68 research outputs found
Lunar science from lunar laser ranging
Seventeen years of lunar ranging data have been analyzed to determine lunar second-degree moment differences, third-degree gravitational harmonics, Love number, rotational dissipation and retroreflector coordinates
JPL Development Ephemeris number 96
The fourth issue of JPL Planetary Ephemerides, designated JPL Development Ephemeris No. 96 (DE96), is described. This ephemeris replaces a previous issue which has become obsolete since its release in 1969. Improvements in this issue include more recent and more accurate observational data, new types of data, better processing of the data, and refined equations of motion which more accurately describe the actual physics of the solar system. The descriptions in this report include these new features as well as the new export version of the ephemeris. The tapes and requisite software will be distributed through the NASA Computer Software Management and Information Center (COSMIC) at the University of Georgia
On the Dynamical Stability of the Solar System
A long-term numerical integration of the classical Newtonian approximation to
the planetary orbital motions of the full Solar System (sun + 8 planets),
spanning 20 Gyr, was performed. The results showed no severe instability
arising over this time interval. Subsequently, utilizing a bifurcation method
described by Jacques Laskar, two numerical experiments were performed with the
goal of determining dynamically allowed evolutions for the Solar System in
which the planetary orbits become unstable. The experiments yielded one
evolution in which Mercury falls onto the Sun at ~1.261Gyr from now, and
another in which Mercury and Venus collide in ~862Myr. In the latter solution,
as a result of Mercury's unstable behavior, Mars was ejected from the Solar
System at ~822Myr. We have performed a number of numerical tests that confirm
these results, and indicate that they are not numerical artifacts. Using
synthetic secular perturbation theory, we find that Mercury is destabilized via
an entrance into a linear secular resonance with Jupiter in which their
corresponding eigenfrequencies experience extended periods of commensurability.
The effects of general relativity on the dynamical stability are discussed. An
application of the bifurcation method to the outer Solar System (Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) showed no sign of instability during the course of
24Gyr of integrations, in keeping with an expected Uranian dynamical lifetime
of 10^(18) years.Comment: 37 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journa
Three-Body Dynamics with Gravitational Wave Emission
We present numerical three-body experiments that include the effects of
gravitational radiation reaction by using equations of motion that include the
2.5-order post-Newtonian force terms, which are the leading order terms of
energy loss from gravitational waves. We simulate binary-single interactions
and show that close approach cross sections for three 1 solar mass objects are
unchanged from the purely Newtonian dynamics except for close approaches
smaller than 1.0e-5 times the initial semimajor axis of the binary. We also
present cross sections for mergers resulting from gravitational radiation
during three-body encounters for a range of binary semimajor axes and mass
ratios including those of interest for intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs).
Building on previous work, we simulate sequences of high-mass-ratio three-body
encounters that include the effects of gravitational radiation. The simulations
show that the binaries merge with extremely high eccentricity such that when
the gravitational waves are detectable by LISA, most of the binaries will have
eccentricities e > 0.9 though all will have circularized by the time they are
detectable by LIGO. We also investigate the implications for the formation and
growth of IMBHs and find that the inclusion of gravitational waves during the
encounter results in roughly half as many black holes ejected from the host
cluster for each black hole accreted onto the growing IMBH.Comment: 34 pages, 14 figures, minor corrections to match version accepted by
Ap
Improving LLR Tests of Gravitational Theory
Accurate analysis of precision ranges to the Moon has provided several tests
of gravitational theory including the Equivalence Principle, geodetic
precession, parameterized post-Newtonian (PPN) parameters and ,
and the constancy of the gravitational constant {\it G}. Since the beginning of
the experiment in 1969, the uncertainties of these tests have decreased
considerably as data accuracies have improved and data time span has
lengthened. We are exploring the modeling improvements necessary to proceed
from cm to mm range accuracies enabled by the new Apache Point Observatory
Lunar Laser-ranging Operation (APOLLO) currently under development in New
Mexico. This facility will be able to make a significant contribution to the
solar system tests of fundamental and gravitational physics. In particular, the
Weak and Strong Equivalence Principle tests would have a sensitivity
approaching 10, yielding sensitivity for the SEP violation parameter
of , general relativistic effects would
be tested to better than 0.1%, and measurements of the relative change in the
gravitational constant, , would be % the inverse age of the
universe. Having this expected accuracy in mind, we discusses the current
techniques, methods and existing physical models used to process the LLR data.
