MG11 
Talk detail
 

 Participant 

Institution

Session

Talk

Abstract

Testing general relativity using Gaia astrometric measurements close to the giant planets of the solar system

The relativistic formulation of the high precision astrometry and a number of experiments on grativational physics are key aspects of the Gaia(ESA) astrometric mission. This work presents a set of experiments which can be performed with the Gaia observations close to the Giant planets of the solar system. Due to the large statistical dataset produced by the Gaia observations, such local experiments permit the determination of the parameters that rule the deflection of light with a good degree of accuracy. A realistic model for the observations and their noise has been developed and a simulation/reduction process using a real sky catalog is performed in order to obtain the expected accuracy on the parameter determination. The impact of the uncertainity in the planetary ephemeris is also studied. It is found that such experiments are particularly sensible to the monopolar term of the gravitational field and to the controversial effects due to the translational motion of a gravitating body. The multipole structure of the gravitational field is barely detected and measured only in the case of Jupiter observations.

Testing general relativity using Gaia astrometric measurements close to the giant planets of the solar system

The relativistic formulation of the high precision astrometry and a number of experiments on grativational physics are key aspects of the Gaia(ESA) astrometric mission. This work presents a set of experiments which can be performed with the Gaia observations close to the Giant planets of the solar system. Due to the large statistical dataset produced by the Gaia observations, such local experiments permit the determination of the parameters that rule the deflection of light with a good degree of accuracy. A realistic model for the observations and their noise has been developed and a simulation/reduction process using a real sky catalog is performed in order to obtain the expected accuracy on the parameter determination. The impact of the uncertainity in the planetary ephemeris is also studied. It is found that such experiments are particularly sensible to the monopolar term of the gravitational field and to the controversial effects due to the translational motion of a gravitating body. The multipole structure of the gravitational field is barely detected and measured only in the case of Jupiter observations.