GLADE: Gravitational Light-Bending Astrometry Dual-Satellite Experiment

Abstract

Light bending is one of the classical tests of general relativity and is a crucial aspect to be taken into account for accurate assessments of photon propagation. In particular, high-precision astrometry can constrain theoretical models of gravitation in the weak field limit applicable to the Sun neighborhood. We propose a concept for experimental determination of the light deflection close to the Sun in the 10−7 to 10−8 range, in a modern rendition of the 1919 experiment by Dyson, Eddington and Davidson, using formation flying to generate an artificial long-lasting eclipse. The technology is going to be demonstrated by the forthcoming ESA mission PROBA3. The experimental setup includes two units separated by 150 m and aligned to the mm level: an occulter and a small telescope (0.3 m diameter) with an annular field of view covering a region 0∘.7 from the Sun. The design is compatible with a space weather payload, merging several instruments for observation of the solar corona and environment. We discuss the measurement conditions and the expected performance.