We also identify the challenges for modeling and data analysis that the LLR
community faces today in order to take full advantage of the new APOLLO ranging
station.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, talk presented at 2003 NASA/JPL Workshop on
Fundamental Physics in Space, April 14-16, 2003, Oxnard, C
Equations of motion according to the asymptotic post-Newtonian scheme for general relativity in the harmonic gauge
The asymptotic scheme of post-Newtonian approximation defined for general
relativity (GR) in the harmonic gauge by Futamase & Schutz (1983) is based on a
family of initial data for the matter fields of a perfect fluid and for the
initial metric, defining a family of weakly self-gravitating systems. We show
that Weinberg's (1972) expansion of the metric and his general expansion of the
energy-momentum tensor , as well as his expanded equations for the
gravitational field and his general form of the expanded dynamical equations,
apply naturally to this family. Then, following the asymptotic scheme, we
derive the explicit form of the expansion of for a perfect fluid, and
the expanded fluid-dynamical equations. (These differ from those written by
Weinberg.) By integrating these equations in the domain occupied by a body, we
obtain a general form of the translational equations of motion for a 1PN
perfect-fluid system in GR. To put them into a tractable form, we use an
asymptotic framework for the separation parameter , by defining a family
of well-separated 1PN systems. We calculate all terms in the equations of
motion up to the order included. To calculate the 1PN correction
part, we assume that the Newtonian motion of each body is a rigid one, and that
the family is quasi-spherical, in the sense that in all bodies the inertia
tensor comes close to being spherical as . Apart from corrections
that cancel for exact spherical symmetry, there is in the final equations of
motion one additional term, as compared with the Lorentz-Droste
(Einstein-Infeld-Hoffmann) acceleration. This term depends on the spin of the
body and on its internal structure.Comment: 42 pages, no figure. Version accepted for publication in Physical
Review
Radioscience simulations in General Relativity and in alternative theories of gravity
In this communication, we focus on the possibility to test GR with
radioscience experiments. We present a new software that in a first step
simulates the Range/Doppler signals directly from the space time metric (thus
in GR and in alternative theories of gravity). In a second step, a
least-squares fit of the involved parameters is performed in GR. This software
allows one to get the order of magnitude and the signature of the modifications
induced by an alternative theory of gravity on radioscience signals. As
examples, we present some simulations for the Cassini mission in
Post-Einsteinian gravity and with the MOND External Field Effect.Comment: 4 pages; Proceedings of "Les Rencontres de Moriond 2011 - Gravitation
session
A Survey of Air-to-Ground Propagation Channel Modeling for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAVs), particularly for small UAVs, due to their affordable
prices, ease of availability, and ease of operability. Existing and future
applications of UAVs include remote surveillance and monitoring, relief
operations, package delivery, and communication backhaul infrastructure.
Additionally, UAVs are envisioned as an important component of 5G wireless
technology and beyond. The unique application scenarios for UAVs necessitate
accurate air-to-ground (AG) propagation channel models for designing and
evaluating UAV communication links for control/non-payload as well as payload
data transmissions. These AG propagation models have not been investigated in
detail when compared to terrestrial propagation models. In this paper, a
comprehensive survey is provided on available AG channel measurement campaigns,
large and small scale fading channel models, their limitations, and future
research directions for UAV communication scenarios
Classical tests in brane gravity
The vacuum solutions in brane gravity differ from those in 4D by a number of
additional terms and reduce to the familiar Schwarzschild metric at small
distances. We study the possible roles that such terms may play in the
precession of planetary orbits, bending of light, radar retardation and the
anomaly in mean motion of test bodies. Using the available data from Solar
System experiments, we determine the range of the free parameters associated
with the linear term in the metric. The best results come from the anomalies in
the mean motion of planets. Such studies should shed some light on the origin
of dark energy via the solar system tests.Comment: 10 pages, no figures, to appear in CQ
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