Testing various facets of the equivalence principle using lunar laser ranging

authored by: J. Müller, F. Hofmann, L. Biskupek
Abstract: More than 42 years of lunar laser ranging provides an excellent basis for the determination of various parameters of the Earth-Moon system and for tests related to gravitational physics. In this paper, we focus on tests of the equivalence principle with the Earth and Moon as test bodies in the gravitational field of the Sun as well as a test of a possible violation of the equivalence principle as a result of the coupling of the galactic dark matter with the ordinary matter of the Earth and the Moon. Tests were carried out for three different data sets with observations from 1969 to 2011, 1986 to 2011, and one set with data only from the Apache Point Observatory. No significant deviation from the predictions of general relativity was found within the reached accuracy of 3.6 × 10 ⁴ for the Nordtvedt parameter η and 1.6 × 10 ¹³ for the mass ratio Δ(m _g/m _i) _EM of gravitational and inertial masses between the Earth and the Moon.
Organisation(s): Institute of Geodesy
Type: Review article
Journal: Classical and quantum gravity
Volume: 29
ISSN: 0264-9381
Publication date: 15.08.2012
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1088/0264-9381/29/18/184006 (Access: Unknown)
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