The science, technology and mission design for the laser astrometric test of relativity

Author

Turyshev, Slava G.

Author_Institution

Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Technol., Pasadena, CA

fYear

0

fDate

0-0 0

Abstract

The laser astrometric test of relativity (LATOR) is a Michelson-Morley-type experiment designed to test the Einstein´s general theory of relativity in the most intense gravitational environment available in the solar system - the close proximity to the Sun. By using independent time-series of highly accurate measurements of the Shapiro time-delay (laser ranging accurate to 1 cm) and interferometric astrometry (accurate to 0.1 picoradian), LATOR will measure gravitational deflection of light by the solar gravity with accuracy of 1 part in a billion, a factor ~30,000 better than currently available. LATOR will perform series of highly-accurate tests of gravitation and cosmology in its search for cosmological remnants of scalar field in the solar system. We present science, technology and mission design for the LATOR mission

Keywords

Sun; astrometry; general relativity; gravitational experiments; light interferometers; solar system; Michelson-Morley-type experiment; Shapiro time-delay; close proximity; cosmological remnants; independent time-series analysis; interferometric astrometry; laser astrometric test of relativity; light gravitational deflection; solar gravity; solar system; theory of relativity; Current measurement; Extraterrestrial measurements; Gravity; Laser theory; Optical design; Optical interferometry; Performance evaluation; Solar system; Sun; System testing;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Aerospace Conference, 2006 IEEE

Conference_Location

Big Sky, MT

Print_ISBN

0-7803-9545-X

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/AERO.2006.1655942

Filename

1655942