2011•Physical Review LettersOpen access
Gravity Probe B: Final Results of a Space Experiment to Test General Relativity
C. W. F. Everitt, Daniel B. DeBra, B. W. Parkinson, J. P. Turneaure, John Conklin, M. Heifetz, G. M. Keiser, A. S. Silbergleit, T. R. Holmes, J. Kolodziejczak, M Al-Meshari, John Mester, B. Muhlfelder, V. Solomonik, Kristina Ståhl, P. Worden, W. Bencze, Sasha Buchman, Bruce Clarke, Ahmad Aljadaan, Hamoud Aljibreen, J. Li, J. A. Lipa, J. M. Lockhart, Badr Alsuwaidan, M. Taber, S. Wang
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Abstract
Gravity Probe B, launched 20 April 2004, is a space experiment testing two fundamental predictions of Einstein's theory of general relativity (GR), the geodetic and frame-dragging effects, by means of cryogenic gyroscopes in Earth orbit. Data collection started 28 August 2004 and ended 14 August 2005. Analysis of the data from all four gyroscopes results in a geodetic drift rate of $\ensuremath{-}6601.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}18.3\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{mas}/\mathrm{yr}$ and a frame-dragging drift rate of $\ensuremath{-}37.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}7.2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{mas}/\mathrm{yr}$, to be compared with the GR predictions of $\ensuremath{-}6606.1\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{mas}/\mathrm{yr}$ and $\ensuremath{-}39.2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{mas}/\mathrm{yr}$, respectively (``mas'' is milliarcsecond; $1\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{mas}=4.848\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}9}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{rad}$).
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