Constraining spacetime torsion with LAGEOS
Abstract
We compute the corrections to the orbital Lense-Thirring effect (or frame-dragging) in the presence of spacetime torsion. We derive the equations of motion of a test body in the gravitational field of a rotating axisymmetric massive body, using the parametrized framework of Mao, Tegmark, Guth and Cabi. We calculate the secular variations of the longitudes of the node and of the pericenter. We also show how the LAser GEOdynamics Satellites (LAGEOS) can be used to constrain torsion parameters. We report the experimental constraints obtained using both the nodes and perigee measurements of the orbital Lense-Thirring effect. This makes LAGEOS and Gravity Probe B (GPB) complementary frame-dragging and torsion experiments, since they constrain three different combinations of torsion parameters.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1101.2791,
title = {Constraining spacetime torsion with LAGEOS},
author = {Riccardo March and Giovanni Bellettini and Roberto Tauraso and Simone Dell'Agnello},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1101.2791},
year = {2015}
}