A minimum-energy calculation published in this work shows that electromagnetic waves propagating in a plasma atmosphere exposed to the gravitational gradient field of sun will deflect precisely at the angle of 1.75 arcsec at an impact parameter corresponding to the plasma limb of the sun. This was accomplished from pure classical assumptions of a minimum- energy or least-time path of electromagnetic waves propagating in a plasma atmosphere exposed to the gravitational gradient field of sun. The least-time calculation is confirmed by a host of very-long-baseline-interferometer (VBLI) measurements of microwaves from radio pulsar sources that were deflected at the thin plasma rim of the sun at precisely the angle of 1.75 arcsec. Thus, any experiment that agrees with General Relativity at the solar plasma limb also agrees with this minimum-energy calculation (but, only at the solar limb.)

Some VBLI References

Lebach, D. E. et al., "Measurement of the Solar Gravitational Deflection of Radio Waves Using Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry ", Phys.Rev.Lett, 75 (1995), pp. 1439-1442
Counselman, C.C. et al., "Solar Gravitational Deflection of Radio Waves Measured by Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry", Phys.Rev.Lett. 33 (1974) 1621-1623
Fomalont, E. B., et al., "Measurements of the Solar Gravitational Deflection of Radio Waves in Agreement with General Relativity", Phys.Rev.Lett. 36 (1976) 1475-1478