The Brute-Force Search for Planet Nine
Scott Lawrence, Zeeve Rogoszinski

TL;DR
This paper explores a method to detect Planet 9 by measuring gravitational perturbations with spacecraft and telescopes, reducing technological constraints and enabling additional solar system mapping.
Contribution
It proposes a less technologically demanding detection approach for Planet 9 using existing telescopic and spacecraft data, enhancing sensitivity and utility.
Findings
High-precision clocks can be replaced with telescopic measurements.
Spacecraft can map gravitational perturbations even without Planet 9.
The method improves detection sensitivity while relaxing technological constraints.
Abstract
A recent proposal for the detection of a hypothetical gravitating body 500 AU from the Sun (termed Planet 9) calls for a fleet of near-relativistic spacecraft, equipped with high-precision clocks, to be sent to a region where the object is suspected to be. We show that the technological constraints of such a mission can be relaxed somewhat, while improving the sensitivity: high-precision clocks can be avoided when the transverse displacement induced by Planet 9 is measurable with Earth-based, or near-Earth, telescopes. Furthermore, we note that in the absence of Planet 9, these spacecraft still yield useful data by mapping gravitational perturbations in the outer parts of the solar system.
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Taxonomy
TopicsStellar, planetary, and galactic studies · History and Developments in Astronomy · Astro and Planetary Science
