On the effect of the light propagation within the corner-cube reflector of absolute gravimeters

Abstract

We have assessed the implications of the in-cube light propagation effect in absolute gravimeters, and found it contradictory to existing theoretical and experimental data. We maintain that the `effect' is a bias of the quadratic coefficient that appears when the model of the trajectory ignores insensitivity of the laser interferometer to the constant part of the phase. The experimental bias obtained by fitting such an inadequate model was found in full agreement with the theoretical evaluations of the effect.