OPTIMUM CONFIGURATION OF DETERMINING THE GRAVITATIONAL CONSTANT G WITH FOUR ATTRACTING MASSES

Abstract

A configuration with four attracting masses in the determination of Newtonian gravitational constant G by the time-of-swing method is proposed. One couple of attracting masses is put in the outer space of the two attracted masses and another couple one is put in the inner space. Because the signals of the two couples of attracted masses will be superposed while the noises due to the uncertainty of the attracted masses separation will be compensated. There exists an optimum separation between the attracted masses, in which the requirement of measuring this separation can be reduced by a factor of about 400.