Gravitational solution to the Pioneer 10/11 anomaly

Brownstein, J. R.; Moffat, J. W.

Gravitational solution to the Pioneer 10/11 anomaly

Authors

Description

A fully relativistic modified gravitational theory including a fifth force skew symmetric field is fitted to the Pioneer 10/11 anomalous acceleration. The theory allows for a variation with distance scales of the gravitational constant G, the fifth force skew symmetric field coupling strength omega and the mass of the skew symmetric field mu=1/lambda. A fit to the available anomalous acceleration data for the Pioneer 10/11 spacecraft is obtained for a phenomenological representation of the "running" constants and values of the associated parameters are shown to exist that are consistent with fifth force experimental bounds. The fit to the acceleration data is consistent with all current satellite, laser ranging and observations for the inner planets.
14 pages, 3 figures, 3 tables. typo's were corrected at Equations (4) and (12) and a third table including our predictions for the anomalous perihelion advance of the planets was added