Phenomenology of the Lense-Thirring effect in the Solar System

TL;DR

This paper reviews efforts to measure the Lense-Thirring effect, a relativistic gravitomagnetic phenomenon, in the solar system, analyzing theoretical background, experimental attempts, and sources of uncertainties affecting detection.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of both theoretical and experimental approaches to detecting the Lense-Thirring effect in the solar system, highlighting systematic uncertainties.

Findings

Assessment of current measurement capabilities

Identification of key sources of systematic errors

Future prospects for detecting the Lense-Thirring effect

Abstract

Recent years have seen increasing efforts to directly measure some aspects of the general relativistic gravitomagnetic interaction in several astronomical scenarios in the solar system. After briefly overviewing the concept of gravitomagnetism from a theoretical point of view, we review the performed or proposed attempts to detect the Lense-Thirring effect affecting the orbital motions of natural and artificial bodies in the gravitational fields of the Sun, Earth, Mars and Jupiter. In particular, we will focus on the evaluation of the impact of several sources of systematic uncertainties of dynamical origin to realistically elucidate the present and future perspectives in directly measuring such an elusive relativistic effect.