Using early data to illuminate the Pioneer anomaly

DOI10.1088/0264-9381/22/24/008zbMATH Open1088.83501arXivgr-qc/0507052OpenAlexW2046794942WikidataQ56032478 ScholiaQ56032478MaRDI QIDQ3367263FDOQ3367263

Authors: Michael Martin Nieto, John D. jun. Anderson 

Publication date: 24 January 2006

Published in: Classical and Quantum Gravity (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Analysis of the radio tracking data from the Pioneer 10/11 spacecraft at distances between about 20 - 70 AU from the Sun has consistently indicated the presence of an unmodeled, small, constant, Doppler blue shift drift of order 6 imes 10^{-9} Hz/s. After accounting for systematics, this drift can be interpreted as a constant acceleration of a_P= (8.74 pm 1.33) imes 10^{-8} cm/s^2 directed towards the Sun, or perhaps as a time acceleration of a_t = (2.92 pm 0.44) imes 10^{-18} s/s^2. Although it is suspected that there is a systematic origin to this anomaly, none has been unambiguously demonstrated. We review the current status of the anomaly, and then point out how the analysis of early data, which was never analyzed in detail, could allow a more clear understanding of the origin of the anomaly, be it a systematic or a manifestation of unsuspected physics.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0507052

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Equations of motion in general relativity and gravitational theory (83C10) Observational and experimental questions in relativity and gravitational theory (83B05)

Cited In (7)

• Can the Pioneer anomaly be of gravitational origin? A phenomenological answer
• A STUDY OF THE PIONEER ANOMALY: NEW DATA AND OBJECTIVES FOR NEW INVESTIGATION
• The ambiguity in the definition and behavior of the gravitational and cosmological `coupling constants' in the theory of induced gravity
• GRAVITATIONAL RADIATION OF ACCELERATED SOURCES
• The Pioneer anomaly
• Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft anomalous acceleration in the light of the Nonsymmetric Kaluza-Klein (Jordan-Thiry) theory
• CAN THE PIONEER ANOMALY BE INDUCED BY VELOCITY-DEPENDENT FORCES? TESTS IN THE OUTER REGIONS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM WITH PLANETARY DYNAMICS

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