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Applications of Few-Hundred Microarcsecond VLBI Astrometry: Planetary Relativistic Deflection, PPN Gamma Determination and Deep-Space Tracking

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 August 2017

S. T. Lowe
Affiliation:
Radio Metric Tracking Applications Section Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 238-700 California Institute of Technology Pasadena, California 91109
R. N. Treuhaft
Affiliation:
Radio Metric Tracking Applications Section Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 238-700 California Institute of Technology Pasadena, California 91109

Extract

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This paper presents several applications of a few hundred microarcsecond (μas) astrometric technique which has been developed and demonstrated using differential very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). A brief description of the technique along with several applications will be discussed below. This technique was developed for high-accuracy deep-space tracking, but the first application tracked an extragalactic radio source in a measurement of Jovian relativistic deflection. Current work includes making a state-of-the-art solar deflection measurement, and thus, an improved determination of the Parameterized Post Newtonian (PPN) gamma parameter. A number a future spacecraft tracking applications, described below, are also enabled by this technique.

Type
Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI)
Copyright
Copyright © Kluwer 

References

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