New General Relativistic Contribution to Mercury's Perihelion Advance

Understanding planetary motion requires accounting for relativistic effects beyond Newtonian gravity. Prior research has shown that general relativity contributes to Mercury's perihelion precession at about 42.98 arcseconds per century. The solar quadrupole moment and angular momentum already account for part of this shift. However, a gap remains in identifying all possible relativistic contributions. No prior work had resolved the role of crossterms in Mercury's motion caused by interactions with other planets. This uncertainty motivated further investigation into additional effects. The need for precision in planetary orbit modeling has grown with missions like BepiColombo. Detecting subtle relativistic effects requires high-accuracy measurements. This paper addresses a previously unquantified component of Mercury's orbital precession.

The aim of this study is to identify and quantify a new general relativistic effect contributing to Mercury's orbital precession. The specific problem involves understanding how interactions between Mercury, the Sun, and other planets influence Mercury's motion. This effect arises from relativistic crossterms in the post-Newtonian equations of motion. The motivation stems from the need to refine predictions for planetary orbits. Current models lack this particular relativistic contribution. Including this effect improves the accuracy of Mercury's precession calculations. The BepiColombo mission requires such precision for orbit tracking. This study seeks to expand the known relativistic effects influencing Mercury's motion.

The researchers analyzed post-Newtonian equations of motion to identify new relativistic contributions. They considered interactions between Mercury, the Sun, and other planets. The focus was on crossterms arising from these interactions. The study also examined the gravitomagnetic field of moving planets. Calculations involved relativistic corrections to Mercury's orbital motion. The approach combined general relativity with celestial mechanics. The method included evaluating the magnitude of these effects relative to known contributions. The results were compared to the leading general relativistic precession of 42.98 arcseconds per century.

The new relativistic contribution is 100 times larger than the second-post-Newtonian effect. It arises from crossterms in Mercury's motion with the Sun and other planets. Another component comes from Mercury's interaction with the gravitomagnetic field of planets. The total effect is about a few parts in 10^6 of the leading precession. This magnitude is detectable by the BepiColombo mission. The effect is smaller than contributions from the solar quadrupole moment and angular momentum. The study provides a precise estimation of this new component. These findings suggest the need to include this effect in future orbital models.

The authors propose that this new relativistic contribution should be included in models of Mercury's motion. They suggest that the BepiColombo mission may detect this effect. The study highlights the importance of considering all relativistic effects in planetary motion. The findings do not propose new physical laws or mechanisms. The authors emphasize the need for high-precision measurements. They suggest that current models are incomplete without this contribution. The study does not claim that this effect is essential for planetary motion. The authors conclude that this effect is detectable with current technology.