Testing relativity with laser ranging to the moon

Jun, 1968
2 pages
Published in:
  • Phys.Rev. 170 (1968) 1186-1187

Citations per year

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Abstract: (APS)
Precise laser ranging to the moon is shown to be capable of measuring the ratio (mgmi) of gravitational mass to inertial mass of the earth to accuracy sufficient to detect gravitational self-energy contributions. If mgmi of the earth differs from 1 by an amount of order (earth gravitational self-energy)/(earth total energy), then the lunar orbit will acquire a range oscillation of amplitude about 12 m.