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    Solar-System experiments in the search for dark energy and dark matter

    Slava G. Turyshev

    Phys. Rev. D 112, 123003 – Published 1 December, 2025

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/cmwl-xnhz

    Abstract

    We reassess the realistic discovery reach of Solar-System experiments for dark energy (DE) and dark matter (DM), making explicit the bridge from cosmology-level linear responses to local, screened residuals. In scalar-tensor frameworks with a universal conformal coupling A(ϕ) and chameleon/Vainshtein screening, we map cosmological responses {μ(z,k),Σ(z,k)} inferred by DESI and Euclid to thin-shell or Vainshtein residuals in deep Solar potentials ΦN. We emphasize a two-branch strategy. In a detection-first branch, a verified local anomaly—an Einstein equivalence principle (EEP) violation, a Shapiro-delay signal with |γ−1|∼few×10−6, an AU-scale Yukawa tail, or a narrowband ultralight DM (ULDM) line in clocks/atom interferometers in space (AIS)—triggers a joint refit of cosmology and Solar-System data under a common microphysical parameterization {V(ϕ),A(ϕ)}. In a guardrail branch, Solar-System tests enforce universal constraints (EEP; PPN parameters γ, β; and G˙/G) and close unscreened or weakly screened corners indicated by cosmology. Under realistic near-term conditions we forecast, per conjunction, |γ−1|≲(2−5)×10−6 (Ka-/X-band or optical Shapiro), ηEEP∼(1−10)×10−17 (drag-free AIS), |G˙/G|∼(3−5)×10−15  yr−1 [sub-mm-class lunar laser ranging (LLR)], a uniform ≃2× tightening of AU-scale Yukawa/DM-density bounds, and (3−10)× improved ULDM-coupling reach from clock networks. For a conformal benchmark, μlin,0=0.10 implies χ≃μlin,0/2 and a Sun thin shell ΔR/R≲(1/3χ)|γ−1|/2=2.4×10−3 at |γ−1|=5×10−6; Vainshtein screening at 1 AU yields |γ−1|≲10−11, naturally below near-term reach. We recommend a cost-effective guardrail+discovery portfolio with explicit triggers for escalation to dedicated missions.

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