arXiv subjects

Adrien Bourgoin

Publications and source records attributed to Adrien Bourgoin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

GUEST: Gravitational Universe Exploration with Satellite Tracking. A passive satellite laser-ranging mission for the dark gravitational Universe

GUEST is a space mission concept whose central objective is the detection of gravitational waves (GWs) in the microhertz band -- a physics-rich frequency window that no other present or planned detector can reach at a significant level. The concept is simple: two dense, passive spheres, covered with cube-corner retroreflectors, deployed in {highly eccentric} Earth orbits ($e \gtrsim 0.7$, period $P \gtrsim 33$ h), tracked continuously by the global network of satellite laser-ranging stations over a minimum observation time of 10 years, with an expected total duration of 30 years. The orbits themselves act as resonant detectors of the oscillating gravitational perturbations, with the microhertz sensitivity emerging from the selected orbital parameters. From the same data stream, GUEST delivers a programme of fundamental and applied science that cuts across particle physics, gravitational-wave astronomy, cosmology, astrophysics, and geodesy: the first coherent search for GWs from supermassive black-hole binaries in the $\mu$Hz band, the exploration of primordial GW backgrounds in the unexplored energy-scale gap between pulsar-timing arrays and LISA, a dedicated probe of ultra-light dark matter in a parameter region untouched by any other experiment, a new way to search for ultra-light bosons, order-of-magnitude-improved tests of new gravitational interactions at astronomical ranges, and a step change in the absolute determination of $GM_\oplus$ that underpins the Global Geodetic Observing System and future navigation and Earth-observation missions. This white paper presents the motivation, scientific reach, and mission concept of GUEST.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2026

NovaMoon: A Strategic Lunar Reference Station for Positioning, Timing, and Largely Enhanced Science in the Earth-Moon System

The renewed interest in lunar exploration and the development of future lunar communication and navigation services highlight the need for a precise, stable, and interoperable geodetic and timing infrastructure on the Moon. NovaMoon, proposed as a scientific and navigation payload for ESA's Argonaut lander, is designed as a lunar-based local differential, geodetic, and timing station supporting both operational needs in the Moon's south polar region and a broad range of scientific investigations. The payload integrates a lunar laser retroreflector, a Very Long Baseline Interferometry transmitter, a receiver for navigation signals compatible with LunaNet standards, high-stability atomic clocks, and direct-to-Earth radio links -- making it the first lunar station to co-locate multiple ranging, tracking, and timing techniques. NovaMoon will enable sub-metre to decimetre positioning, provide local differential corrections for lunar users, and ensure an accurate and stable realisation of position and time. Preliminary simulation studies show that this multi-technique dataset improves the lunar reference frame, orientation and ephemerides, and estimates of interior parameters like tidal response and core properties. NovaMoon will also provide the first long-duration physical realisation of a lunar time reference. Beyond its primary goals, it supports improved cartography, precise surface geolocation, and higher-resolution topography, contributing to safer landings and operations. It also enables new tests of fundamental physics, including constraints on relativity and possible deviations from classical gravity.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2026

Lunar Reference Timescale

Setting up a relativistic lunar reference frame is of a prime importance in the context of future exploration missions to the Moon. If the procedure for building a consistent reference frame within the framework of the general theory of relativity is well established (cf. resolutions B.3 of IAU 2000), there is still some freedom in the choice of the coordinate timescale to be adopted as reference in the lunar region. In this paper, we review the orders of magnitude of the relativistic effects resulting from (i) the gravitational redshift of a clock on the lunar surface and (ii) the time transformations between a clock on the surface of the Moon and a clock on the surface of the Earth. We then discuss possible options for a lunar reference timescale with their advantages and drawbacks, taking note that the solution which is adopted for the Moon shall then be reemployed for Mars and other planets. Finally, we propose possible realizations of the lunar reference timescale as well as its traceability to UTC.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Nonconservative Lie series: post-Newtonian binary dynamics at 2.5PN

We present a fully analytical solution to the dynamics of the non-spinning 2.5 post-Newtonian binary problem, accounting for both the long-term (secular) and short-term (oscillatory) temporal behavior, with no restriction on eccentricity. The radiative degrees of freedom are handled within the nonconservative Hamiltonian framework introduced in a companion paper. In this work, we apply the Lie series method to construct a resonant Birkhoff normal-form and the corresponding generator of the radiation-reaction dynamics. The secular piece reconstructs exactly the Peters-Mathews relations for semi-major axis and eccentricity. The oscillatory piece completes the dynamics and is well suited for gravitational wave templates. The procedure we present in this paper can be systematically employed to cast arbitrary nonconservative systems into extended Hamiltonian form so that the Lie method can be applied.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Lunar Time

