From reference frames to relativistic experiments: Absolute and relative radio astrometry

National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA

Abstract

Reference systems and frames are crucial for high precision absolute astrometric work, and their foundations must be well-defined. The current frame, the International Celestial Reference Frame, will be discussed: its history, the use of the group delay as the measured quantity, the positional accuracy of 0.3 mas, and possible future improvements. On the other hand, for the determination of the motion of celestial objects, accuracies approaching 0.01 mas can be obtained by measuring the differential position between the target object and nearby stationary sources. This relative astrometric technique uses phase referencing, and the current techniques and limitations are discussed, usingthe results from four experiments. Brief comments are included on the interpretation of the Jupiter gravity deflection experiment of September 2002.