The Laser Astrometric Test of Relativity Mission

TL;DR

The LATOR mission aims to perform highly precise tests of relativistic gravity by measuring light deflection near the Sun using laser interferometry, potentially revealing new physics beyond general relativity.

Contribution

LATOR introduces a novel space-based laser interferometry experiment with geometric redundancy to measure relativistic effects at unprecedented accuracy.

Findings

Expected measurement of PPN gamma to 1 part in 10^8

Ability to detect next-order post-Newtonian effects (1/c^4)

High-precision measurement of solar quadrupole moment J2

Abstract

This paper discusses new fundamental physics experiment to test relativistic gravity at the accuracy better than the effects of the 2nd order in the gravitational field strength. The Laser Astrometric Test Of Relativity (LATOR) mission uses laser interferometry between two micro-spacecraft whose lines of sight pass close by the Sun to accurately measure deflection of light in the solar gravity. The key element of the experimental design is a redundant geometry optical truss provided by a long-baseline (100 m) multi-channel stellar optical interferometer placed on the International Space Station. The geometric redundancy enables LATOR to measure the departure from Euclidean geometry caused by the solar gravity field to a very high accuracy. LATOR will not only improve the value of the parameterized post-Newtonian (PPN) parameter gamma to unprecedented levels of accuracy of 1 part in 1e8, it will also reach ability to measure effects of the next post-Newtonian order (1/c^4) of light deflection resulting from gravity's intrinsic non-linearity. The solar quadrupole moment parameter, J2, will be measured with high precision, as well as a variety of other relativistic. LATOR will lead to very robust advances in the tests of fundamental physics: this mission could discover a violation or extension of general relativity, or reveal the presence of an additional long range interaction in the physical law. There are no analogs to the LATOR experiment; it is unique and is a natural culmination of solar system gravity experiments.