The regain of interest in Moon exploration has substantially grown in the last years. For this reason, the space agencies consider the development of a precise navigation and positioning service similar to the Earth GNSS. Aiming at some meter accuracy, this requires to set up a relativistic lunar reference frame, with an associated coordinate time. If the IAU already defined the Lunar Coordinate Time TCL, there is still some freedom in the choice of the coordinate timescale to be adopted as reference on or around the Moon. This paper proposes a trade-off analysis of different possible options for this reference time scale. It shows that TCL is the best option to be used as practical time reference on the Moon, without the need to define a new time scale based on a scaling of TCL.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2025

Hamiltonian treatment of non-conservative systems

We present a novel extension of Hamiltonian mechanics to nonconservative systems built upon the Schwinger-Keldysh-Galley double-variable action principle. Departing from Galley's initial-value action, we clarify important subtleties regarding boundary conditions, the emergence of the physical-limit trajectory, and the decomposition of the Lagrangian into conservative and dissipative sectors. Importantly, we demonstrate that the redundant doubled configuration space admits a gauge freedom at the level of the canonical momenta that leaves the physical dynamics unchanged. From a Legendre transform, we construct the corresponding family of gauge-related nonconservative Hamiltonians; we show that virtually any classical initial-value problem can be embedded on our enlarged symplectic manifold, supplying the associated Hamiltonian and Lagrangian functions explicitly. As a further contribution, we derive a completely equivalent linear ``Lie'' formulation of the double-variable action and Hamiltonian which streamlines computations and renders transparent many structural properties of the formalism.

physics.class-ph↗

arXiv2025

Binary systems as gravitational wave detectors

``Adding colour'' to the gravitational-wave sky by probing unexplored frequency bands has the potential to unveil new and unexpected phenomena in the Universe. In these proceedings, we summarise current efforts to probe gravitational waves with $μ$Hz frequencies through their resonant impact on binary systems. We also discuss how these binaries can explore uncharted regions of parameter space in the hunt for dark matter.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Prospects for gravitational wave and ultra-light dark matter detection with binary resonances beyond the secular approximation

Precision observations of orbital systems have recently emerged as a promising new means of detecting gravitational waves and ultra-light dark matter, offering sensitivity in new regimes with significant discovery potential. These searches rely critically on precise modeling of the dynamical effects of these signals on the observed system; however, previous analyses have mainly only relied on the secularly-averaged part of the response. We introduce here a fundamentally different approach that allows for a fully time-resolved description of the effects of oscillatory metric perturbations on orbital dynamics. We find that gravitational waves and ultra-light dark matter can induce large oscillations in the orbital parameters of realistic binaries, enhancing the sensitivity to such signals by orders of magnitude compared to previous estimates.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Discovering $μ$Hz gravitational waves and ultra-light dark matter with binary resonances

In the presence of a weak gravitational wave (GW) background, astrophysical binary systems act as high-quality resonators, with efficient transfer of energy and momentum between the orbit and a harmonic GW leading to potentially detectable orbital perturbations. In this work, we develop and apply a novel modeling and analysis framework that describes the imprints of GWs on binary systems in a fully time-resolved manner to study the sensitivity of lunar laser ranging, satellite laser ranging, and pulsar timing to both resonant and nonresonant GW backgrounds. We demonstrate that optimal data collection, modeling, and analysis lead to projected sensitivities which are orders of magnitude better than previously appreciated possible, opening up a new possibility for probing the physics-rich but notoriously challenging to access $μ\mathrm{Hz}$ frequency GWs. We also discuss improved prospects for the detection of the stochastic fluctuations of ultra-light dark matter, which may analogously perturb the binary orbits.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

Hamiltonian normal forms for the post-Newtonian binary problem

We revisit the dynamics of the post-Newtonian (PN) two-body problem for two inspiraling compact bodies. Starting from a matter-only reduced Hamiltonian, we present an adapted framework based on the Lie series approach, enabling the derivation of complete perturbative solutions within the conservative sector. Our framework supports both circular and eccentric orbits, and is applicable to any perturbation respecting rotational invariance and time-independence. In the context of the Arnowitt-Deser-Misner (ADM) canonical formalism, this includes up to at least 3PN order and local terms beyond. We provide an example application at 2PN, recovering classical periapsis advance and orbital period corrections, alongside the full orbital evolution in time coordinates. We discuss eventual extension to spinning and time-dependent systems.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Time and frequency transfers in optical spacetime

