[FPSPACE] Another Apollo to the Moon

[LARRY KLAES]

APOLLO: the Apache Point Observatory Lunar Laser-ranging Operation: 
Instrument Description and First Detections

Authors: T.W. Murphy, Jr., E.G. Adelberger, J.B.R. Battat, L.N. Carey, C.D. 
Hoyle, P. LeBlanc, E.L. Michelsen, K. Nordtvedt, A.E. Orin, J.D. Strasburg, 
C.W. Stubbs, H.E. Swanson, E. Williams

(Submitted on 3 Oct 2007 (v1), last revised 8 Nov 2007 (this version, v2))

Abstract: A next-generation lunar laser ranging apparatus using the 3.5 m 
telescope at the Apache Point Observatory in southern New Mexico has begun 
science operation. APOLLO (the Apache Point Observatory Lunar Laser-ranging 
Operation) has achieved one-millimeter range precision to the moon which 
should lead to approximately one-order-of-magnitude improvements in the 
precision of several tests of fundamental properties of gravity. We briefly 
motivate the scientific goals, and then give a detailed discussion of the 
APOLLO instrumentation.

Comments:  37 pages; 10 figures; 1 table: accepted for publication in PASP

Subjects:  Astrophysics (astro-ph); General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 
(gr-qc)

Cite as:  arXiv:0710.0890v2 [astro-ph]

Submission history

From: Thomas Murphy Jr. [view email]

[v1] Wed, 3 Oct 2007 21:11:55 GMT (423kb)

[v2] Thu, 8 Nov 2007 00:59:36 GMT (425kb)

http://arxiv.org/abs/0710.0890