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arXiv · 1705.04397

Tests of General Relativity: A Review

Estelle Asmodelle
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Abstract

This report is a literature review of significant and successful tests of general relativity [GR]. The GR predicted value for the perihelion advance of Mercury was Deltaf = 43.03 arcsec century^-1 and fit well with observation, being the first success of GR. The GR result for the bending of light around the Sun dGR = 1.75 arcsec, confirmed by observation, marked the second successful validation of GR. Gravitational Redshift [GvR] was first detected 1925 and is the third successful classical test. The parametrized post-Newtonian PPN employs b and g for GR testing. Shapiro delay was also confirmed with g = 1.000021 +/- 0.000023, against GR value g = 1, some consider this to be the fourth classical test. So too gravitational time dilation GvT was experimentally confirmed in 1971, while GvT for GPS is a daily validation of GR. Frame-dragging and the Geodetic effect have also been confirmed. The strong equivalence principle SEP has been confirmed to h = 4.4 x 10^-4, to GR h = 0. Gravitational slip has been constrained to EG = 0.48 +/- 0.10 at z = 0.32, against the GR value, EG = 0.30 +/- 0.07. The first gravitational wave detection from GW150914, in 2015, has confirmed a long-awaited phenomenon that has taken GR testing to higher precision. Gravitational lensing has also confirmed GR to better than 1%. GR continues to be tested, eliminating competing gravity theories.

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Estelle Asmodelle. 2017-05-11. Tests of General Relativity: A Review. https://arxiv.org/abs/1705.04397

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