Testing theories of gravity with planetary ephemerides

Fienga, Agnès; Minazzoli, Olivier

doi:10.1007/s41114-023-00047-0

Cited by 12 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 221 publications

(418 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…For the most gradual transition function, n = 1, we would have δg → a 0 (Figure 1). A constant acceleration of this magnitude conflicts with observations of the orbits of the inner planets (e.g., Blanchet & Novak 2011;Fienga et al 2018;Fienga & Minazzoli 2024). For n 2 the non-Newtonian acceleration δg in the inner solar system is much smaller but can still be significant.…”

contrasting

confidence: 54%

“…Radar ranging to the Cassini spacecraft constrains Q 2 (0) = (3 ± 3) × 10 −27 s −2 (Hees et al 2014) as indicated by the gray area (with the mean value shown by the horizontal dashed line). Analyses of planetary motion (Blanchet & Novak 2011;Fienga et al 2018;Fienga & Minazzoli 2024) require n 6, or even n 20 (Fienga et al 2018).…”

Section: The External Field Effect In Mondmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Testing MOND on Small Bodies in the Remote Solar System

Vokrouhlický,

Nesvorný,

Tremaine

2024

ApJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND), which postulates a breakdown of Newton's laws of gravity/dynamics below some critical acceleration threshold, can explain many otherwise puzzling observational phenomena on galactic scales. MOND competes with the hypothesis of dark matter, which successfully explains the cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure. Here we provide the first solar system test of MOND that probes the subcritical acceleration regime. Using the Bekenstein–Milgrom “aquadratic Lagrangian” (or AQUAL) formulation, we simulate the evolution of myriads of test particles (planetesimals or comets) born in the trans-Neptunian region and scattered by the giant planets over the lifetime of the Sun to heliocentric distances of 102–105 au. We include the effects of the Galactic tidal field and passing stars. While Newtonian simulations reproduce the distribution of binding energies of long-period and Oort-cloud comets detectable from Earth, MOND-based simulations do not. This conclusion is robust to plausible changes in the migration history of the planets, the migration history of the Sun, the MOND transition function, effects of the Sun's birth cluster, and the fading properties of long-period comets. For the most popular version of AQUAL, characterized by a gradual transition between the Newtonian and MOND regimes, our MOND-based simulations also fail to reproduce the orbital distribution of trans-Neptunian objects in the detached disk (perihelion q > 38 au). Our results do not rule out some MOND theories more elaborate than AQUAL, in which non-Newtonian effects are screened on small spatial scales, at small masses, or in external gravitational fields comparable in strength to the critical acceleration.

show abstract

contrasting

confidence: 54%

Section: The External Field Effect In Mondmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing MOND on Small Bodies in the Remote Solar System

Vokrouhlický,

Nesvorný,

Tremaine

2024

ApJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Additionally, Banik et al (2024) have used wide binary data from the Gaia DR3 data set to demonstrate that Newtonian gravity is very strongly favored over MOND on outer solar system scales. Equivalent conclusions were reached by Fienga et al (2016) and Fienga & Minazzoli (2024) from the vantage point of planetary ephemerides.…”

Section: Alternatives To P9mentioning

confidence: 92%

Generation of Low-inclination, Neptune-crossing Trans-Neptunian Objects by Planet Nine

Batygin,

Morbidelli,

Brown

et al. 2024

ApJL

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The solar system’s distant reaches exhibit a wealth of anomalous dynamical structure, hinting at the presence of a yet-undetected, massive trans-Neptunian body—Planet Nine (P9). Previous analyses have shown how orbital evolution induced by this object can explain the origins of a broad assortment of exotic orbits, ranging from those characterized by high perihelia to those with extreme inclinations. In this work, we shift the focus toward a more conventional class of TNOs and consider the observed census of long-period, nearly planar, Neptune-crossing objects as a hitherto-unexplored probe of the P9 hypothesis. To this end, we carry out comprehensive N-body simulations that self-consistently model gravitational perturbations from all giant planets, the Galactic tide, as well as passing stars, stemming from initial conditions that account for the primordial giant planet migration and Sun's early evolution within a star cluster. Accounting for observational biases, our results reveal that the orbital architecture of this group of objects aligns closely with the predictions of the P9-inclusive model. In stark contrast, the P9-free scenario is statistically rejected at a ∼5σ confidence level. Accordingly, this work introduces a new line of evidence supporting the existence of P9 and further delineates a series of observational predictions poised for near-term resolution.

show abstract

“…Solar mass loss was included using Ṁ/ M = 7 × 10 14 y 1 (e.g., Quinn et al, 1991). Quinn et al's value falls toward the lower end of more recent solar mass loss estimates (e.g., Minton & Malhotra, 2007;Fienga & Minazzoli, 2024), which is likely of minor importance though. In additional eight test simulations (not shown), we used a very large solar mass loss of Ṁ/ M = 1.1 × 10 11 y 1 (Spalding et al, 2018) and found again essentially the same dynamics, including σ 12resonance episodes.…”

Section: Appendix A: Milanković Quotementioning

confidence: 99%

Milanković Forcing in Deep Time

Zeebe,

Lantink

2024

Paleoceanog and Paleoclimatol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Astronomical (or Milanković) forcing of the Earth system is key to understanding rhythmic climate change on time scales ≳104 y. Paleoceanographic and paleoclimatological applications concerned with past astronomical forcing rely on astronomical calculations (solutions), which represent the backbone of cyclostratigraphy and astrochronology. Here we present state‐of‐the‐art astronomical solutions over the past 3.5 Gyr. Our goal is to provide tuning targets and templates for interpreting deep‐time cyclostratigraphic records and designing external forcing functions in climate models. Our approach yields internally consistent orbital and precession‐tilt solutions, including fundamental solar system frequencies, orbital eccentricity and inclination, lunar distance, luni‐solar precession rate, Earth's obliquity, and climatic precession. Contrary to expectations, we find that the long eccentricity cycle (LEC) (previously assumed stable and labeled “metronome,” recent period ∼405 kyr), can become unstable on long time scales. Our results reveal episodes during which the LEC is very weak or absent and Earth's orbital eccentricity and climate‐forcing spectrum are unrecognizable compared to the recent past. For the ratio of eccentricity‐to‐inclination amplitude modulation (recent individual periods of ~2.4 and ~1.2 Myr, frequently observable in paleorecords) we find a wide distribution around the recent 2:1 ratio, that is, the system is not restricted to a 2:1 or 1:1 resonance state. Our computations show that Earth's obliquity was lower and its amplitude (variation around the mean) significantly reduced in the past. We therefore predict weaker climate forcing at obliquity frequencies in deep time and a trend toward reduced obliquity power with age in stratigraphic records. For deep‐time stratigraphic and modeling applications, the orbital parameters of our 3.5‐Gyr integrations are made available at 400‐year resolution.

show abstract

Testing theories of gravity with planetary ephemerides

Cited by 12 publications

References 221 publications

Testing MOND on Small Bodies in the Remote Solar System

Testing MOND on Small Bodies in the Remote Solar System

Generation of Low-inclination, Neptune-crossing Trans-Neptunian Objects by Planet Nine

Milanković Forcing in Deep Time

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About