Related papers: Electrostatic accelerometer with bias rejection fo…
We show that a small, but \textit{measurable} shift in the eclipse mid-point time of eclipsing binary (EBs) stars of $\sim$ 0.1 seconds over a decade baseline can be used to directly measure the Galactic acceleration of stars in the Milky…
Accurate measurement of inertial quantities is essential in geophysics, geodesy, fundamental physics and navigation. For instance, inertial navigation systems require stable inertial sensors to compute the position and attitude of the…
Context. In exoplanet searches with radial velocity data, the most common statistical significance metrics are the Bayes factor and the false alarm probability (FAP). Both have proved useful, but do not directly address whether an exoplanet…
This paper addresses the global exponential attitude tracking of a spacecraft when gyro measurements are corrupted by bias. Based on contraction analysis, an exponentially convergent nonlinear observer is designed first to estimate the gyro…
The microhertz frequency band of gravitational waves probes the merger of supermassive black holes as well as many other gravitational wave phenomena. However, space-interferometry methods that use test masses would require further…
We show that an interferometer moving at a relativistic speed relative to a point source of light offers a sensitive probe of acceleration. Such an accelerometer contains no moving parts, and is thus more robust than conventional…
Low-cost micro-electromechanical accelerometers are widely used in navigation, robotics, and consumer devices for motion sensing and position estimation. However, their performance is often degraded by bias errors. To eliminate…
The Very Large Area Gamma-ray Space Telescope Pathfinder (VLAST-P), as the technology validation satellite for the VLAST mission, is designed to observe high-energy solar bursts on orbit. The CsI electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL) is one of…
Stellar activity interferes with precise radial velocity measurements and limits our ability to detect and characterize planets, particularly Earth-like planets. We introduce \aestra (Auto-Encoding STellar Radial-velocity and Activity), a…
A unique test of general relativity is possible with the space radio telescope RadioAstron. The ultra-stable on-board hydrogen maser frequency standard and the highly eccentric orbit make RadioAstron an ideal instrument for probing the…
The MICROSCOPE mission aims to test the Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP) in orbit with an unprecedented precision of 10$^{-15}$ on the E\"otv\"os parameter thanks to electrostatic accelerometers on board a drag-free micro-satellite. The…
This paper provides a framework for the incorporation of the wavefront sensor measurements in the context of observing modes in which the science camera takes millisecond exposures. In this formulation, the wavefront sensor measurements…
Planetary radar observations offer the potential for probing the properties of characteristics of solid bodies throughout the inner solar system and at least as far as the orbit of Saturn. In addition to the direct scientific value, precise…
Many astronomers have speculated that the solar system contains undiscovered massive planets or a distant stellar companion. The acceleration of the solar system barycenter can constrain the mass and position of the putative companion. In…
The basic constituent of interferometric gravitational wave detectors -- the test mass to test mass interferometric link -- behaves as a differential dynamometer measuring effective differential forces, comprising an integrated measure of…
Galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles (SEPs) affect the performance of instruments carried on board space missions and are the source of the absorbed dose to astronauts. Particles above 100 MeV are the most penetrating. The…
This paper investigates an autonomous navigation method for spacecraft operating in the outer solar system, up to 250 AU from the Sun, using the parallactic shifts of nearby stars. These measurements enable estimation of the spacecraft…
It may be possible to construct a laser interferometer gravitational wave antenna in space with $h_{rms}\sim 10^{-27}$ at $ f\sim 0.1{\rm Hz}$ in this century. We show possible specification of this antenna which we call DECIGO. Using this…
In this paper, we present an overview of ASTROD (Astrodynamical Space Test of Relativity using Optical Devices) and ASTROD I mission concepts and studies. The missions employ deep-space laser ranging using drag-free spacecraft to map the…
We report the polarization measurement in prompt $\gamma$-ray emission of GRB 100826A with the Gamma-Ray Burst Polarimeter (GAP) aboard the small solar power sail demonstrator IKAROS. We detected the firm change of polarization angle (PA)…