A quick test of the WEP enabled by a sounding rocket

作者：Reasenberg Robert D^*; Lorenzini Enrico C; Patla Biju R; Phillips James D; Popescu Eugeniu E; Rocco Emanuele; Thapa Rajesh

来源：Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2011, 28(9): 094014.

DOI：10.1088/0264-9381/28/9/094014

We describe SR-POEM, a Galilean test of the weak equivalence principle (WEP), which is to be conducted during the free fall portion of a sounding rocket flight. This test of a single pair of substances is aimed at a measurement uncertainty of sigma(eta) < 10(-16) after averaging the results of eight separate drops, each of 40 s duration. The WEP measurement is made with a set of four laser gauges that are expected to achieve 0.1 pm Hz(-1/2). We address the two sources of systematic error that are currently of greatest concern: magnetic force and electrostatic (patch effect) force on the test mass assemblies. The discovery of a violation (eta not equal 0) would have profound implications for physics, astrophysics and cosmology.

• 出版日期2011-5-7