Abstract
We present the first direct measurement of the gravity-field curvature based on three conjugated atom interferometers. Three atomic clouds launched in the vertical direction are simultaneously interrogated by the same atom interferometry sequence and used to probe the gravity field at three equally spaced positions. The vertical component of the gravity-field curvature generated by nearby source masses is measured from the difference between adjacent gravity gradient values. Curvature measurements are of interest in geodesy studies and for the validation of gravitational models of the surrounding environment. The possibility of using such a scheme for a new determination of the Newtonian constant of gravity is also discussed.
- Received 21 October 2014
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.013001
© 2015 American Physical Society
Focus
First Direct Measurement of Gravity’s Curvature
Published 5 January 2015
By measuring gravity with cold atoms at three different heights simultaneously, a team determined a new property of a gravitational field.
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