Solving the null geodesic equations for a ray of light is a difficult task even considering a stationary spacetime. The problem becomes even more difficult if the electromagnetic signal propagates through a flowing optical medium. Indeed, because of the interaction between light and matter, the signal does not follow a null geodesic path of the spacetime metric anymore. However, having a clear description of how the time and frequency transfers are affected in this very situation is of a prime importance in astronomy. As a matter of fact, ranging to satellites and Moon, very long baseline interferometry, global navigation satellite systems, and radio occultation experiments are few examples of techniques involving light propagation in flowing optical media. By applying the time transfer functions formalism to optical spacetime, we show that the time and frequency transfers can be determined iteratively up to any desired order within the quasi-Minkowskian path approximation. We present some applications in the context of radio occultation experiments and discuss possible future applications to the modeling of tropospheric delays.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Secular dipole-dipole stability of magnetic binaries

The presence of strong large-scale stable magnetic fields in a significant portion of early-type stars, white dwarfs, and neutron stars is well established. Despite this, the origins of these fields remain unresolved, with leading propositions advocating fossil fields, mergers, and shear-driven dynamos as the main mechanism. A potential key for further insight could lie in the connection with binarity: notably, magnetism can play a role in the long-term orbital and rotational dynamics of binaries. In gravitational wave astronomy, the advanced sensitivity of upcoming detectors such as LISA and the Einstein Telescope will enable the characterisation of the orbital inspirals of compact systems, including their magnetic properties. A comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of magnetism in these systems is required for the interpretation of the gravitational wave signals and to avoid calibration biases. Furthermore, this knowledge can be used to create new magnetic population models and to provide insight into the nature of their internal fields. The aim of this study is to investigate the secular spin precession dynamics of binary systems under pure magnetic dipole interactions, focusing on stars with strong, stable, dipolar fields. We employ an orbit-averaging procedure for the spin equations and obtain an effective secular description. By minimising the magnetic energy, we derive the configurations of equilibrium. We show that among the four states, only one is stable, consisting of the spin and magnetic axes of one star reversed with respect to the companions', and orthogonal to the orbital plane. Our long-term stability results disagree with usual methods, which tend to neglect orbital motion. Finally, we provide analytical solutions for the system out of equilibrium, which can be used to derive secular orbital evolution in the context of gravitational wave astronomy.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

Detection of magnetic galactic binaries in quasi-circular orbit with LISA

Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will observe gravitational waves from galactic binaries (GBs) of white dwarfs or neutron stars. Some of these objects are among the most magnetic astrophysical objects in the Universe. Magnetism, by secularly disrupting the orbit, can eventually affect the gravitational waves emission and could then be potentially detected and characterized after several years of observations by LISA. Currently, the data processing pipeline of the LISA Data Challenge (LDC) for GBs does not consider either magnetism or eccentricity. Recently, it was shown [Bourgoin et al. PRD 105, 124042 (2022)] that magnetism induces a shift on the gravitational wave frequencies. Additionally, it was argued that, if the binary's orbit is eccentric, the presence of magnetism could be detected by LISA. In this work, we explore the consequences of a future data analysis conducted on quasi-circular and magnetic GB systems using the current LDC tools. We first show that a single eccentric GB can be interpreted as several GBs and this can eventually bias population studies deduced from LISA's future catalog. Then, we confirm that for quasi-circular orbits, the secular magnetic energy of the system can be inferred if the signal-to-noise ratio of the second harmonic is high enough to be detected by traditional quasi-monochromatic source searching algorithms. LISA observations could therefore bring new insights on the nature and origin of magnetic fields in white dwarfs or neutron stars.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Analysis of NASA's DSN Venus Express radio occultation data for year 2014

The Venus Express Radio Science Experiment (VeRa) was part of the scientific payload of the Venus Express (VEX) spacecraft and was targeted at the investigation of Venus' atmosphere, surface, and gravity field as well as the interplanetary medium. This paper describes the methods and the required calibrations applied to VEX-VeRa raw radio occultation data used to retrieve vertical profiles of Venus' ionosphere and neutral atmosphere. In this work we perform an independent analysis of a set of 25 VEX, single-frequency (X-band), occultations carried out in 2014, recorded in open-loop at the NASA Deep Space Network. Our temperature, pressure and electron density vertical profiles are in agreement with previous studies available in the literature. Furthermore, our analysis shows that Venus' ionosphere is more influenced by the day/night condition than the latitude variations, while the neutral atmosphere experiences the opposite. Our scientific interpretation of these results is based on two major responsible effects: Venus' high thermal inertia and the zonal winds. Their presence within Venus' neutral atmosphere determine why in these regions a latitude dependence is predominant on the day/night condition. On the contrary, at higher altitudes the two aforementioned effects are less important or null, and Venus' ionosphere shows higher electron density peaks in the probed day-time occultations, regardless of the latitude.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2022

