We present a methodology based on point-like Lambertian sources that enables one to perform a reliable and comprehensive estimate of the overall thermally induced acceleration of the Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft. We show, by developing a sensitivity analysis of the several parameters of the model, that one may achieve a valuable insight on the possible thermal origin of the so-called Pioneer anomaly.
A methodology based on point-like sources is discussed, enabling a reliable estimate of the acceleration of the Pioneer 10 and 11 probes caused by thermal effects. A sensitivity analysis of the several parameters of the model allows for a clear indication of the possible thermal origin of the so-called Pioneer anomaly.
Based on a dynamic systems approach to the Landau-Ginzburg model, a phase space description of the Earth System (ES) in the transition to the Anthropocene is presented. It is shown that, for a finite amount of human-driven change, there is a stable equilibrium state that is an attractor of trajectories in the system's phase space and corresponds to a Hothouse Earth scenario. Using the interaction between the components of the ES, it is argued that, through the action of the Technosphere, mitigation strategies might arise for which the deviation of the ES temperature from the Holocene average temperature is smaller.
At a time when humanity has achieved global dominance at a scale that was previously thought impossible, it might also face an existential threat due to the consequences of that overwhelming influence on our common home, the Earth System (ES). In this work we explore how Physics may help us to understand the transitions that the ES is going through and lead us to a physically motivated accounting system that allows for setting boundaries to our negative influence on the ecosystems.
We present an improved method to compute the radiative momentum transfer in the Pioneer 10 & 11 spacecraft that takes into account both diffusive and specular reflection. The method allows for more reliable results regarding the thermal acceleration of the deep-space probes, confirming previous findings. A parametric analysis is performed in order to set an upper and lower-bound for the thermal acceleration and its evolution with time.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.