Testing Gravity via Lunar Laser Ranging: APOLLO Analysis and Acquisition

通过月球激光测距测试重力：APOLLO 分析和采集

• 批准号: 1068879
• 负责人: Thomas Murphy
• 金额: $ 75万
• 依托单位: University of California-San Diego
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-12-01 至 2016-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1068879&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Testing; Gravity; via; Lunar; Laser

The recently built Apache Point Observatory Lunar Laser-ranging Operation (APOLLO) has become the premier lunar laser ranging (LLR) facility in the world, delivering one-millimeter range precision between Earth and Moon as a way to test General Relativity. General Relativity makes specific predictions about the shape of the lunar orbit, so that we may use the Moon as a laboratory, made possible by the reflectors left on the Moon by the Apollo astronauts and unmanned Soviet rovers. The goal of this work is to extend high-quality LLR observations over an additional three-year period, simultaneously collecting calibrated measurements of local gravity well enough to determine site displacements at the millimeter level. In tandem, an intensive effort will be initiated to advance the solar system model to a state that can take advantage of millimeter-quality data. It is by comparison to a complete and sophisticated model that questions relating to gravity, geophysics, and lunar physics can be explored. Though not the main focus, knowledge of the lunar interior stands to gain the most from APOLLO, as the experiment routinely acquires 4 to 5 reflectors in one session, providing exquisite measurements of the lunar orientation and distortion. But this refined knowledge of the moon will also facilitate understanding of how the moon moves in its orbit, as such information is crucial to determining the path of the Moon's center of mass through space.LLR tests many fundamental aspects of gravity, like the equivalence principle, the constancy of gravity, gravitomagnetism, and the inverse-square law. Improving our knowledge of gravity therefore informs a diverse range of cosmologists, astrophysicists, particle physicists, and string theorists. This effort will also contribute to Earth and planetary science, especially via the inclusion of the superconducting gravimeter data. The open-source solar-system analysis code emerging from the project will provide an interesting platform for analyzing a wide range of data sets, including radar ranging in the solar system, Doppler radar to spacecraft around the solar system, pulsar timing experiments, etc. The same platform can form the basis of covariant studies for future proposed space missions that aim to test fundamental physics. Additionally, graduate student and postdoctoral training is a valuable component of the total effort. Finally, APOLLO will continue its strong tradition of public outreach, including featured appearances on popular television shows.

最近建成的阿帕奇点天文台月球激光测距操作 (APOLLO) 已成为世界上首屈一指的月球激光测距 (LLR) 设施，可在地球和月球之间提供一毫米的测距精度，作为测试广义相对论的一种方式。广义相对论对月球轨道的形状做出了具体的预测，这样我们就可以将月球用作实验室，这通过阿波罗宇航员和苏联无人驾驶漫游车留在月球上的反射镜成为可能。这项工作的目标是将高质量的 LLR 观测再延长三年，同时收集足够好的局部重力校准测量结果，以确定毫米级的场地位移。与此同时，我们将开展大量工作，将太阳系模型推进到可以利用毫米级质量数据的状态。通过与完整而复杂的模型进行比较，可以探索与重力、地球物理学和月球物理学相关的问题。尽管不是主要焦点，但对月球内部的了解将从 APOLLO 中获益最多，因为该实验通常会在一次实验中获取 4 到 5 个反射器，从而提供对月球方向和畸变的精确测量。但这种对月球的精确了解也将有助于理解月球如何在其轨道上运动，因为这些信息对于确定月球质心在太空中的路径至关重要。LLR 测试了重力的许多基本方面，如等效原理、重力恒常性、引力磁学和平方反比定律。因此，提高我们对引力的认识可以为各种宇宙学家、天体物理学家、粒子物理学家和弦理论家提供信息。这项努力还将为地球和行星科学做出贡献，特别是通过纳入超导重力计数据。该项目中出现的开源太阳系分析代码将为分析各种数据集提供一个有趣的平台，包括太阳系中的雷达测距、太阳系周围航天器的多普勒雷达、脉冲星定时实验等。同一平台可以为未来拟议的旨在测试基础物理的太空任务奠定协变研究的基础。此外，研究生和博士后培训是整个工作的重要组成部分。最后，APOLLO 将继续其强大的公众宣传传统，包括在热门电视节目中露面。