Gravitational waves radiated by magnetic galactic binaries and detection by LISA

In the context of the future Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, galactic binary systems of white dwarfs and neutron stars will represent the dominant source of Gravitational Waves (GWs) within the $10^{-4}-10^{-1}\,\mathrm{Hz}$ frequency band. It is expected that LISA will measure simultaneously, the GWs from more than ten thousands of these compact galactic binaries. The analysis of such a superposition of signals will represent one of the greatest challenge for the mission. Currently, in the LISA Datacode Challenge, each galactic binary is modeled as a quasi-monochromatic source of GWs. This corresponds to the circular motion of two point-masses at the 2.5 post-Newtonian approximation. If this picture is expected to be an accurate description for most of the galactic binaries that LSIA will detect, we nevertheless expect to observe eccentric systems with complex physical properties beyond the point-mass approximation. In this work, we investigate how a binary system of highly magnetic objects in quasi-circular orbit could affect the quasi-monochromatic picture of the GW signal detected by LISA. We demonstrate that the eccentricity generates additional frequency peaks at harmonics of the mean motion and that magnetism is responsible for shifting each frequency peak with respect to the case without magnetism. We provide analytical estimates and argue that LISA will be able to detect magnetism if it can measure the main peaks at two and three times the mean motion with a sufficient accuracy.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

Impact of magnetism on gravitational waves emitted by compact galactic binaries in quasi-circular orbits

The LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) mission will observe in the low frequency band from 0.1 mHz to 1 Hz. In this regime, we expect the galactic binaries to be the dominant (by number) sources of gravitational waves signal. Considering that galactic binaries are composed of the most magnetized astrophysical objects in the universe (i.e., the white dwarfs and the neutron stars), LISA is expected to bring new informations about the origin and the nature of magnetism inside degenerated stars. Currently, the data processing assumes that the galactic binary systems are non-magnetic and in circular orbits which can potentially biased the determination of the parameters of the sources and also the calibration of the detector. In this work, we investigate the impact of magnetism on gravitational waves emitted by compact galactic binaries assuming quasi-circular orbits.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

Relativistic contributions to Mars rotation

Context: The orientation and rotation of Mars, which can be described by a set of Euler angles, is estimated from radioscience data and is then used to infer Mars internal properties. The data are analyzed using a modeling expressed within the Barycentric Celestial Reference System (BCRS). Aims: We provide new and more accurate (to the $0.1$ mas level) estimations of the relativistic corrections to be included in the BCRS model of the orientation and rotation of Mars to avoid a misinterpretation of the data. Methods: There are two types of relativistic contributions in Mars rotation and orientation: (i) those that directly impact the Euler angles and (ii) those resulting from the time transformation between a local Mars reference frame and BCRS. The former correspond essentially to the geodetic effect. We compute them assuming that Mars evolves on a Keplerian orbit. As for the latter, we compute the effect of the time transformation and compare the rotation angle corrections obtained using realistic orbits as described by ephemerides. Results: The relativistic correction in longitude comes mainly from the geodetic effect and results in the geodetic precession (6.754mas/yr) and the geodetic annual nutation (0.565 mas amplitude). For the rotation angle, the correction is dominated by the effect of the time transformation. The main annual, semi-annual, and ter-annual terms have amplitudes of 166.954 mas, 7.783 mas, and 0.544mas, respectively. The amplitude of the annual term differs by about 9 mas from the estimate usually considered by the community. We identify new terms at the Mars-Jupiter and Mars-Saturn synodic periods (0.567 mas and 0.102 mas amplitude) that are relevant considering the current level of uncertainty of the measurements, as well as a contribution to the rotation rate (7.3088 mas/day). There is no significant correction that applies to the obliquity.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2022

Determination of uncertainty profiles in neutral atmospheric properties measured by radio occultation experiments

Radio occultations are commonly used to assess remotely the thermodynamic properties of planets or satellites' atmospheres within the solar system. The data processing usually involves the so-called Abel inversion method or the numerical ray-tracing technique. Both these approaches are now well established, however, they do not allow to easily determine the uncertainty profiles in the atmospheric properties, and this makes the results difficult to interpret statistically. Recently, a purely analytical approach based on the time transfer functions formalism was proposed for modeling radio occultation data. Using this formulation, we derive uncertainty relationships between the frequency shift and the thermodynamic properties of the neutral atmosphere such as the temperature, pressure, and neutral number density. These expressions are important for interpreting previous results from past radio occultation experiments. They are especially relevant for deriving the system requirements for future missions in a rigorous manner and consistently with the scientific requirements about the atmospheric properties retrieval.

astro-ph.EP↗