Averaging Over Gaia Observations Drastically Reduces Relativistic Error Propagation in Astrometric Parameters
Gaia-like astrometric catalogs remain robust against omitted relativistic terms because averaging over repeated observations suppresses parameter-level errors. Future higher-precision missions may therefore simplify their relativistic models. The result is derived from AGISLab simulations and an analytic error model on a limited set of sources.
The study uses a Newtonian reference catalog as truth and injects relativistic signals only in the forward model, isolating the effect of model incompleteness. No full end-to-end relativistic ray tracing through the Solar System was performed, limiting applicability to the standard post-Newtonian framework already adopted by the Gaia consortium.
AGISLab team: Within 18 months, at least one future astrometry mission concept will publish a reduced relativistic model omitting light deflection for >80% of sources while maintaining <5 microarcsecond parameter accuracy.
Sources (2)
- [1]Primary Source(https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.02922)
- [2]Supporting Source(https://arxiv.org/abs/2109.06294)