Session Summary: Experimental Gravitation

Abstract

A scheme based on a constructive axiomatic approach for General Relativity is presented which can be taken as guideline to experimentally test and confirm General Relativity. We start with the properties of light propagation and the properties of the motion of neutral pointlike test particles. For that also the structure of the equations of motion are discussed. The requirements that particles are not allowed to move faster than light and that the ticking rates of clocks behave universal in gravitational field then give the Riemannian structure of space-time. The next step is to establish the Einstein field equations for which no constructive scheme exists. Therefore deviations from these field equations are considered. The central task is to find a scheme which does not allow any loophole in the experimental foundation of General Relativity and, thus, provide a complete test of SR and GR. The presentation of the Experimental Gravitation session are included in the presented scheme.