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Relativistic aspects of the JPL planetary ephemeris

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 January 2010

W. M. Folkner*
Affiliation:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institue of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr., Pasadena, CA, 91009, USA email: william.m.folkner@jpl.nasa.gov
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Abstract

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The orbits of the planets as represented by the JPL planetary ephemerides are now primarily determined by radio tracking of spacecraft. Analysis of the data and propagation of the orbits relies on an internally consistent set of equations of motion and propagation of radio signals including relativistic effects at the centimeter level. The planetary ephemeris data set can be used to test some aspects of the underlying theory such as estimates of PPN parameters γ and β, time variation in the gravitational constant G, rotation of the solar system relative to distant objects (Mach's principle), and place stringent limits on the possible violation of the inverse-square law.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2010

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