Gravitational Redshift Experiment with the Space Radio Telescope RadioAstron
Abstract
A unique test of general relativity is possible with the space radio telescope RadioAstron. The ultra-stable on-board hydrogen maser frequency standard and the highly eccentric orbit make RadioAstron an ideal instrument for probing the gravitational redshift effect. Large gravitational potential variation, occurring on the time scale of 24 hr, causes large variation of the on-board H-maser clock rate, which can be detected via comparison with frequency standards installed at various ground radio astronomical observatories. The experiment requires specific on-board hardware operating modes and support from ground radio telescopes capable of tracking the spacecraft continuously and equipped with 8.4 or 15 GHz receivers. Our preliminary estimates show that 30 hr of the space radio telescope's observational time are required to reach 2×10-5 accuracy in the test, which would constitute a factor of 10 improvement over the currently achieved best result.