Gravitational clock compass in General Relativity

Abstract

We show how a suitably prepared set of clocks can be used to determine all components of the gravitational field in General Relativity. We call such an experimental setup a clock compass, in analogy to the usual gravitational compass. Particular attention is paid to the construction of the underlying reference frame. Conceptual differences between the clock compass and the standard gravitational compass, which is based on the measurement of the mutual accelerations between the constituents of a swarm of test bodies, are highlighted. Our results are of direct operational relevance for the setup of networks of clocks, for example in the context of relativistic geodesy.

12 pages, 6 figures

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• Ultra-stable optical clock with two cold-atom ensembles
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• Tidal Dynamics in Kerr Spacetime
• General Transformation Formulas for Fermi-Walker Coordinates

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Weighing the spacetime along the line of sight using times of arrival of electromagnetic signals
• The Relativistic Geoid: Gravity Potential and Relativistic Effects
• Measuring the gravitational field in General Relativity: From deviation equations and the gravitational compass to relativistic clock gradiometry
• Gravitational clock compass and the detection of gravitational waves
• Extended gravitational clock compass: new exact solutions and simulations