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Recent Progress in Analytical Modeling of the Relativistic Effects in the Lunar Motion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2016

Kenneth Nordtvedt  and
David Vokrouhlický
Kenneth Nordtvedt
Affiliation:
Northwest Analysis Bozeman, Montana, USA
David Vokrouhlický
Affiliation:
Institute of Astronomy, Charles University Prague, Czech Republic

Abstract

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Lunar motion serves for a number of important tests of the relativity theory. Although the final quantitative results come out from the direct numerical treatment of the lunar laser ranging data, the analytical solutions yield important keys for understanding sensitivity of the lunar motion on diverse effects. In the last few years, important relativistic phenomena, notably the equivalence principle violation and the preferred direction effects, have been reexamined using detailed Hill-Brown type theories. Surprising amplification of the former effect, indicated also from the numerical tests, has been explained by intricate coupling with the tidal deformation of the lunar orbit. Similar treatment proved that the lunar motion hides potentially a high-quality test of the preferred frame effects. In both cases, fundamental resonances of the problem cause singular amplification of the effects for particular lunar-like orbits.

Type
Solar System Dynamics
Information
International Astronomical Union Colloquium , Volume 165: Dynamics and Astrometry of Natural and Artificial Celestial Bodies , 1997 , pp. 205 - 214
Copyright
Copyright © Kluwer 1997

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