Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics – General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Scientific paper
1996-06-27
Phys.Rev.D53:6740-6740,1996
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
20 pages, Revtex, submitted to Phys Rev D
Scientific paper
10.1103/PhysRevD.53.6740
As gravity is a long-range force, it is {\it a priori} conceivable that the Universe's global matter distribution select a preferred rest frame for local gravitational physics. At the post-Newtonian approximation, the phenomenology of preferred-frame effects is described by two parameters, $\alpha_1$ and $\alpha_2$, the second of which is already very tightly constrained. Confirming previous suggestions, we show through a detailed Hill-Brown type calculation of a perturbed lunar orbit that lunar laser ranging data have the potential of constraining $\alpha_1$ at the $10^{-4}$ level. It is found that certain retrograde planar orbits exhibit a resonant sensitivity to external perturbations linked to a fixed direction in space. The lunar orbit being quite far from such a resonance exhibits no significant enhancement due to solar tides. Our Hill-Brown analysis is extended to the perturbation linked to a possible differential acceleration toward the galactic center. It is, however, argued that there are strong {\it a priori} theoretical constraints on the conceivable magnitude of such an effect.
Damour Thibault
Vokrouhlicky David
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