K20 and the Equivalence Principle
Abstract
It is shown that the existence of the long-lived neutral K meson, and the absence of its decay into two pions, establishes that the gravitational masses of the K0 and K¯0 are equal to a few parts in 10-10 of the K inertial mass. This is of interest since the K¯0 is the antiparticle of the K0, and is not identical with the K0. The gravitational mass of such a nonidentical antiparticle has never been directly measured. Also, the K¯0 has opposite strangeness to the K0. Thus the argument rules out any linear dependence of the gravitational mass on the strangeness quantum number, a point on which all previous experiments say nothing. These observations are in accord with, and serve as a confirmation of, the equivalence principle of Einstein.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review
- Pub Date:
- January 1961
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRev.121.311
- Bibcode:
- 1961PhRv..121..311G