Second-order contributions to gravitational deflection of light in the parametrized post-Newtonian formalism. II. Photon orbits and deflections in three dimensions

Abstract

Using a parametrized expansion of the solar metric to second order in the Newtonian potential we calculate the trajectories of photons scattered by the Sun. In general the photon is scattered in two directions orthogonal to its initial momentum because of the anisotropic features of the solar field. We calculate both components of the deflection as measured by an observer within the solar field.