Modeling the flyby anomalies with dark matter scattering

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether flyby anomalies can be explained by spacecraft dark matter scattering, modeling interactions with dark matter shells to fit observed data.

Contribution

It introduces a simple scattering model involving dark matter shells precessing around Earth to explain flyby anomalies.

Findings

Good fits to observed flyby anomaly data

Elastic and inelastic scattering considered

Model reproduces key features of anomalies

Abstract

We continue our exploration of whether the flyby anomalies can be explained by scattering of spacecraft nucleons from dark matter gravitationally bound to the earth. We formulate and analyze a simple model in which inelastic and elastic scatterers populate shells generated by the precession of circular orbits with normals tilted with respect to the earth's axis. Good fits to the data published by Anderson et al. are obtained.