Estimates of the change rate of solar mass and gravitational constant based on the dynamics of the Solar System

TL;DR

This paper estimates the annual change rates of solar mass and gravitational constant using planetary and spacecraft data processed with the EPM2019 ephemeris, providing tighter constraints on their variability.

Contribution

It presents new, more precise bounds on the change rates of solar mass and gravitational constant based on modern observational data and numerical ephemeris analysis.

Findings

Estimated solar mass loss rate within -13.4 to -8.7 x 10^{-14} per year.

Derived change rate bounds for G: -2.9 to +4.6 x 10^{-14} per year.

Results narrow the possible deviations from general relativity.

Abstract

The estimate of the change rate of the solar gravitational parameter $\mathrm{d}(GM_{\odot})/\mathrm{d}t$ is obtained from processing modern positional observations of planets and spacecraft. Observations were processed and parameters were determined basing on the numerical planetary ephemeris EPM2019. The obtained annual decrease in solar mass $M_{\odot}$ accounts for the loss through radiation ${\dot M}_{{\odot}\mathrm{rad}}$, through the outgoing solar wind ${\dot M}_{{\odot}{\mathrm{wind}}}$, and for the material falling on the Sun ${\dot M}_{{\odot}\mathrm{fall}}$. The estimated relative value is within $-13.4\cdot 10^{-14} < (\dot M_{\odot} /M_{\odot})_{\mathrm{rad}+\mathrm{wind}+ \mathrm{fall}} < -8.7\cdot 10^{-14}$ per year. The following range for the change rate of the gravitational constant $G$ was obtained: $-2.9 \cdot 10^{-14} < \dot G /G < + 4.6 \cdot 10^{-14}$ per year $(3\sigma$). The new result reduces the interval for the change in $G$ and narrows the limits of possible deviations for alternative gravitational theories from general relativity.