Interferometric Measurement of Acceleration at Relativistic Speeds [IMA]

http://arxiv.org/abs/1608.08230


We show that an interferometer moving at a relativistic speed relative to a point source of light offers a sensitive probe of acceleration. Such an accelerometer contains no moving parts, and is thus more robust than conventional “mass-on-a-spring” accelerometers. In an interstellar mission to Alpha-Centauri, such an accelerometer could be used to measure the masses of planets around other stars as well as the mass distribution of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Read this paper on arXiv…

P. Christian and A. Loeb
Wed, 31 Aug 16
2/61

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