Proposed tests of General Relativity with the Galileo 5 and 6 navigation satellites
- Paper number
IAC-16,A2,1,9,x35620
- Coauthor
Prof. Claus Laemmerzahl, ZARM - University of Bremen, Germany
- Coauthor
Dr. Daniela Kunst, ZARM, University of Bremen, Germany
- Coauthor
Mr. Felix Finke, ZARM, University of Bremen, Germany
- Coauthor
Dr. Sven Herrmann, ZARM - University of Bremen, Germany
- Coauthor
Mr. Martin Lülf, Technical University of Munich, Germany
- Coauthor
Dr. Gabriele Giorgi, Technical University of Munich, Germany
- Coauthor
Dr. Benny Rievers, ZARM - University of Bremen, Germany
- Coauthor
Dr. Meike List, ZARM - University of Bremen, Germany
- Coauthor
Dr. Eva Hackmann, ZARM - University of Bremen, Germany
- Coauthor
Dr. Volker Perlick, ZARM - University of Bremen, Germany
- Coauthor
Dr. Dirk Pützfeld, ZARM - University of Bremen, Germany
- Coauthor
Dr. Fritz Merkle, OHB System AG-Bremen, Germany
- Coauthor
Prof. Hansjörg Dittus, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany
- Coauthor
Prof. Christoph Günther, TU Muenchen, Germany
- Year
2016
- Abstract
Einstein's theory of general relativity leads to various predictions that have already been verified by experiments with high precision, such as the perihelion shift of Mercury or the gravitational redshift. The best measurement of the gravitational redshift has been achieved with the Gravity Probe A experiment in 1976 with an uncertainty of $1.4 \times 10^{-4}$. Today, two of the Galileo navigation satellites provide us with an excellent opportunity to improve this uncertainty. GSAT0201 and GSAT0202 have accidentally been injected onto an eccentric orbit, so that the accurate, stable atomic clocks onboard experience a daily modulation of the gravitational potential resulting in a measurable dilation of time. Through an analysis of the data obtained by the satellites and by employing a sophisticated model for the influence of solar radiation pressure on the satellites' orbits we aim to determine the time dilation to an improved accuracy. We are also investigating if further effects on the clocks of the satellites might be in the range of detection. This project is supported by the German Space Agency DLR with funds provided by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) under grant number DLR 50 WM 1548.- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)