On the possibility of measuring the gravitomagnetic clock effect in an Earth space-based experiment

DOI10.1088/0264-9381/22/1/008zbMATH Open1060.83502arXivgr-qc/0210030OpenAlexW2123237796MaRDI QIDQ4665159FDOQ4665159

Authors: L. Iorio, Herbert Lichtenegger 

Publication date: 9 April 2005

Published in: Classical and Quantum Gravity (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: In this paper the effect of the post-Newtonian gravitomagnetic force on the mean longitudes $l$ of a pair of counter-rotating Earth artificial satellites following almost identical circular equatorial orbits is investigated. The possibility of measuring it is examined. The observable is the difference of the times required to $l$ in passing from 0 to 2$pi$ for both senses of motion. Such gravitomagnetic time shift, which is independent of the orbital parameters of the satellites, amounts to 5$imes10^{-7}$ s for Earth; it is cumulative and should be measured after a sufficiently high number of revolutions. The major limiting factors are the unavoidable imperfect cancellation of the Keplerian periods, which yields a constraint of 10${}^{-2}$ cm in knowing the difference between the semimajor axes $a$ of the satellites, and the difference $I$ of the inclinations $i$ of the orbital planes which, for $isim0.01^{c}irc$, should be less than $0.006^{c}irc$. A pair of spacecrafts endowed with a sophisticated intersatellite tracking apparatus and drag-free control down to 10${}^{-9}$ cm s${}^{-2}$ Hz${}^{-1/2}$ level might allow to meet the stringent requirements posed by such a mission.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0210030

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Observational and experimental questions in relativity and gravitational theory (83B05)

Cited In (4)

• Review of the gravitomagnetic clock effect
• The gravitomagnetic clock effect and its possible observation
• Phenomenology of the lense-thirring effect in the solar system
• Satellite motion in a Manev potential with drag

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