Space test of the equivalence principle: first results of the MICROSCOPE mission
OA Location
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The weak equivalence principle (WEP), stating that two bodies of different compositions and/or mass fall at the same rate in a gravitational field (universality of free fall), is at the very foundation of general relativity. The MICROSCOPE mission aims to test its validity to a precision of 10−15, two orders of magnitude better than current on-ground tests, by using two masses of different compositions (titanium and platinum alloys) on a quasi-circular trajectory around the Earth. This is realised by measuring the accelerations inferred from the forces required to maintain the two masses exactly in the same orbit. Any significant difference between the measured accelerations, occurring at a defined frequency, would correspond to the detection of a violation of the WEP, or to the discovery of a tiny new type of force added to gravity. MICROSCOPE's first results show no hint for such a difference, expressed in terms of Eötvös parameter (both 1 uncertainties) for a titanium and platinum pair of materials. This result was obtained on a session with 120 orbital revolutions representing 7% of the current available data acquired during the whole mission. The quadratic combination of 1 uncertainties leads to a current limit on of about .
Date Issued
2019-10-18
Date Acceptance
2019-09-23
Citation
Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2019, 36 (22), pp.1-34
ISSN
0264-9381
Publisher
IOP Publishing
Start Page
1
End Page
34
Journal / Book Title
Classical and Quantum Gravity
Volume
36
Issue
22
Copyright Statement
© 2019 IOP Publishing Ltd
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000501029700001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Quantum Science & Technology
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Physics, Particles & Fields
Physics
MICROSCOPE
general relativity
experimental gravitation
equivalence principle
space accelerometers
microsatellite
drag-free
GENERAL-RELATIVITY
GRAVITY
ACCELEROMETERS
REDSHIFT
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 225006