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Determining PPN γ with Gaia's astrometric core solution

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 January 2010

David Hobbs
Affiliation:
Lund Observatory, Lund University, Box 43, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden email: david@astro.lu.se
Berry Holl
Affiliation:
Lund Observatory, Lund University, Box 43, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden email: david@astro.lu.se
Lennart Lindegren
Affiliation:
Lund Observatory, Lund University, Box 43, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden email: david@astro.lu.se
Frédéric Raison
Affiliation:
European Space Astronomy Center, ESA, Spain email: frederic.raison@sciops.esa.int
Sergei Klioner
Affiliation:
Lohrmann Observatory, Technical University, 01062 Dresden, Germany email: Sergei.Klioner@tu-dresden.de
Alexey Butkevich
Affiliation:
Lohrmann Observatory, Technical University, 01062 Dresden, Germany email: Sergei.Klioner@tu-dresden.de
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Abstract

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The ESA space astrometry mission Gaia, due for launch in early 2012, will in addition to its huge output of fundamental astrometric and astrophysical data also provide stringent tests of general relativity. In this paper we present an updated analysis of Gaia's capacity to measure the PPN parameter γ as part of its core astrometric solution. The analysis is based on small-scale astrometric solutions taking into account the simultaneous determination of stellar astrometric parameters and the satellite attitude. In particular, the statistical correlation between PPN γ and the stellar parallaxes is considered. Extrapolating the results to a full-scale solution using some 100 million stars, we find that PPN γ could be obtained to about 10−6, which is significantly better than today's best estimate from the Cassini mission of 2 × 10−5.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2010

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