ISSI

Theory and Model for the New Generation of the Lunar Laser Ranging Data

University of Missouri

 

Scientific Goals - Proposal - Team Members - Workshops - Talks - Useful Information



Scientific Goals

Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) measurements are crucial for advanced exploration of the evolutionary history of the lunar orbit, the laws of fundamental gravitational physics, selenophysics and geophysics as well as for future human missions to the Moon. Current LLR technique measures distance to the corner cube reflector (CCR) on the Moon with a precision approaching one millimeter that strongly demands further significant improvement of the theoretical model of the orbital and rotational dynamics of the Earth-Moon system. This model should inevitably be based on the theory of general relativity, fully incorporate the relevant geophysical/selenophysical processes and rely upon the most recent IAU standards. The workshop’s primary goal is to discuss new ideas, methods and approaches in developing such a mathematical model. The model must take into account all classic and relativistic effects in the orbital and rotational motion of the Moon and Earth at the millimeter-range level. It should be consistent with the IAU 2000 resolutions on reference frames and demonstrate how to make the LLR data analysis independent of spurious classic and relativistic effects that are associated with inappropriate choice of coordinates and/or physical model of Earth/Moon interior and ephemerides of the solar system bodies. The new model must elaborate on currently used LLR code to take advantage of one millimeter accuracy for computation and evaluation of a more complete and detailed set of solution parameters. The workshop is to explore the new opportunities of the one-millimeter LLR to perform the most precise fundamental test of general relativity in the solar system in robust and physically-adequate way.

Proposal

You can download the proposal here (pdf file)

Team Coordinator

Sergei Kopeikin
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA

Team Members

Jacques Laskar
Astronomie et Systèmes Dynamiques, IMCCE-CNRS, Observatoire de Paris, Paris, France

Michael Soffel
Lohrmann Observatory, Dresden Technical University, Dresden, Germany

Juergen Mueller
Institute of Geodesy, Leibniz University of Hannover, Germany

Juergen Oberst
Institut für Planetenforschung, Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt Rutherfordstr, Berlin, Germany

Sergei Klioner
Lohrmann Observatory, Dresden Technical University Dresden, Germany

Ulrich Schreiber
Forschungseinrichtung Satellitengeodaesie, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Muenchen, Germany

Ignazio Ciufolini
Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Innovazione, Universitá di Lecce, Lecce, Italy

Juan Getino
Departamento de Matemática Aplicada, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain

Alberto Escapa
Departamento de Matemática Aplicada, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain

Alexander Zakharov
Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Moscow, Russia

Alexander Gusev
Department of Geophysics, Kazan State University, Kazan, Russia

Natalia Petrova
Department of Astronomy, Kazan State University, Kazan, Russia

Erricos Pavlis
Goddard Earth Science and Technology Center, (GEST/UMBC),
University of Maryland Baltimore County and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Despina Pavlis
SGT Inc, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA

Tom Murphy
Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, California, USA

Slava Turyshev
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, USA

Gregory A. Neumann
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA

Team Young Scientists

Wassila Zerhouni
Observatoire de Paris, SYRTE/CNRS, Paris, France

Franz Hofmann
Institute of Geodesy, Leibniz University of Hannover, Germany

Liliane Biskupek
Institute of Geodesy, Leibniz University of Hannover, Germany

Philipp Gläser
Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Shi Xian
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shganghai, China;
Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Hervé Manche
Astronomie et Systèmes Dynamiques, IMCCE-CNRS, Observatoire de Paris, Paris, France

Nicolas Rambaux
Universite Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6, IMCCE - Observatoire de Paris, Paris, France

Team External Experts

Nicole Capitaine
Observatoire de Paris, SYRTE-CNRS, Observatoire de Paris, Paris, France

Agnes Fienga
Astronomie et Systèmes Dynamiques, IMCCE-CNRS, Observatoire de Paris, Paris, France

Pierre Exertier
Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur/UMR Geosciences, Azur, Grasse

Etienne Samain
Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur/UMR Geosciences, Azur, Grasse

Jean-Marie Torre
Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur/UMR Geosciences, Azur, Grasse

Sergey Kudryavtsev
Sternberg State Astronomical Institute, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

Jin-Ling Li
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory CAS, Shanghai, China

William Folkner
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, USA

Jim Williams
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, USA

Victor Brumberg
retired from the Institute of Applied Astronomy, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Douglas G. Currie
Astro-Metrology Group, Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, USA

Michael Efroimsky
United States Naval Observatory, Washington DC, USA

John C. Ries
Center for Space Research, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA

Peter J. Shelus
McDonald Observatory, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA

Workshops

First workshop: February 16-19, 2010. Agenda of the first workshop.

Second workshop: February 14-17, 2011. Agenda of the second workshop.

Third workshop: March 22-23, 2012. Agenda of the third workshop.

Talks

Talks of the first workshop

Talks of the second workshop

Talks of the third workshop



Useful Information

1) For hotel reservation, please, contact Mrs. Jennifer Zaugg directly over e-mail jennifer.zaugg@issibern.ch , or phone +41-31-631 4896, or Fax +41-31-631 4897 with your individual arrival and departure date to Bern. The deadline for hotel reservation is January 21, 2011.

2) Switzerland has joined the Schengen Visa Scheme. The participants who are required to get the Schengen entry permit should contact Mrs. Brigitte Schutte for issuing the letter of invitation.

3) Walking directions from hotels to ISSI are here: http://www.issibern.ch/localguide/hotels.html