We introduce the Minimum Entropy Method, a simple statistical technique for
constraining the Milky Way gravitational potential and simultaneously testing
different gravity theories directly from 6D phase-space surveys and without
adopting dynamical models. We demonstrate that orbital energy distributions
that are separable (i.e. independent of position) have an associated entropy
that increases under wrong assumptions about the gravitational potential and/or
gravity theory. Of known objects, `cold' tidal streams from low-mass
progenitors follow orbital distributions that most nearly satisfy the condition
of separability. Although the orbits of tidally stripped stars are perturbed by
the progenitor's self-gravity, systematic variations of the energy distribution
can be quantified in terms of the cross-entropy of individual tails, giving
further sensitivity to theoretical biases in the host potential. The
feasibility of using the Minimum Entropy Method to test a wide range of gravity
theories is illustrated by evolving restricted N-body models in a Newtonian
potential and examining the changes in entropy introduced by Dirac, MONDian and
f(R) gravity modifications.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 11 pages 6 figure
