Physicists have been searching for a fundamental “fifth force” for decades. Bennu may have brought us closer to finding her.

The “Standard Model” of particle physics specifies that particles interact with each other under the influence of four “forces”: electromagnetic, gravitational, and strong and weak nuclear forces. For decades, physicists have debated the possibility of additional forces (in addition to debating the extent to which we can consider gravity a “force”). For now, the “fifth force” remains elusive, but the group now believes they have the key to unlocking it.

It’s on asteroids.

In search of the fifth force. A new study suggests that a “fifth force” may be responsible for some of the observations recorded by the OSIRIS-REx mission, a mission that NASA sent to the asteroid Bennu to collect samples. Samples delivered to Earth a year ago.

In addition to collecting these samples, OSIRIS-REx instruments have collected important data about Bennu’s orbit. The idea is that possible discrepancies between the probe’s observations and predictions based on theoretical models such as the Standard Model could provide clues to this hypothetical interaction.

“By interpreting the data, we see that tracking Bennu has the potential to expand our understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of the universe, potentially updating our understanding of the Standard Model of physics, gravity, and dark matter,” Yu-Yu explained in a press release. Dai Cai, a member of the team in charge of the work.

Anomalies. As Tsai himself explains, the trajectories of objects like Bennu often exhibit “anomalies.” The team’s proposal is to use these anomalies in the search for the long-awaited “new physics” that will allow us to move beyond the current Standard Model.

This is something traditional: exactly where models fail, models begin to appear that eliminate errors and advance physics. That’s why these possible anomalies are so relevant.

Accurate tracking. The team examined tracking data from the asteroid Bennu before and during the development of the OSIRIS-REx mission. Because it is a potentially dangerous asteroid for Earth, telescopes around the world have been carefully monitoring its orbital movements since its discovery in 1999.

Even more careful observation during the planning and development of the sample collection mission, the protagonist of which was an asteroid. This exhaustive monitoring allowed the team to make precise measurements of Bennu’s orbit.

Based on the data collected, the team limited the scope of actions that a hypothetical fifth force could represent. The team also looked at the possible role of a mediating particle in this relationship, something like its own graviton, in this case perhaps an ultralight boson. Details of the work can be read in the article published in the magazine. Physics of communication.

From OSIRIS-REx to OSIRIS-APEX. The team intends to continue the search for the fifth force using a new tool: the asteroid Apophis. This asteroid, also potentially dangerous to our planet, is the second target of the OSIRIS-REx mission probe, now transformed into the OSIRIS-APEX mission probe (for Apophis Explorer).

Apophis will approach Earth in 2029, passing just 32,187 km from our planet, less than a tenth of the distance that separates us from the Moon. This approach will be used by the scientific community to study the asteroid in detail, and OSIRIS-APEX will have a front-row seat.

Long search. The search for the “fifth force” is not new and is not limited to the field of astrophysics. Particle accelerators are also often in the news for these searches, such as the one Fermilab reported last year with an experiment on the g-2 muon. Laboratory experiments showed unexpected behavior of muons that they could not explain using the theory established by the Standard Model.

The implications of the discovery of this hypothetical power are almost as mysterious as the power itself. However, the researchers note that it could help us solve some of the enduring mysteries of the cosmos, such as dark matter and dark energy.

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