During the Cassini solar conjunction experiment, radio-metric data have been used to measure the space components of the sun's metric tensor. In the parameterized post-newtonian formalism, this quantity is controlled by a parameter (/spl gamma/) which is unity in General Relativity but may assume slightly different values in other metric theories of gravity. The measurement of /spl gamma/ with Cassini is based upon a new observable quantity: the frequency shift induced on a radio wave when the spacecraft is near solar conjunction. The calibration of the large frequency fluctuations induced by the solar corona, necessary in order to guarantee the required signal stability, is performed using the novel Cassini radio frequency system, based on a multifrequency link. In this paper the operations performed and the results obtained from the preliminary analysis of the June-July 2002 Cassini solar conjunction data are described. The multifrequency link plasma calibration scheme is also illustrated along with the techniques for the reduction of the non-dispersive, tropospheric effects. The high quality of the calibrated Doppler data indicates that the experiment provides a high accuracy test of general relativity.
The Cassini solar conjunction experiment: a new test of general relativity
2003 IEEE Aerospace Conference Proceedings (Cat. No.03TH8652) ; 1 ; 1-211 vol.1
2003-01-01
772285 byte
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
2.0305 The Cassini Solar Conjunction Experiment: A New Test of General Relativity
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2003
|4.1005 The Cassini Multifrequency Link Performance During 2002 Solar Conjunction
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2003
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