19 January 2021

Current trends in gravitation Seminar

Location: University Oldenburg - Online
When: 19.1.2021, 14:15 h

Speaker: Meike List (DLR Bremen, Germany)
Title: MICROSCOPE: A space-based test of the Weak Equivalence Principle

Abstract: On 25th of April 2016 the French space mission MICROSCOPE was launched. After the successful commissioning phase, scientific measurements started in December 2016 and were continued until spring 2018. The goal of the MICROSCOPE mission is ambitious: The Weak Equivalence Principle is being tested with a precision never achieved before yielding the determination of the Eötvös parameter η with an accuracy of 1E-15. In this talk I will present the mission's milestones including a detailed description of the measurement concept, the scientific payload as well as the satellite itself. Furthermore, I will show the current result of ongoing data analysis. I will point out the importance of modelling of non-gravitational forces for being able to provide the best possible science result of the mission.