The Influence of Different Solar System Planetary Ephemerides on Pulsar Timing

Abstract

Abstract Pulsar timing offers a comprehensive avenue for exploring diverse topics in physics and astrophysics. High-precision solar system planetary ephemeris is crucial for pulsar timing as it provides the positions and velocities of solar system planets including the Earth. However, it is inevitable that inherent inconsistencies exist in these ephemerides. Differences between various ephemerides can significantly impact pulsar timing and parameter estimations. Currently, pulsar timing highly depends on the JPL DE ephemeris, for instance, the Pulsar Timing Array data analysis predominantly utilizes DE436. In this study, we examine inconsistencies across various ephemeris series, including JPL DE, EPM, and INPOP. Notably, discrepancies emerge particularly between the current ephemeris DE436 and the earliest released ephemeris DE200, as well as the most recent ephemerides, e.g., DE440, INPOP21A, and EPM2021. Further detailed analysis of the effects of ephemeris on geometric correction procedures for the conversion of measured topocentric times of arrival is presented in this study. Our researches reveal that variations in the Roemer delays across different ephemerides lead to distinct differences. The timing residuals and the fact that these discrepancies can be readily incorporated into the subsequent pulsar parameters, leading to inconsistent fitting estimates, suggest that the influence of errors in the ephemeris on the timing process might currently be underappreciated.