236 research outputs found
Gravity field determination and error assessment techniques
Linear estimation theory, along with a new technique to compute relative data weights, was applied to the determination of the Earth's geopotential field and other geophysical model parameters using a combination of satellite ground-based tracking data, satellite altimetry data, and the surface gravimetry data. The relative data weights for the inhomogeneous data sets are estimated simultaneously with the gravity field and other geophysical and orbit parameters in a least squares approach to produce the University of Texas gravity field models. New techniques to perform calibration of the formal covariance matrix for the geopotential solution were developed to obtain a reliable gravity field error estimate. Different techniques, which include orbit residual analysis, surface gravity anomaly residual analysis, subset gravity solution comparisons and consider covariance analysis, were applied to investigate the reliability of the calibration
An improved model for the Earth's gravity field
An improved model for the Earth's gravity field, TEG-1, was determined using data sets from fourteen satellites, spanning the inclination ranges from 15 to 115 deg, and global surface gravity anomaly data. The satellite measurements include laser ranging data, Doppler range-rate data, and satellite-to-ocean radar altimeter data measurements, which include the direct height measurement and the differenced measurements at ground track crossings (crossover measurements). Also determined was another gravity field model, TEG-1S, which included all the data sets in TEG-1 with the exception of direct altimeter data. The effort has included an intense scrutiny of the gravity field solution methodology. The estimated parameters included geopotential coefficients complete to degree and order 50 with selected higher order coefficients, ocean and solid Earth tide parameters, Doppler tracking station coordinates and the quasi-stationary sea surface topography. Extensive error analysis and calibration of the formal covariance matrix indicate that the gravity field model is a significant improvement over previous models and can be used for general applications in geodesy
On the Lense-Thirring test with the Mars Global Surveyor in the gravitational field of Mars
I discuss some aspects of the recent test of frame-dragging performed by me
by exploiting the Root-Mean-Square (RMS) orbit overlap differences of the
out-of-plane component N of the orbit of the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
spacecraft in the gravitational field of Mars. A linear fit of the full time
series of the entire MGS data (4 February 1999-14 January 2005) yields a
normalized slope 1.03 +/- 0.41 (with 95% confidence bounds). Other linear fits
to different data sets confirm the agreement with general relativity. The huge
systematic effects induced by the mismodeling in the martian gravitational
field claimed by some authors are absent in the MGS out-of-plane record. The
non-gravitational forces affect at the same level of the gravitomagnetic one
the in-plane orbital components of MGS, not the out-of-plane one. Moreover,
they experience high-frequency variations which does not matter in the present
case in which secular effects are relevant.Comment: LaTex2e, 8 pages, no figures, no tables, 17 references. It refers to
K. Krogh, Class. Quantum Grav., 24, 5709-5715, 2007 based on
astro-ph/0701653. Final version to appear in CEJP (Central European Journal
of Physics
On the possibility of measuring relativistic gravitational effects with a LAGEOS-LAGEOS II-OPTIS-mission
In this paper we wish to preliminary investigate if it would be possible to
use the orbital data from the proposed OPTIS mission together with those from
the existing geodetic passive SLR LAGEOS and LAGEOS II satellites in order to
perform precise measurements of some general relativistic
gravitoelectromagnetic effects, with particular emphasis on the Lense-Thirring
effect.Comment: Abridged version. 16 pages, no figures, 1 table. First results from
the GGM01C Earth gravity model. GRACE data include
Constraints from orbital motions around the Earth of the environmental fifth-force hypothesis for the OPERA superluminal neutrino phenomenology
It has been recently suggested by Dvali and Vikman that the superluminal
neutrino phenomenology of the OPERA experiment may be due to an environmental
feature of the Earth, naturally yielding a long-range fifth force of
gravitational origin whose coupling with the neutrino is set by the scale M_*,
in units of reduced Planck mass. Its characteristic length lambda should not be
smaller than one Earth's radius R_e, while its upper bound is expected to be
slightly smaller than the Earth-Moon distance (60 R_e). We analytically work
out some orbital effects of a Yukawa-type fifth force for a test particle
moving in the modified field of a central body. Our results are quite general
since they are not restricted to any particular size of lambda; moreover, they
are valid for an arbitrary orbital configuration of the particle, i.e. for any
value of its eccentricity . We find that the dimensionless strength coupling
parameter alpha is constrained to |alpha| <= 1 10^-10-4 10^-9 for 1 R_e <=
lambda <= 10 R_e by the laser data of the Earth's artificial satellite LAGEOS
II, corresponding to M_* >= 4 10^9 -1.6 10^10. The Moon perigee allows to
obtain |alpha| <= 3 10^-11 for the Earth-Moon pair in the range 15 R_e <=
lambda = 3 10^10 - 4.5 10^10. Our results
are neither necessarily limited to the superluminal OPERA scenario nor to the
Dvali-Vikman model, in which it is M_* = 10^-6 at lambda = 1 R_e, in contrast
with our bounds: they generally extend to any theoretical scenario implying a
fifth-force of Yukawa-type.Comment: LaTex2e, 18 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, 81 reference
Overview of the New Horizons Science Payload
The New Horizons mission was launched on 2006 January 19, and the spacecraft
is heading for a flyby encounter with the Pluto system in the summer of 2015.
