Nonlinear electrodynamics and the Pioneer 10/11 spacecraft anomaly

¹  Service d'Astrophysique, CEA-Saclay - Paris, France
²  Instituto de Cosmologia, Relatividade e Astrofísica (ICRA-BR), Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas (CBPF) - Rua Dr. Xavier Sigaud 150, 22290-180, RJ, Brazil
³  Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics - Strada Costiera 11, Miramare, 34014 Trieste, Italy

Corresponding author: hermanjc@cbpf.br

Received: 22 August 2006
Accepted: 4 November 2006

Abstract

The occurrence of the phenomenon known as photon acceleration is a natural prediction of nonlinear electrodynamics (NLED). This would appear as an anomalous frequency shift in any modelization of the electromagnetic field that only takes into account the classical Maxwell theory. Thus, it is tempting to address the unresolved anomalous, steady, but time-dependent, blueshift of the Pioneer 10/11 spacecrafts within the framework of NLED. Here we show that astrophysical data on the strength of the magnetic field in both the Galaxy and the local (super)cluster of galaxies support the view on the major Pioneer anomaly as a consequence of the phenomenon of photon acceleration. If confirmed, through further observations or lab experiments, the reality of this phenomenon should prompt to take it into account in any forthcoming research on both cosmological evolution and origin and dynamical effects of primordial magnetic fields, whose seeds are estimated to be very weak.