Improved constraint on the α₁ PPN parameter from lunar motion

authored by

Jürgen Müller, Kenneth Nordtvedt, David Vokrouhlický

Abstract

Some theories of gravity, alternative to general relativity, introduce a preferred rest frame for local gravitational physics. At the post-Newtonian level, these preferred-frame effects in Lagrangian-based theories are described by two phenomenological parameters α₁ and α₂, of which only the latter is strongly constrained today. Following previous theoretical suggestions of Nordtvedt, Damour, and Vokrouhlický, we show that the analysis of the lunar motion provides an improved bound of the former parameter, notably α₁ =(-8±9)×10^-5 realistic error [and α₁ =(-8±4)×10^-5(90% C.L.)].

External Organisation(s)

Northwest Analysis
Charles University
Technical University of Munich (TUM)

Type

Article

Journal

Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology

Volume

54

Pages

R5927-R5930

ISSN

1550-7998

Publication date

15.11.1996

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Nuclear and High Energy Physics, Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.54.R5927 (Access: Unknown)

 

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