Related papers: Finally, results from Gravity Probe-B
On August 22, 2014, the satellites GSAT-0201 and GSAT-0202 of the European GNSS Galileo were unintentionally launched into eccentric orbits. Unexpectedly, this has become a fortunate scientific opportunity since the onboard hydrogen masers…
We study the motion of a gyroscope located far away from an isolated gravitational source in an asymptotically flat spacetime. As seen from a local frame tied to distant stars, the gyroscope precesses when gravitational waves cross its…
We survey theoretical and experimental/observational results on general-relativistic spin (rotation) effects in binary systems. A detailed discussion is given of the two-body Kepler problem and its first post-Newtonian generalization,…
In the last two decades an anomalous variation in the asymptotic velocity of spacecraft performing a flyby manoeuvre around Earth has been discovered through careful Doppler tracking and orbital analysis. No viable hypothesis for a…
Experimental discovery of the gravitomagnetic fields generated by translational and/or rotational currents of matter is one of primary goals of modern gravitational physics. The rotational (intrinsic) gravitomagnetic field of the Earth is…
This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the physics of gravitational waves, exploring both the theoretical foundations and the most recent experimental advances. After a general introduction to the theory of general relativity and…
A test of a cornerstone of general relativity, the gravitational redshift effect, is currently being conducted with the RadioAstron spacecraft, which is on a highly eccentric orbit around Earth. Using ground radio telescopes to record the…
The asymmetry in the time delay for light rays propagating on opposite sides of a spinning body is analyzed. A frequency shift in the perceived signals is found. A practical procedure is proposed for evidencing the asymmetry, allowing for a…
Contemporary astronomy is undergoing a revolution, perhaps even more important than that which took place with the advent of radioastronomy in the 1960s, and then the opening of the sky to observations in the other electromagnetic…
In this work we have investigated various properties of a spinning gyroscope in the context of Horndeski theories. In particular, we have focused on two specific situations --- (a) when the gyroscope follows a geodesic trajectory and (b)…
We review the derivation of the metric for a spinning body of any shape and composition using linearized general relativity theory, and also obtain the same metric using a transformation argument. The latter derivation makes it clear that…
Since their first detection in 2015, gravitational wave observations have enabled a variety of studies, ranging from stellar evolution to fundamental physics. In this chapter, we focus on their use as "standard sirens", describing the…
The successful construction and operation of highly sensitive gravitational-wave detectors is an achievement to be proud of, but the detection of actual signals is still around the corner. Even so, null results from recent searches have…
We present a short communication on the recent direct measurements of gravitational waves, made possible by the joint efforts of the LIGO and the Virgo projects. These notes are devoted to a broad audience. In the first part we will present…
Deployment of quantum technology in space provides opportunities for new types of precision tests of gravity. On the other hand, the operational demands of such technology can make previously unimportant effects practically relevant. We…
It is thought that a stochastic background of gravitational waves was produced during the formation of the universe. A great deal could be learned by measuring this Cosmic Gravitational-wave Background (CGB), but detecting the CGB presents…
One of the most exciting quests in all of contemporary science is to find hints that in the first tiny fraction of a second after the Big-Bang the Universe hyper-inflated by a factor of \sim 10^{60}. Such inflation will have injected…
The basic constituent of many space-borne gravitational missions, in particular for interferometric gravitational waves detectors, is the so-called link made out of a satellite sending an electromagnetic beam to a second satellite. We…
Deflection of light by gravity was predicted by General Relativity and observationaly confirmed in 1919. In the following decades various aspects of the gravitational lens effect were explored theoretically, among them the possibility of…
Newtonian gravity and special relativity combine to produce a gravitomagnetic precession of an orbiting gyroscope that is one fourth as large as predicted by General Relativity. The geodetic effect is the same in both cases.