TY - JOUR
T1 - MICROSCOPE Mission
T2 - Final Results of the Test of the Equivalence Principle
AU - Touboul, Pierre
AU - Métris, Gilles
AU - Rodrigues, Manuel
AU - Bergé, Joel
AU - Robert, Alain
AU - Baghi, Quentin
AU - André, Yves
AU - Bedouet, Judicaël
AU - Visser, Pieter
AU - More Authors, null
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - The MICROSCOPE mission was designed to test the weak equivalence principle (WEP), stating the equality between the inertial and the gravitational masses, with a precision of 10-15 in terms of the Eötvös ratio η. Its experimental test consisted of comparing the accelerations undergone by two collocated test masses of different compositions as they orbited the Earth, by measuring the electrostatic forces required to keep them in equilibrium. This was done with ultrasensitive differential electrostatic accelerometers onboard a drag-free satellite. The mission lasted two and a half years, cumulating five months worth of science free-fall data, two-thirds with a pair of test masses of different compositions - titanium and platinum alloys - and the last third with a reference pair of test masses of the same composition - platinum. We summarize the data analysis, with an emphasis on the characterization of the systematic uncertainties due to thermal instabilities and on the correction of short-lived events which could mimic a WEP violation signal. We found no violation of the WEP, with the Eötvös parameter of the titanium and platinum pair constrained to η(Ti,Pt)=[-1.5±2.3(stat)±1.5(syst)]×10-15 at 1σ in statistical errors.
AB - The MICROSCOPE mission was designed to test the weak equivalence principle (WEP), stating the equality between the inertial and the gravitational masses, with a precision of 10-15 in terms of the Eötvös ratio η. Its experimental test consisted of comparing the accelerations undergone by two collocated test masses of different compositions as they orbited the Earth, by measuring the electrostatic forces required to keep them in equilibrium. This was done with ultrasensitive differential electrostatic accelerometers onboard a drag-free satellite. The mission lasted two and a half years, cumulating five months worth of science free-fall data, two-thirds with a pair of test masses of different compositions - titanium and platinum alloys - and the last third with a reference pair of test masses of the same composition - platinum. We summarize the data analysis, with an emphasis on the characterization of the systematic uncertainties due to thermal instabilities and on the correction of short-lived events which could mimic a WEP violation signal. We found no violation of the WEP, with the Eötvös parameter of the titanium and platinum pair constrained to η(Ti,Pt)=[-1.5±2.3(stat)±1.5(syst)]×10-15 at 1σ in statistical errors.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85138642719&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.121102
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.121102
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85138642719
SN - 0031-9007
VL - 129
JO - Physical review letters
JF - Physical review letters
IS - 12
M1 - 121102
ER -