Pioneer anomaly: a drift in the proper time of the spacecraft

TL;DR

This paper proposes a relativistic theory linking proper time drift to gravitational frequency shifts to explain Pioneer anomaly, achieving accurate acceleration values and consistent planetary observations, while also addressing galaxy rotation curves.

Contribution

It introduces a novel proper time framework based on frequency shifts, extending general relativity to account for spacecraft anomalies and galaxy rotation without conflicting with existing tests.

Findings

Accurately predicts Pioneer anomalous acceleration.

Maintains consistency with gravitational redshift and light bending.

Provides a potential explanation for galaxy rotation curves.

Abstract

A relativistic theory is proposed to explain the anomalous accelerations of Pioneer 10/11, Galileo and Ulysses spacecrafts. The theory points out at the limitations of the weak field approximation and proposes a drift in the proper time of the spacecraft outside the framework of general relativity. The theory yields a very accurate and precise value for the anomalous acceleration. In this theory the proper time of a body is associated with the gravitational frequency shift of the constituent fundamental particles of the body. The frequency shift changes the energy level of the body which gets reflected in its relativistic mass and therefore in its motion. This change in energy level causes the time like geodesics to deviate from that of the standard theoretical models. We introduce proper time in the line element of a metric theory according to a fixed set of rules laid down by general relativity for introducing deviation in the flat Minkowski metric. The frequency shift for bodies of different composition traversing different trajectories however, is not the same and this gets reflected in its motion as an unmodeled anomalous effect. This association of proper time with the gravitational frequency shift of the body requires the flat Minkowski metric to deviate in different ways for different two body systems. The solution to Pioneer anomaly given here yields anomalous acceleration within the limits of observational accuracy. Gravitational redshift of light, bending of light and perihelic precession of planets are within the permissible limits. The theory shows that Einstein's field equations do provide some clue to the Pioneer anomaly but the solution is not very accurate. The theory can also explain the rotation curves of the spiral galaxies.