Pioneer Anomaly Solved - Reflective Thermal Model

[DaveC426913]

You responded as if a gravitational anomaly that doesn't fit current theories would be paranormal.

anomaly = unexplained by our current understanding of science

Wanting to reform our understanding of gravity is analagous to wanting to find the green guys in their saucers. It's be cool, but there's no real reason to go looking for something outrageous until we've exhausted all current theories that explain the facts. We found the explanation right where we knew it would be. We always knew heat radiation was the answer, we just needed to refine the model.

 

[kmarinas86]

right where we knew it would be.

Your use of the word "knew" is disturbing to say the least. A word such as "hypothesized" would be more appropriate in science.

 

[DaveC426913]

Your use of the word "knew" is disturbing to say the least. A word such as "hypothesized" would be more appropriate in science.

We need to hypothesize about radiative heat loss on spacecraft ? We've been dealing with that stuff for decades on planetary probes, satellites and high-powered space-born telescopes.

 

[kmarinas86]

We need to hypothesize about radiative heat loss on spacecraft ? We've been dealing with that stuff for decades on planetary probes, satellites and high-powered space-born telescopes.

When I spoke of needing a hypothesis, I wasn't referring merely to the existence of radiative heat loss. Of course we know radiative heat loss results in an additional component to thrust and that it exists on spacecraft , but we try to determine its consequences, so measures should be taken to start with a testable hypothesis, and not just assume what the result would be. You don't just assume that it fills in the gaps, but you try to see if it makes it less likely that other physics may be involved. In my opinion, that's what the recent studies did. It does not make it 0% likely, or even "much" less likely, just less likely.

 

[Drakkith]

While arguing the meaning of words is nice, the fact is that it was always much more likely to be radiative heat loss instead of some gravitational anomoly. We already knew about the heat loss, and had very good reasons to believe it was the culprit all along, but we just didn't factor in everything accurately enough.

 

[DaveC426913]

It does not make it 0% likely, or even "much" less likely, just less likely.

Right. Just as it is not 0% likely that 9/11 was a conspiracy. There will always be people that are never satisfied. The fact that there's no mystery to it does not stop some people from hunting for ghosts.

Again, it's not like we had two equally plausible explanations 1] heat radiation and 2] a misunderstanding in the fundamental constants of the universe - and we just settled on 1] because it was easier.

We knew it was 1], but (being scientific) we couldn't let it go until we had explained it all.

What you're suggesting is that there are two distinct and unrelated causes of the same anomaly. How likely is that??

 

[atyy]

Great story at 15:40

Viktor Toth, The Pioneer Anomaly: Known and Unknown Unknowns
http://pirsa.org/11050016/

 

[bcrowell]

Great story at 15:45

Viktor Toth, The Pioneer Anomaly: Known and Unknown Unknowns
http://pirsa.org/11050016/

That's a great talk. I thought the most relevant point was during the questions at the end, where someone asked how much better a special-purpose follow-up mission could do. Toth's answer was basically that you can't do any better within our lifetimes, because the limiting factor is insufficient knowledge of features of the solar system, such as the solar wind.

 

[kmarinas86]

That's a great talk. I thought the most relevant point was during the questions at the end, where someone asked how much better a special-purpose follow-up mission could do. Toth's answer was basically that you can't do any better within our lifetimes, because the limiting factor is insufficient knowledge of features of the solar system, such as the solar wind.

Then that justifies not having a dedicated mission to measure the anomaly for maybe 10 to 30 years. By that time, I expect that there is no reason why the temperature anomaly of the solar corona and the flyby anomaly wouldn't have been figured out. In my opinion, they will, and these would help make feasible a future mission in the 2030's or so to test the Pioneer anomaly.

 

[atyy]

Pioneer Anomaly is Fading
http://focus.aps.org/story/v28/st8