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  • LATOR Collaboration; Turyshev, S. G; Dittus, H; Shao, M; Nordtvedt,Jr, K. L; Laemmerzahl, C; Theil, S; Ertmer, W; Rasel, E; Foerstner, R; Johann, U; Klioner, S; Soffel, M; Dachwald, B; Seboldt, W; Perlick, V; Sandford, M. C. W; Bingham, R; Kent, B; Sumner, T. J; Bertolami, O; Paramos, J; Christophe, B; Foulon, B; Touboul, P; Bouyer, P; Damour, T; Reynaud, S; Salomon, C; Brillet, A; Bondu, F; Mangin, J. -F; Samain, E; Erd, C; Grenouilleau, J. C; Izzo, D; Rathke, A; Asmar, S. W; Colavita, M; Gursel, Y

    06/2005
    Journal Article

    ESA Spec.Publ. 588 (2005) 11-18 The Laser Astrometric Test Of Relativity (LATOR) is a joint European-U.S. Michelson-Morley-type experiment designed to test the pure tensor metric nature of gravitation - a fundamental postulate of Einstein's theory of general relativity. By using a combination of independent time-series of highly accurate gravitational deflection of light in the immediate proximity to the Sun, along with measurements of the Shapiro time delay on interplanetary scales (to a precision respectively better than 0.1 picoradians and 1 cm), LATOR will significantly improve our knowledge of relativistic gravity. The primary mission objective is to i) measure the key post-Newtonian Eddington parameter \gamma with accuracy of a part in 10^9. (1-\gamma) is a direct measure for presence of a new interaction in gravitational theory, and, in its search, LATOR goes a factor 30,000 beyond the present best result, Cassini's 2003 test. The mission will also provide: ii) first measurement of gravity's non-linear effects on light to ~0.01% accuracy; including both the Eddington \beta parameter and also the spatial metric's 2nd order potential contribution (never measured before); iii) direct measurement of the solar quadrupole moment J2 (currently unavailable) to accuracy of a part in 200 of its expected size; iv) direct measurement of the "frame-dragging" effect on light by the Sun's gravitomagnetic field, to 1% accuracy. LATOR's primary measurement pushes to unprecedented accuracy the search for cosmologically relevant scalar-tensor theories of gravity by looking for a remnant scalar field in today's solar system. We discuss the mission design of this proposed experiment.