Related papers: Relativistic Effects in Extrasolar Planetary Syste…
Many physically motivated extensions to general relativity (GR) predict significant deviations in the properties of spacetime surrounding massive neutron stars. We report the measurement of a 2.01 +/- 0.04 solar mass pulsar in a 2.46-hr…
The known extrasolar planets exhibit many interesting and surprising features--extremely short-period orbits, high-eccentricity orbits, mean-motion and secular resonances, etc.--and have dramatically expanded our appreciation of the…
Mass redistribution on Earth due to dynamic processes such as ice melting and sea level rise leads to a changing gravitational field, observable by geodetic techniques. Monitoring this change over time allows us to learn more about our…
There are a number of approaches to testing General Relativity (GR) on linear scales using parameterized frameworks for modifying cosmological perturbation theory. It is sometimes assumed that the details of any given parameterization are…
After the first prediction to expect geodetic precession in binary pulsars in 1974, made immediately after the discovery of a pulsar with a companion, the effects of relativistic spin precession have now been detected in all binary systems…
The Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) has been formulated as a modification of the Poisson equation for the Newtonian gravitational field. This theory generically predicts a violation of the strong version of the equivalence principle, and…
Theories of modified gravity generically violate the strong equivalence principle, so that the internal dynamics of a self-gravitating system in free fall depends on the strength of the external gravitational field (the external field…
The Rossiter-McLaughlin (RM) effect is the distortion of stellar spectral lines that occurs during eclipses or transits, due to stellar rotation. We assess the future prospects for using the RM effect to measure the alignment of planetary…
Precision observations of orbital systems have recently emerged as a promising new means of detecting gravitational waves and ultra-light dark matter, offering sensitivity in new regimes with significant discovery potential. These searches…
General Relativity extensions based on Renormalization Group effects are motivated by a known physical principle and constitute a class of extended gravity theories that have some unexplored unique aspects. In this work we develop in detail…
We consider some models of f(R) gravity that can be used to describe, in a suitable weak-field limit, the gravitational field of the Sun. Using a perturbative approach, we focus on the impact that the modifications of the gravitational…
The traditional method for detecting extra-solar planets relies on measuring a small stellar wobble which is assumed to be caused by a planet orbiting the star. Recently, it was suggested that a similar stellar wobble could be caused by a…
Here we explore the possibility of extending to the Solar System scenario the combined residual approach employed for the deterination of the Lense-Thirring effect in the Earth-LAGEOS satellites system. After calculating the secular…
Long-period transiting exoplanets provide an opportunity to study the mass-radius relation and internal structure of extrasolar planets. Their studies grant insights into planetary evolution akin to the Solar System planets, which, in…
For extrasolar planets with orbital periods, P>10 days, radial velocity surveys find non-circular orbital eccentricities are common, <e>~0.3. Future surveys for extrasolar planets using the transit technique will also have sensitivity to…
Searches for empirical clues beyond Einstein's general relativity (GR) are crucial to understand gravitation and spacetime. Radio pulsars have been playing an important role in testing gravity theories since 1970s. Because radio timing of…
We use detailed numerical simulations and the $\upsilon$ Andromedae, planetary system as a template to evaluate the capability of the ESA Cornerstone Mission GAIA in detecting and measuring multiple planets around solar-type stars in the…
This paper addresses the motivation, technology and recent results in the tests of the general theory of relativity (GR) in the solar system. We specifically discuss Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR), the only technique available to test the Strong…
General relativity is exquisitely tested in strong-field regimes, yet its validity on cosmological scales remains largely unexplored. Upcoming wide and deep large-scale structure surveys will access the ultra-large, linear scales where…
For molecules and solids containing heavy elements, accurate electronic structure calculations require accounting not only for electronic correlations but also for relativistic effects. In molecules, relativity can lead to severe changes in…