The Confrontation Between General Relativity and Experiment

Chapter
First Online:
Part of the Astrophysics and Space Science Library book series (ASSL, volume 367)

Abstract

We review the experimental evidence for Einstein’s special and general relativity. A variety of high precision null experiments verify the weak equivalence principle and local Lorentz invariance, while gravitational redshift and other clock experiments support local position invariance. Together these results confirm the Einstein Equivalence Principle which underlies the concept that gravitation is synonymous with spacetime geometry, and must be described by a metric theory. Solar system experiments that test the weak-field, post-Newtonian limit of metric theories strongly favor general relativity. The Binary Pulsar provides tests of gravitational-wave damping and of strong-field general relativity. Recently discovered binary pulsar systems may provide additional tests. Ongoing and future experiments, such as the Gravity Probe B Gyroscope Experiment, satellite tests of the Equivalence principle, and tests of gravity at short distance to look for extra spatial dimensions could constrain extensions of general relativity. Laser interferometric gravitational-wave observatories on Earth and in space may provide new tests of gravitational theory via detailed measurements of the properties of gravitational waves. Future efforts using X-ray, infrared, gamma-ray and gravitational-wave astronomy may one day achieve one of John Wheeler’s visions: to test general relativity in the strong-field regime near black holes.

Keywords

Black Hole Neutron Star Gravitational Wave Gravitational Radiation Binary Pulsar 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Notes

Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by the US National Science Foundation, Grant No. PHY 03-53180 and 06-52448 and by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Grant No. NNG-06GI60G.

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© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of Physics and McDonnell Center for the Space SciencesWashington UniversitySt. LouisUSA

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