Related papers: Geodesic motion in General Relativity: LARES in Ea…
The general theory of relativity is currently established as the most precise theory of gravity supported by observations, and its application is diverse ranging from astronomy to cosmology, while its application to astrophysics has been…
We consider the motion of small bodies in general relativity. The key result captures a sense in which such bodies follow timelike geodesics (or, in the case of charged bodies, Lorentz-force curves). This result clarifies the relationship…
The Einsteinian Theory of Gravitation ("General Theory of Relativity") is founded essentially; on the reception that the geometrical properties of the 4-dimensional space-time continuum are defined from the matter in it. Contrary to this,…
Recent theoretical works on alternative metric theories of gravity give greater significance to solar-system tests of General Relativity. In particular, it is suggested that the post-Newtonian parameter $\gamma$ ought to be determined with…
In this paper we wish to preliminary investigate if it would be possible to use the orbital data from the proposed OPTIS mission together with those from the existing geodetic passive SLR LAGEOS and LAGEOS II satellites in order to perform…
A new satellite based test of Special and General Relativity is proposed. For the Michelson-Morley experiment we expect an improvement of at least three orders of magnitude, and for the Kennedy-Thorndike experiment an improvement of more…
The goal of the recently approved space-based LARES mission is to measure the general relativistic Lense-Thirring effect in the gravitational field of the spinning Earth at a repeatedly claimed 1% accuracy by combining its node Omega with…
A very general class of axially-symmetric metrics in general relativity (GR) that includes rotations is used to discuss the dynamics of rotationally-supported galaxies. The exact vacuum solutions of the Einstein equations for this extended…
In this paper we investigate the opportunities offered by the new Earth gravity models from the dedicated CHAMP and, especially, GRACE missions to the project of measuring the general relativistic Lense-Thirring effect with a new Earth's…
Geometric optics effectively describes the propagation of electromagnetic waves when the wavelength is much smaller than the characteristic length scale of the medium, making wave phenomena like diffraction negligible. As a result, light…
We present a theoretical foundation for relativistic astronomical measurements in curved space-time. In particular, we discuss a new iterative approach for describing the dynamics of an astronomical N-body system. To do this, we generalize…
We present a framework for the study of lensing in spherically symmetric spacetimes within the context of f(R) gravity. Equations for the propagation of null geodesics, together with an expression for the bending angle are derived for any…
A suitable choice of the four components of the metric tensor which are at our discretion allows to represent geodesically also the non-gravitational motions.
A positive mass theorem for General Relativity Theory is proved. The proof is 4-dimensional in nature, and relies completely on arguments pertaining to causal structure, the basic idea being that positive energy-density focuses null…
The status of experimental tests of general relativity and of theoretical frameworks for analysing them is reviewed. Einstein's equivalence principle (EEP) is well supported by experiments such as the Eotvos experiment, tests of special…
The geodetic and frame-dragging effects are the direct consequences of the spacetime curvature near Earth which can be probed from the Gravity probe B (GP-B) satellite. The satellite result matches quite well with Einstein's general…
The status of experimental tests of general relativity and of theoretical frameworks for analyzing them are reviewed and updated. Einstein's equivalence principle (EEP) is well supported by experiments such as the Eotvos experiment, tests…
Despite its elegance, the theory of General Relativity is subject to experimental, observational, and theoretical scrutiny to arrive at tighter constraints or an alternative, more preferred theory. In alternative gravity theories, the…
In the weak-field limit of General Relativity, gravitational waves obey linear equations and propagate at the speed of light. These properties of General Relativity are supported by the observation of ultra high energy cosmic rays as well…
If the presence of a gravitational field breaks the Lorentz symmetry valid for special relativity, an "absolute motion" might be detectable. We summarize a scalar theory of gravity with a such "ether", which starts from a tentative…