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Experimental gravitation and "Radio Science"

Italy has a strong tradition in the use of interplanetary probes for experiments in the field of gravitation. Taken together, these experiments allow the determination of the gravitational field of the planets and minor bodies of the solar system, their structure and rotational motion, as well as to carry out tests of theories of gravitation: information essential for the study of the origin of the solar system itself.

From the instrumental and know-how point of view, in such "Radio Science" experiments, use is made of high sensitivity accelerometers (the ISA - Italian Spring Accelerometer - is one of the payloads of the Bepi Colombo mission), tracking systems and programmes for accurate orbital determination.

Lake Como Schools on Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravitation

Jul 08, 2025

Lake Como Schools on Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravitation It has been held at Como – Villa del Grumello, 23-27 June, the 2025 edition of the “Lake Como Schools on Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravitation” on the theme “Dark Matter, Dark Energy and the Cosmological Tensions”

The Lucchin Schools Return

Jun 01, 2025

The Lucchin Schools Return First Edition of the New INAF PhD School Series Concludes in Asiago

MISTRAL, a wind of change in the SRT observations

May 29, 2025

MISTRAL, a wind of change in the SRT observations MISTRAL is a new-generation receiver for observations at millimeter wavelengths, built as part of the recent project to upgrade the Sardinia Radio Telescope for the study of the high-frequency radio universe. The main features of this instrument are the very high number of detectors cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero and a dedicated cold optical system, which allow for extremely sharp images. MISTRAL made its “first light” by observing three different celestial objects: the Orion Nebula, the radio lobes of the supermassive black hole in the galaxy M87, and the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. These images represent the first scientific observations at 90 GHz ever obtained using the SRT