TY - JOUR

T1 - Benefit of new high-precision llr data for the determination of relativistic parameters

AU - Biskupek, Liliane

AU - Müller, Jürgen

AU - Torre, Jean Marie

N1 - Funding Information: Funding: This research was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy–EXC-2123 QuantumFrontiers–390837967 and by the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt (DLR, German Aerospace Center), Institute for Satellite Geodesy and Inertial Sensing.

PY - 2021/2/3

Y1 - 2021/2/3

N2 - Since 1969, Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) data have been collected by various observa-tories and analysed by different analysis groups. In the recent years, observations with bigger telescopes (APOLLO) and at infra-red wavelength (OCA) are carried out, resulting in a better distribution of precise LLR data over the lunar orbit and the observed retro-reflectors on the Moon. This is a great advantage for various investigations in the LLR analysis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the benefit of the new LLR data for the determination of relativistic parame-ters. Here, we show current results for relativistic parameters like a possible temporal variation of the gravitational constant Ġ/G0 = (−5.0 ± 9.6) × 10−15 yr−1, the equivalence principle with ∆( mg /mi)EM= (−2.1±2.4)×10−14, and the PPN parameters β − 1 = (6.2 ± 7.2) × 10−5 and γ − 1 = (1.7 ± 1.6) × 10−4. The results show a significant improvement in the accuracy of the various parameters, mainly due to better coverage of the lunar orbit, better distribution of measurements over the lunar retro-reflectors, and last but not least, higher accuracy of the data. Within the estimated accuracies, no violation of Einstein’s theory is found and the results set improved limits for the different effects.

AB - Since 1969, Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) data have been collected by various observa-tories and analysed by different analysis groups. In the recent years, observations with bigger telescopes (APOLLO) and at infra-red wavelength (OCA) are carried out, resulting in a better distribution of precise LLR data over the lunar orbit and the observed retro-reflectors on the Moon. This is a great advantage for various investigations in the LLR analysis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the benefit of the new LLR data for the determination of relativistic parame-ters. Here, we show current results for relativistic parameters like a possible temporal variation of the gravitational constant Ġ/G0 = (−5.0 ± 9.6) × 10−15 yr−1, the equivalence principle with ∆( mg /mi)EM= (−2.1±2.4)×10−14, and the PPN parameters β − 1 = (6.2 ± 7.2) × 10−5 and γ − 1 = (1.7 ± 1.6) × 10−4. The results show a significant improvement in the accuracy of the various parameters, mainly due to better coverage of the lunar orbit, better distribution of measurements over the lunar retro-reflectors, and last but not least, higher accuracy of the data. Within the estimated accuracies, no violation of Einstein’s theory is found and the results set improved limits for the different effects.

KW - Equivalence principle

KW - Gravitational constant

KW - Lunar laser ranging

KW - PPN parameters

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85106860698&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/universe7020034

DO - 10.3390/universe7020034

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85106860698

VL - 7

JO - Universe

JF - Universe

IS - 2

M1 - 34

ER -