Lunar laser ranging

Recent results based on refined modelling

authored by: Jürgen Müller, Franz Hofmann, Xing Fang, Liliane Biskupek
Abstract: Over 41 years of Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) provide a unique data set of distance measurements between Earth and Moon with ever increasing precision. A further step on the way to mm-accurate LLR analysis is refined modelling such as that of the gravitational effect from mass multipole moments of Earth and Moon on the lunar orbit and orientation. The previous multipole expansion used at the Institut für Erdmessung has now been extended to higher degrees. The corresponding geocenter-reflector ranges are used for the comparison of the different models. For mm-accurate analysis, the complete gravity field up to degree and order 5 for the Moon and up to degree and order 4 for the Earth should be considered. For the optimal combination of the LLR data, a variance component estimation with respect to the observatories was tested and the new estimation of two relativistic parameters (equivalence principle parameter and variation of the gravitational constant) was carried out.
Organisation(s): Institute of Geodesy
Type: Conference contribution
Pages: 447-451
No. of pages: 5
Publication date: 06.10.2013
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Computers in Earth Sciences, Geophysics
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37222-3_59 (Access: Unknown)
: Details in the research portal "Research@Leibniz University"

BibTeX

@inproceedings{dd60239408dd464692b3343ca8625ddd,
title = "Lunar laser ranging: Recent results based on refined modelling",
abstract = "Over 41 years of Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) provide a unique data set of distance measurements between Earth and Moon with ever increasing precision. A further step on the way to mm-accurate LLR analysis is refined modelling such as that of the gravitational effect from mass multipole moments of Earth and Moon on the lunar orbit and orientation. The previous multipole expansion used at the Institut f{\"u}r Erdmessung has now been extended to higher degrees. The corresponding geocenter-reflector ranges are used for the comparison of the different models. For mm-accurate analysis, the complete gravity field up to degree and order 5 for the Moon and up to degree and order 4 for the Earth should be considered. For the optimal combination of the LLR data, a variance component estimation with respect to the observatories was tested and the new estimation of two relativistic parameters (equivalence principle parameter and variation of the gravitational constant) was carried out.",
keywords = "Gravity field, Lunar laser ranging, Relativity",
author = "J{\"u}rgen M{\"u}ller and Franz Hofmann and Xing Fang and Liliane Biskupek",
note = "Funding information: We acknowledge with thanks, that the more than 41 years of used LLR data has been obtained under the efforts of the personnel at the Observatoire de la C{\^o}te d{\textquoteright}Azur in France, the LURE Observatory in Maui, Hawaii, the McDonald Observatory in Texas as well as the Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico. We would also like to thank the International Space Science Institute (ISSI) in Bern for supporting this research. This research was funded by the Centre for Quantum Engineering and Space-Time Research QUEST and the DFG, the German Research Foundation, within the research unit FOR584 “Earth rotation and global dynamic processes”.; International Association of Geodesy Symposia, IAG 2011 ; Conference date: 28-06-2011 Through 02-07-2011",
year = "2013",
month = oct,
day = "6",
doi = "https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37222-3_59",
language = "English",
series = "International Association of Geodesy Symposia",
publisher = "Springer Verlag",
pages = "447--451",
editor = "Chris Rizos and Pascal Willis",
booktitle = "Earth on the Edge",
address = "Germany",
}