The Confrontation between General Relativity and Experiment

• Published in: Living reviews in relativity Vol. 17; no. 1; p. 4
• Main Author: Will, Clifford M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.01.2014; Springer Nature B.V; SpringerOpen
• Subjects: Astrophysics and Astroparticles; Classical and Quantum Gravitation; Cosmology; Damping; Equivalence principle; Gravitational radiation; Gravitational waves; Gravity waves; Mercury; Mercury (planet); Perihelions; Physics; Post-Newtonian limit; Pulsars; Quantum gravity; Relativity; Relativity Theory; Review; Review Article; Tests of relativistic gravity; Theories of gravity; Theory of relativity; Post-Newtonian limit; Gravitational radiation; Theories of gravity; Tests of relativistic gravity
• ISSN: 2367-3613; 1433-8351; 1433-8351
• DOI: 10.12942/lrr-2014-4

The status of experimental tests of general relativity and of theoretical frameworks for analyzing them is reviewed and updated. Einstein’s equivalence principle (EEP) is well supported by experiments such as the Eötvös experiment, tests of local Lorentz invariance and clock experiments. Ongoing tests of EEP and of the inverse square law are searching for new interactions arising from unification or quantum gravity. Tests of general relativity at the post-Newtonian level have reached high precision, including the light deflection, the Shapiro time delay, the perihelion advance of Mercury, the Nordtvedt effect in lunar motion, and frame-dragging. Gravitational wave damping has been detected in an amount that agrees with general relativity to better than half a percent using the Hulse-Taylor binary pulsar, and a growing family of other binary pulsar systems is yielding new tests, especially of strong-field effects. Current and future tests of relativity will center on strong gravity and gravitational waves.