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Assessment of Directions in Microgravity and Physical Sciences Research at NASA (2003) / Chapter Skim
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4. Fundamental Physics Research Program
Pages 40-49

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From page 40...
... The Fundamental Physics Disciplinary Working Groups recently published a report outlining and advocating the current and future programs of fundamental physics, Fundamental Physics in Space, a Roadmap to Unlock Mysteries of the Universe by Exploring the Frontiers of Physics in Space (Bigelow, 2001~. This brochure refers to the two goals that have guided funding selections by the fundamental physics program: To discover and explore fundamental physical laws governing matter, space and time; and to discover and understand organizing principles of nature from which structure and complexity emerge.
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From page 41...
... Currently about half a dozen flight experiments, in low-temperature and condensed-matter physics, in laser cooling and atomic physics, and in gravitational and relativistic physics, are being prepared for flight onboard the ISS. In addition, the fundamental physics program also provides support for ground-based projects that complement flight projects or have the potential to become flight projects.
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From page 42...
... SUMO is scheduled for requirements definition review in early 2004. DYNAMX and BEST measure thermal conductivity very near the superfluid transition point to understand the dynamical response near a critical point both for a bulk sample (DYNAMX)
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From page 43...
... · Another ground-based program focuses on laser frequency stabilization and development of active antivibration techniques that will ensure optimum performance in the ISS environment. Unexpected advances have broadened this program to include absolute optical frequency measurement via a new and powerful method, as described in the section below entitled "Optical Frequency Measurement." Some of the other notable ground-based projects that may lead to future flight studies include the search for an electron electric dipole moment with laser-cooled atoms in space, the demonstration of atom interferometry for detecting acceleration and rotation, study of the feasibility of forming and using Bose-Einstein condensates in space, study of the feasibility of space-based lunar laser ranging, and development of ultrastable laser sources for space science experiments and deep-space communication.
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From page 44...
... The success in recycling much of the hardware of the LPE for CHeX provided the impetus for and confidence in establishing the low-temperature microgravity physics facility on the ISS as a platform for accommodating future flight experiments requiring cryogenic temperatures. Optical Frequency Measurement One of the unanticipated successes achieved under NASA sponsorship was the recent and rapid development of revolutionary techniques for the measurement of optical frequencies.
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From page 45...
... Considering that such national frequency measurement teams are maintained by the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan, and Russia, one sees that this standards work actually represents a serious scale of effort. However, in 2000 and due in part to NASA funding, it became possible to measure optical frequencies with even greater accuracy using a transparent and simple new approach based on femtosecond lasers, disciplined with high-precision optical phase control systems (these were the subject of the NASA funding)
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From page 46...
... , · Heat capacity at constant heat current (CQj, · Boundary effect near the superfluid transition (BEST) , · Microgravity scaling theory experiment (MISTE)
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From page 47...
... By comparing its microwave cavity frequency (based on its cavity geometry) with that of the local atomic clocks, it will be possible to measure as a function of position and gravitational potential the gravitational redshift.
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From page 48...
... Several other ongoing flight experiments are not fully supported within the fundamental physics program. These include LISA, Gravity Probe B
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From page 49...
... In these ways, the ISS will allow a number of important questions in gravitational physics and general relativity to be addressed with improved clarity and resolution. These questions concern our "reasonable" assumptions about physics, including the Einstein equivalence principle, spatial isotropy in the speed of light (the Kennedy-Thorndike and Michelson Morley experiments)
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Key Terms

  • flight experiments
  • physics program
  • atomic clocks
  • physics research
  • optical frequency

  • equivalence principle
  • superfluid transition
  • physics facility
  • microgravity physics
  • frequency measurement

  • dynamical response
  • review letters
  • heat capacity
  • atomic clock
  • physical review

  • flight definition
  • future flight
  • nasa funding
  • passed flight
  • laser cooling

  • clock experiment
  • phase transition
  • transition temperature
  • microgravity environment
  • relativistic physics

  • biological physics
  • atomic physics
  • flight projects
  • definition review
  • primary atomic


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