[FPSPACE] Can the Pioneer anomaly be of gravitational origin?

[LARRY KLAES]

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology, abstract
gr-qc/0610050

From: Lorenzo Iorio [view email]

Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2006 22:01:16 GMT   (22kb)

Can the Pioneer anomaly be of gravitational origin?

Authors: Lorenzo Iorio

Comments: Latex2e, 22 pages, 5 tables, 1 figure, 30 references. It is the 
merging of gr-qc/0608127, gr-qc/0608068, gr-qc/0608101

Subj-class: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology; Space Physics

In order to satisfy the equivalence principle, any mechanism proposed to 
gravitationally explain the Pioneer anomaly, in the form in which it is 
presently known from the so-far analyzed Pioneer 10/11 data, cannot leave 
out of consideration its impact on the motion of the planets of the Solar 
System as well. In this paper we, first, use the latest observational 
determinations of the secular perihelion advances of some planets in order 
to put on the test two interesting models of modified gravity recently 
proposed to accommodate the Pioneer anomaly. Second, we use to 
radio-technical ranging data to Voyager 2 when it encountered Uranus and 
Neptune to perform a further, independent test of the hypothesis that a 
Pioneer-like acceleration can also affect the motion of the planets, at 
least in the regions in which the Pioneer anomaly manifested itself 
according to our present-day knowledge of it. As in the case of previous 
tests based on the use of the planetary right ascension and declination, the 
answer is negative.

http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0610050