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How to use the Sun–Earth Lagrange points for fundamental physics and navigation

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Abstract

We illustrate the proposal, nicknamed LAGRANGE, to use spacecraft, located at the Sun–Earth Lagrange points, as a physical reference frame. Performing time of flight measurements of electromagnetic signals traveling on closed paths between the points, we show that it would be possible: (a) to refine gravitational time delay knowledge due both to the Sun and the Earth; (b) to detect the gravito-magnetic frame dragging of the Sun, so deducing information about the interior of the star; (c) to check the possible existence of a galactic gravitomagnetic field, which would imply a revision of the properties of a dark matter halo; (d) to set up a relativistic positioning and navigation system at the scale of the inner solar system. The paper presents estimated values for the relevant quantities and discusses the feasibility of the project analyzing the behavior of the space devices close to the Lagrange points.

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Notes

  1. Here \(g_{00}\) represents the time-time component of the metric, while the other terms provide spatial and mixed contributions.

  2. We considered only the main contribution, that arises from the first even zonal harmonic, with respect to the deviation from the spherical symmetry in the mass distribution of the Earth.

  3. Here \(\gamma \) (not to be confused with the PPN parameter commonly designated by the same symbol) and \(\beta \) represent two of the Euler angles that define the orientation of their symmetry plane with respect to the lens plane, while \(\alpha \) represents the angular position of a generic light ray over the lens plane.

  4. It should actually be in the barycenter of the Sun–Earth pair, but the difference should be discussed among the perturbations of the spherically symmetric system.

  5. In the center of our galaxy, there is an extremely dense compact object (Sagittarius A*) most probably consisting of a black hole.

  6. LSR stands for Local Standard of Rest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. DISAT, Politecnico di Torino and INdAM, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129, Turin, Italy

    A. Tartaglia

  2. Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Via Venezia 1, 35131, Padua, Italy

    E. C. Lorenzini

  3. Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (IAPS/INAF), Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy

    D. Lucchesi

  4. Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sezione di Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy

    D. Lucchesi

  5. Department of Physics, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy

    G. Pucacco

  6. DISAT, Politecnico di Torino and INFN, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129, Turin, Italy

    M. L. Ruggiero

  7. Department of Physics, Slovak University of Technology, Ilkovičova 3, 812 19, Bratislava, Slovakia

    P. Valko

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  1. A. Tartaglia
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  2. E. C. Lorenzini
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  3. D. Lucchesi
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  5. M. L. Ruggiero
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Correspondence to A. Tartaglia.

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Tartaglia, A., Lorenzini, E.C., Lucchesi, D. et al. How to use the Sun–Earth Lagrange points for fundamental physics and navigation. Gen Relativ Gravit 50, 9 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10714-017-2332-6

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