Pioneer Anomoly

[xelasnave]

In an effort to control the cabin madness and lack of contact with the world I have been thinking about the Pioneer Anomaly.

I noted that radiation pressure is taken into account as a factor.

My (mainly unsupported) view of space suggests that it may be that radiation pressure is the force of gravity so I thought if we used the formula for calculating the radiation pressure we may be able to predict the future acceleration of the craft (toward the Sun).... I rather prefer the concept that they are decelerating without gravitational influence from the Sun and that all the deceleration is due to radiation pressure....so I thought if we adjusted the formula used for the calculation of the effect of radiation pressure such that all deceleration was attributed to radiation pressure then we could predict future deceleration ...
If that approach shows a consistency to the observed deceleration would that be supportive of a "push" approach to gravity?

The push idea is no more than a suggestion that radiation pressure is greater than we think and it is such a pressure that is behind the force of gravity... in any event it does not matter how the pressure is created but rather is the slowing consistent with a higher pressure space.

In other words rather than add to the formula a figure that we think will be equal to radiation pressure we place a figure for pressure that would produce the observed deceleration and see what future deceleration we may expect.

IS there any hope here? Does anyone understand what I talking about? and if so what do you think.

alex

[mswhin63 (Malcolm)]

I had to read up about it on Wikipedia, but in all I think it would be a waste to even think about it especially when we have lost contact with the Pioneer spacecraft for which this theory was first placed.

I think if we were going to try and solve the theory based on the Pioneer spacecraft exiting our solar system it would be a good idea to try and use Voyager spacecraft as a model, as we still have radio contact with that craft.

[bojan]

Alex,
I think we all should relax and have a beer.... and enjoy nice weather (at least, in Melbourne it is quite nice at the moment)

[CraigS]

Just deleted my query about loss of comms with Pioneer 10 & 11.

Interestingly, I read the other day:

Now hurtling toward interstellar space some 10.8 billion miles from the sun, Voyager 1 has crossed into an area where the velocity of the hot ionized gas, or plasma, emanating directly outward from the sun has slowed to zero. Scientists suspect the solar wind has been turned sideways by the pressure from the interstellar wind in the region between stars.
..
Scientists believe Voyager 1 has not crossed the heliosheath into interstellar space. Crossing into interstellar space would mean a sudden drop in the density of hot particles and an increase in the density of cold particles. Scientists are putting the data into their models of the heliosphere's structure and should be able to better estimate when Voyager 1 will reach interstellar space. Researchers currently estimate Voyager 1 will cross that frontier in about four years.

Cheers
PS: Reference is "No more solar wind for Voyager 1 spacecraft".

[xelasnave]

I thought they had passed the outer limit... that gives me four years to develop the approach suggested.

Thanks for the input. Gotta go back to the bush so I will think more about this.

alex

[mswhin63 (Malcolm)]

just checked this website –http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclo...r_anomaly.html

It seems the Voyager spacecraft have different spin and this has a different effect. This means the Voyager can't be used as an example of Pioneer anomaly.

[CraigS]

Perhaps not Malcolm ..

.. but they can, and are, being used to gather more data on the dynamic behaviour of the outer regions of the heliosphere.

Clearly, they won't be getting this data directly from the Pioneers anymore …

Cheers