Is it possible to measure the Lense-Thirring orbital shifts of the short-period S-star S4716 orbiting Sgr A$^\ast$?

TL;DR

This paper assesses the feasibility of measuring relativistic Lense-Thirring orbital shifts of star S4716 around Sgr A* and compares them with the larger gravitoelectric shifts, highlighting observational challenges and timescales.

Contribution

It provides estimates of the orbital shift magnitudes and the observational timescales needed to detect Lense-Thirring effects in the S4716 star's orbit.

Findings

Lense-Thirring shifts are about 5-16 arcseconds per revolution.

A 48-year observation period is needed to measure the perinigricon shift accurately.

Gravitoelectric shifts could be measured within 16 years, but systematic biases are significant.

Abstract

The maximal values of the general relativistic Lense-Thirring (LT) orbital shifts $\Delta I^\mathrm{LT},\,\Delta\Omega^\mathrm{LT}$ and $\Delta\omega^\mathrm{LT}$ of the inclination $I$, the longitude of the ascending node $\Omega$ and the perinigricon $\omega$ of the recently discovered star S4716, which has the shortest orbital period $\left(P_\mathrm{b}=4.02\,\mathrm{yr}\right)$ of all the S-stars that orbit the supermassive black hole (SMBH) in Sgr A$^\ast$, are of the order of $\simeq 5-16$ arcseconds per revolution $\left(^{\prime\prime}\,\mathrm{rev}^{-1}\right)$. Given the current error $\sigma_\omega = 0.02^\circ$ in determining $\omega$, which is the most accurate orbital parameter of S4716 among all those affected by the SMBH's gravitomagnetic field through its angular momentum ${\boldsymbol{J}}_\bullet$, about 48 yr would be needed to reduce $\sigma_\omega$ to $\simeq 10\%$ of the cumulative LT perinigricon shift over the same time span. Measuring $\Delta I^\mathrm{LT}$ and $\Delta\Omega^\mathrm{LT}$ to the same level of accuracy would take even much longer. Instead, after just 16 yr, a per cent measurement of the larger gravitoelectric (GE) Schwarzschild-like perinigricon shift $\Delta\omega^\mathrm{GE}$, which depends only on the SMBH's mass $M_\bullet$, would be possible. On the other hand, the uncertainties in the physical and orbital parameters entering $\Delta\omega^\mathrm{GE}$ would cause a huge systematic bias of $\Delta\omega^\mathrm{LT}$ itself. The SMBH's quadrupole mass moment $Q_2^\bullet$ induces orbital shifts as little as $\simeq 0.01-0.05\,^{\prime\prime}\,\mathrm{rev}^{-1}$.