrodynamics) to encompass a broad class of phenomenological interactions mediated by both scalar and vector exchanges. By combining data from both gravitational and electromagnetic systems, one can eventually set limits on a new force whose range lambda extends from the subatomic scale (lambda almost-equal-to 10(-15) m) to the astrophysical scale (lambda almost-equal-to 10(12) m).