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Lunar Laser Ranging Contributions to Relativity and Geodesy

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  • California Institute of Caltech (Caltech)
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Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationLasers, Clocks and Drag-Free Control
Pages457-472
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2005

Publication series

Name Astrophysics and Space Science Library
Volume349
ISSN (Print)0067-0057

Abstract

Lunar laser ranging (LLR) is used to conduct high-precision measurements of ranges between an observatory on Earth and a laser retro-reflector on the lunar surface. Over the years, LLR has benefited from a number of improvements both in observing technology and data modeling, which led to the current accuracy of post-fit residuals of ~2 cm. Today LLR is a primary technique to study the dynamics of the Earth-Moon system and is especially important for gravitational physics, geodesy and studies of the lunar interior. LLR is used to perform high-accuracy tests of the equivalence principle, to search for a time-variation in the gravitational constant, and to test predictions of various alternative theories of gravity. On the geodesy front, LLR contributes to the determination of Earth orientation parameters, such as nutation, precession (including relativistic precession), polar motion, and UT1, i.e. especially to the long-term variation of these effects. LLR contributes to the realization of both the terrestrial and selenocentric reference frames. The realization of a dynamically defined inertial reference frame, in contrast to the kinematically realized frame of VLBI, offers new possibilities for mutual cross-checking and confirmation. Finally, LLR also investigates the processes related to the Moon's interior dynamics. Here, we review the LLR technique focusing on its impact on relativity and give an outlook to further applications, e.g. in geodesy. We present results of our dedicated studies to investigate the sensitivity of LLR data with respect to the relativistic quantities. We discuss the current observational situation and the level of LLR modeling implemented to date. We also address improvements needed to fully utilize the scientific potential of LLR.

Keywords

    gr-qc

Cite this

Lunar Laser Ranging Contributions to Relativity and Geodesy. / Müller, Jürgen; Williams, James G.; Turyshev, S. G.
Lasers, Clocks and Drag-Free Control . 2005. p. 457-472 ( Astrophysics and Space Science Library; Vol. 349).

Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceedingContribution to book/anthologyResearchpeer review

Müller, J, Williams, JG & Turyshev, SG 2005, Lunar Laser Ranging Contributions to Relativity and Geodesy. in Lasers, Clocks and Drag-Free Control . Astrophysics and Space Science Library, vol. 349, pp. 457-472. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-34377-6_21
Müller, J., Williams, J. G., & Turyshev, S. G. (2005). Lunar Laser Ranging Contributions to Relativity and Geodesy. In Lasers, Clocks and Drag-Free Control (pp. 457-472). ( Astrophysics and Space Science Library; Vol. 349). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-34377-6_21
Müller J, Williams JG, Turyshev SG. Lunar Laser Ranging Contributions to Relativity and Geodesy. In Lasers, Clocks and Drag-Free Control . 2005. p. 457-472. ( Astrophysics and Space Science Library). doi: 10.1007/978-3-540-34377-6_21
Müller, Jürgen ; Williams, James G. ; Turyshev, S. G. / Lunar Laser Ranging Contributions to Relativity and Geodesy. Lasers, Clocks and Drag-Free Control . 2005. pp. 457-472 ( Astrophysics and Space Science Library).
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