Mapping gravity in the solar system current constraints and future methods for detecting unseen mass Daniel Charles Heringer Gomes

Format:

Book

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Gomes, Daniel Charles Heringer, author.

Contributor:

University of Pennsylvania. Physics and Astronomy., degree granting institution.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Astronomy.

Astrophysics.

Computational physics.

0606.

0596.

0216.

Local Subjects:

Astronomy.

Astrophysics.

Computational physics.

0606.

0596.

0216.

Genre:

Academic theses

Physical Description:

1 online resource (212 pages)

Contained In:

Dissertations Abstracts International 87-12B

Place of Publication:

Ann Arbor : ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 2026

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The growing inventory of known transneptunian objects (TNOs) during recent decades has motivated tests and revisions of models of the Solar System's dynamical history. Some features of this distant population, namely the presence of detached objects, the edge of the classical Kuiper Belt, and a claimed clustering of orbital elements, have been cited as evidence for undiscovered mass, for example, the "Planet Nine" hypothesis. Though long-term dynamical models can inform which hypothetical planets could produce the observed TNO orbits, precise tracking of the known planets on much shorter timescales provides complementary constraints. This thesis presents pathways to understand and improve these constraints. First, we investigate the constraining power of existing astrometric and spacecraft ranging data using a Fisher Matrix analysis, and evaluate whether there is advantage in leveraging the statistical power of populations of small bodies as test particles. Second, we develop two methods for long-term improvement on the astrometric accuracy of small bodies, both of which combine Gaia astrometry and additional Earth-based observations: a concept for an automated targeted occultation telescope array, designed to record millions of occultations of Gaia stars by small solar system bodies, and a method to reduce atmospheric turbulence displacements on ground-based astrometry with Gaussian Process Regression. Finally, we describe progress toward constructing an independent ephemeris integrator and fitting pipeline, including implementing the main ingredients of contemporary dynamical models and computation of range observables, thereby establishing groundwork for future testing of external tidal perturbations

Notes:

Source: Dissertations Abstracts International, Volume: 87-12, Section: B.

Advisors: Bernstein, Gary M. Committee members: Blake, Cullen; Sanderson, Robyn; Sako, Masao; Rankin, Dylan

Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania 2026

Vendor supplied data

Local Notes:

School code: 0175

ISBN:

9798247973973

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license