Hamburg 2016 – scientific programme

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GR: Fachverband Gravitation und Relativitätstheorie

GR 14: Experimental Tests

GR 14.2: Talk

Thursday, March 3, 2016, 17:05–17:25, VMP6 HS C

First test of the Weak Equivalence Principle in space: Preparation of the data analysis for Microscope — •Stefanie Bremer, Meike List, Benny Rievers, and Hanns Selig — ZARM, Universität Bremen

With the launch of the French satellite Microscope in April 2016, the first space-based experiment to test the Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP) will start. The mission aims at improving the accuracy of the Eötvös parameter η by three orders of magnitude compared to present tests. The experiment is carried out with two capacitive differential accelerometers each equipped with two cylindrical test masses. The satellite will be operated in drag free mode which means that all disturbances are reduced to a minimum by the attitude control system in order to achieve high-precision differential acceleration measurements. Nevertheless residuals will remain due to various sources. In preparation of the data analysis, the Microscope team at ZARM performs simulations in order to characterise the environmental conditions Microscope will be exposed to on its orbit. The simulation results serve as input to the data reduction procedures that are established at ZARM. The project status and the intended data analysis scheme will be presented.