BOOST - Testing Fundamental Physics in Space

Abstract

We are presenting the small satellite mission BOOST (BOOst Symmetry Test). It aims for testing the foundations of special relativity by performing a modern Kennedy-Thorndike (KT) experiment. A potential violation of the Lorentz invariance is measured by comparing two types of clocks, a highly stable optical resonator (length reference) with a molecular iodine clock (frequency reference). For realizing a small satellite compatible payload, the use of diode-laser technology is favorable and currently already under investigation with respect to other space experiments. A laser wavelength of 1016 nm is foreseen as its second harmonics accesses narrow linewidth transitions in molecular iodine. Both lasers are directly compared in a beat measurement and analyzed with respect to a possible violation of boost invariance. By employing clocks with 10E−16 frequency stabilities at orbit time and by integration over 5000 orbits, a 1000-fold improvement in measuring the Kennedy-Thorndike coefficient is targeted compared to the current best terrestrial test.