Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1767513 | Advances in Space Research | 2006 | 5 Pages |
Abstract
Laser pulses fired at retroreflectors on the Moon provide very accurate ranges. Analysis yields information on Earth, Moon, and orbit. The highly accurate retroreflector positions have uncertainties less than a meter. Tides on the Moon show strong dissipation, with Q = 33 ± 4 at a month and a weak dependence on period. Lunar rotation depends on interior properties; a fluid core is indicated with radius ∼20% that of the Moon. Tests of relativistic gravity verify the equivalence principle to ±1.4 × 10−13, limit deviations from Einstein’s general relativity, and show no rate for the gravitational constant G˙/G with uncertainty 9 × 10−13/year.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Space and Planetary Science
Authors
James G. Williams, Slava G. Turyshev, Dale H. Boggs, J. Todd Ratcliff,