The effect of the motion of the Sun on the light-time in interplanetary relativistic experiments

Abstract

In 2002 a measurement of the effect of solar gravity upon the phase of coherent microwave beams passing near the Sun has been carried out with the Cassini mission, allowing a very accurate measurement of the PPN parameter $\gamma$. The data have been analyzed with NASA's Orbit Determination Program (ODP) in the Barycentric Celestial Reference System, in which the Sun moves around the centre of mass of the solar system with a velocity $v_{\odot }$ of about 10 m/sec; the question arises, what correction this implies for the predicted phase shift. After a review of the way the ODP works, we set the problem in the framework of Lorentz (and Galilean) transformations and evaluate the correction; it is several orders of magnitude below our experimental accuracy. We also discuss a recent paper \cite{kopeikin07}, which claims wrong and much larger corrections, and clarify the reasons for the discrepancy.

arXiv commentFinal version accepted by Classical and Quantum Gravity (8 Jan. 2008)

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• Second-order time delay by a radially moving Kerr-Newman black hole
• Numerical Error in Interplanetary Orbit Determination Software
• Comparison of light-time formulations in the post-Newtonian framework for the BepiColombo MORE experiment
• Second Post-Minkowskian Metric for a Moving Kerr Black Hole
• On the two approaches to the data analysis of the Cassini interplanetary relativity experiment
• Recent VLBA/VERA/IVS Tests of General Relativity
• Kerr-Schild Form of the Exact Metric for a Constantly Moving Kerr Black Hole and Null Gravitational Deflection
• Leading-order gravitational time delay of massive particles by a moving Schwarzschild lens