Atom interferometry is an exciting tool to probe fundamental physics. It is considered especially apt to test the universality of free fall by using two different sorts of atoms. The increasing sensitivity required for this kind of experiment sets se
vere requirements on its environments, instrument control, and systematic effects. This can partially be mitigated by going to space as was proposed, for example, in the Spacetime Explorer and Quantum Equivalence Principle Space Test (STE-QUEST) mission. However, the requirements on the instrument are still very challenging. For example, the specifications of the STE-QUEST mission imply that the Feshbach coils of the atom interferometer are allowed to change their radius only by about 260 nm or 2.6E-4% due to thermal expansion although they consume an average power of 22 W. Also Earths magnetic field has to be suppressed by a factor of 10E5. We show in this article that with the right design such thermal and magnetic requirements can indeed be met and that these are not an impediment for the exciting physics possible with atom interferometers in space.
We consider a universal relation between moment of inertia and quadrupole moment of arbitrarily fast rotating neutron stars. Recent studies suggest that this relation breaks down for fast rotation. We find that it is still universal among various sug
gested equations of state for constant values of certain dimensionless parameters characterizing the magnitude of rotation. One of these parameters includes the neutron star radius, leading to a new universal relation expressing the radius through the mass, frequency, and spin parameter. This can become a powerful tool for radius measurements.
