On the vacuum fluctuations, Pioneer Anomaly and Modified Newtonian Dynamics

TL;DR

This paper proposes that the Pioneer Anomaly results from quantum vacuum fluctuations and gravitational polarization, suggesting a potential alternative to dark matter through modified Newtonian dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel hypothesis linking vacuum polarization to the Pioneer Anomaly and dark matter effects, based on gravitational dipoles formed by virtual particle-antiparticle pairs.

Findings

Vacuum polarization could explain Pioneer spacecraft deceleration.

Gravitational dipoles may mimic dark matter effects at large distances.

The approach offers an alternative to dark matter within MOND framework.

Abstract

We argue that the so-called "Pioneer Anomaly" is related to the quantum vacuum fluctuations. Our approach is based on the hypothesis of the gravitational repulsion between matter and antimatter, what allows considering, the virtual particle-antiparticle pairs in the physical vacuum, as gravitational dipoles. Our simplified calculations indicate that the anomalous deceleration of the Pioneer spacecrafts could be a consequence of the vacuum polarization in the gravitational field of the Sun. At the large distances, the vacuum polarization by baryonic matter could mimic dark matter what opens possibility that dark matter do not exist, as advocated by the Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND).