Abstract As an extension of the “teleparallel” equivalent of general relativity, f(T) gravity is proposed to explain some puzzling cosmological behaviors, such as accelerating expansion of the Universe. Given the fact that modified gravity also has impacts on the Solar System, we might test it during future interplanetary missions with ultrastable clocks. In this work, we investigate the effects of f(T) gravity on the dynamics of the clock and its time transfer link. Under these influences, the Λ-term and the α-term of f(T) gravity play important roles. Here, Λ is the cosmological constant and α represents a model parameter in f(T) gravity that determines the divergence from teleparallel gravity at the first order approximation. We find that the signal of f(T) gravity in the time transfer is much more difficult to detect with the current state of development for clocks than those effects on dynamics of an interplanetary spacecraft with a bounded orbit with parameters 0.5 au ≤ a ≤ 5.5 au and 0 ≤ e ≤ 0.1.

Keywords gravitation — celestial mechanics — space vehicles: clock — time

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