Lunar Laser Ranging Science: Gravitational Physics and Lunar Interior and Geodesy
Abstract
Laser pulses fired at retroreflectors on the Moon provide very accurate ranges. Analysis yields information on Earth, Moon, and orbit. The highly accurate retroreflector positions have uncertainties less than a meter. Tides on the Moon show strong dissipation, with Q=33 \pm 4 at a month and a weak dependence on period. Lunar rotation depends on interior properties; a fluid core is indicated with radius ~20% that of the Moon. Tests of relativistic gravity verify the equivalence principle to \pm 1.4 x 10^{-13}, limit deviations from Einstein's general relativity, and show no rate for the gravitational constant with uncertainty 9 x 10^{-13} 1/yr.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.gr-qc/0412049,
title = {Lunar Laser Ranging Science: Gravitational Physics and Lunar Interior and Geodesy},
author = {James G. Williams and Slava G. Turyshev and Dale H. Boggs and J. Todd Ratcliff},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:gr-qc/0412049},
year = {2010}
}
Comments
8 pages, invited talk given at ``35th COSPAR Scientific Assebly,'' July 18-24, 2004, Paris, France