The challenges associated with sending a spacecraft to Pluto in less than 10
years and performing an ambitious suite of scientific investigations at such
large heliocentric distances (> 32 AU) are formidable and required the
development of lightweight, low power, and highly sensitive instruments. This
paper provides an overview of the New Horizons science payload, which is
comprised of seven instruments. Alice provides spatially resolved ultraviolet
spectroscopy. The Ralph instrument has two components: the Multicolor Visible
Imaging Camera (MVIC), which performs panchromatic and color imaging, and the
Linear Etalon Imaging Spectral Array (LEISA), which provides near-infrared
spectroscopic mapping capabilities. The Radio Experiment (REX) is a component
of the New Horizons telecommunications system that provides both occultation
and radiometry capabilities. The Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI)
provides high sensitivity, high spatial resolution optical imaging
capabilities. The Solar Wind at Pluto (SWAP) instrument measures the density
and speed of solar wind particles. The Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer
Science Investigation (PEPSSI) measures energetic protons and CNO ions. The
Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter (VB-SDC) is used to record dust particle
impacts during the cruise phases of the mission.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, 1 table; To appear in a special volume of Space
Science Reviews on the New Horizons missio
Playful and Humorous Interactions in Urban Environments Made Possible with Augmented Reality Technology
Verification of model simulated mass balance, flow fields and tabular calving events of the Antarctic ice sheet against remotely sensed observations
The Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) has the greatestpotential for global sea level rise. This study simulates AISice creeping, sliding, tabular calving, and estimates the totalmass balances, using a recently developed, advanced icedynamics model, known as SEGMENT-Ice. SEGMENTIceis written in a spherical Earth coordinate system.Because the AIS contains the South Pole, a projectiontransfer is performed to displace the pole outside of thesimulation domain. The AIS also has complex ice-watergranularmaterial-bedrock configurations, requiringsophisticated lateral and basal boundary conditions.Because of the prevalence of ice shelves, a âgirder yieldâtype calving scheme is activated. The simulations of presentsurface ice flow velocities compare favorably with InSARmeasurements, for various ice-water-bedrock configurations.The estimated ice mass loss rate during 2003â2009agrees with GRACE measurements and provides morespatial details not represented by the latter. The modelestimated calving frequencies of the peripheral ice shelvesfrom 1996 (roughly when the 5-km digital elevation andthickness data for the shelves were collected) to 2009compare well with archived scatterometer images. SEGMENT-Iceâs unique, non-local systematic calving schemeis found to be relevant for tabular calving. However, theexact timing of calving and of iceberg sizes cannot besimulated accurately at present. A projection of the futuremass change of the AIS is made, with SEGMENT-Iceforced by atmospheric conditions from three differentcoupled general circulation models. The entire AIS is estimatedto be losing mass steadily at a rate of*120 km3/a atpresent and this rate possibly may double by year 2100
Phenomenology of the Lense-Thirring effect in the Solar System
Recent years have seen increasing efforts to directly measure some aspects of
the general relativistic gravitomagnetic interaction in several astronomical
scenarios in the solar system. After briefly overviewing the concept of
gravitomagnetism from a theoretical point of view, we review the performed or
proposed attempts to detect the Lense-Thirring effect affecting the orbital
motions of natural and artificial bodies in the gravitational fields of the
Sun, Earth, Mars and Jupiter. In particular, we will focus on the evaluation of
the impact of several sources of systematic uncertainties of dynamical origin
to realistically elucidate the present and future perspectives in directly
measuring such an elusive relativistic effect.Comment: LaTex, 51 pages, 14 figures, 22 tables. Invited review, to appear in
Astrophysics and Space Science (ApSS). Some uncited references in the text
now correctly quoted. One reference added. A footnote adde
Zoological Society of London: Contributions towards advancing the field of herpetology through conservation, research, captive management and education
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