English

Lunar Laser Ranging Science: Gravitational Physics and Lunar Interior and Geodesy

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2010-03-24 v1

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 G˙/G\dot{G}/G 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