Differential results integrated with continuous and discrete gravity measurements between nearby stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Weimin; Chen, Shi; Lu, Hongyan

2016-04-01

Integrated gravity is an efficient way in studying spatial and temporal characteristics of the dynamics and tectonics. Differential measurements based on the continuous and discrete gravity observations shows highly competitive in terms of both efficiency and precision with single result. The differential continuous gravity variation between the nearby stations, which is based on the observation of Scintrex g-Phone relative gravimeters in every single station. It is combined with the repeated mobile relative measurements or absolute results to study the regional integrated gravity changes. Firstly we preprocess the continuous records by Tsoft software, and calculate the theoretical earth tides and ocean tides by "MT80TW" program through high precision tidal parameters from "WPARICET". The atmospheric loading effects and complex drift are strictly considered in the procedure. Through above steps we get the continuous gravity in every station and we can calculate the continuous gravity variation between nearby stations, which is called the differential continuous gravity changes. Then the differential results between related stations is calculated based on the repeated gravity measurements, which are carried out once or twice every year surrounding the gravity stations. Hence we get the discrete gravity results between the nearby stations. Finally, the continuous and discrete gravity results are combined in the same related stations, including the absolute gravity results if necessary, to get the regional integrated gravity changes. This differential gravity results is more accurate and effective in dynamical monitoring, regional hydrologic effects studying, tectonic activity and other geodynamical researches. The time-frequency characteristics of continuous gravity results are discussed to insure the accuracy and efficiency in the procedure.

Joint Tomographic Imaging of 3-­-D Density Structure Using Cosmic Ray Muons and High-­-Precision Gravity Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rowe, C. A.; Guardincerri, E.; Roy, M.; Dichter, M.

2015-12-01

As part of the CO2 reservoir muon imaging project headed by the Pacific Northwest National Laboraory (PNNL) under the U.S. Department of Energy Subsurface Technology and Engineering Research, Development, and Demonstration (SubTER) iniative, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the University of New Mexico (UNM) plan to leverage the recently decommissioned and easily accessible Tunnel Vault on LANL property to test the complementary modeling strengths of muon radiography and high-precision gravity surveys. This tunnel extends roughly 300 feet into the hillside, with a maximum depth below the surface of approximately 300 feet. We will deploy LANL's Mini Muon Tracker (MMT), a detector consisting of 576 drift tubes arranged in alternating parallel planes of orthogonally oriented tubes. This detector is capable of precise determination of trajectories for incoming muons with angular resolution of a few milliradians. We will deploy the MMT at several locations within the tunnel, to obtain numerous crossing muon trajectories and permit a 3D tomographic image of the overburden to be built. In the same project, UNM will use a Scintrex digital gravimeter to collect high-precision gravity data from a dense grid on the hill slope above the tunnel as well as within the tunnel itself. This will provide both direct and differential gravity readings for density modeling of the overburden. By leveraging detailed geologic knowledge of the canyon and the lithology overlying the tunnel, as well as the structural elements, elevations and blueprints of the tunnel itself, we will evaluate the muon and gravity data both independently and in a simultaneous, joint inversion to build a combined 3D density model of the overburden.

Development of a sensitive superconducting gravity gradiometer for geological and navigational applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paik, H. J.; Richard, J. P.

1986-01-01

A sensitive and stable gravity gradiometer would provide high resolution gravity measurements from space. The instrument could also provide precision tests of fundamental laws of physics and be applied to inertial guidance systems of the future. This report describes research on the superconducting gravity gradiometer program at the University of Maryland from July 1980 to July 1985. The report describes the theoretical and experimental work on a prototype superconducting gravity gradiometer. The design of an advanced three-axis superconducting gravity gradiometer is also discussed.

27 CFR 30.25 - Use of precision specific gravity hydrometers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... gravity hydrometers. 30.25 Section 30.25 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX... precision specific gravity hydrometers. The provisions of § 30.23 respecting the care, handling, and use of... specific gravity hydrometers. Specific gravity hydrometers shall be read to the nearest subdivision...

27 CFR 30.25 - Use of precision specific gravity hydrometers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... gravity hydrometers. 30.25 Section 30.25 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX... precision specific gravity hydrometers. The provisions of § 30.23 respecting the care, handling, and use of... specific gravity hydrometers. Specific gravity hydrometers shall be read to the nearest subdivision...

27 CFR 30.25 - Use of precision specific gravity hydrometers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... gravity hydrometers. 30.25 Section 30.25 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX... precision specific gravity hydrometers. The provisions of § 30.23 respecting the care, handling, and use of... specific gravity hydrometers. Specific gravity hydrometers shall be read to the nearest subdivision...

27 CFR 30.25 - Use of precision specific gravity hydrometers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... gravity hydrometers. 30.25 Section 30.25 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX... precision specific gravity hydrometers. The provisions of § 30.23 respecting the care, handling, and use of... specific gravity hydrometers. Specific gravity hydrometers shall be read to the nearest subdivision...

27 CFR 30.25 - Use of precision specific gravity hydrometers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... gravity hydrometers. 30.25 Section 30.25 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX... precision specific gravity hydrometers. The provisions of § 30.23 respecting the care, handling, and use of... specific gravity hydrometers. Specific gravity hydrometers shall be read to the nearest subdivision...

Correcting the spectroscopic surface gravity using transits and asteroseismology. No significant effect on temperatures or metallicities with ARES and MOOG in local thermodynamic equilibrium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mortier, A.; Sousa, S. G.; Adibekyan, V. Zh.; Brandão, I. M.; Santos, N. C.

2014-12-01

Context. Precise stellar parameters (effective temperature, surface gravity, metallicity, stellar mass, and radius) are crucial for several reasons, amongst which are the precise characterization of orbiting exoplanets and the correct determination of galactic chemical evolution. The atmospheric parameters are extremely important because all the other stellar parameters depend on them. Using our standard equivalent-width method on high-resolution spectroscopy, good precision can be obtained for the derived effective temperature and metallicity. The surface gravity, however, is usually not well constrained with spectroscopy. Aims: We use two different samples of FGK dwarfs to study the effect of the stellar surface gravity on the precise spectroscopic determination of the other atmospheric parameters. Furthermore, we present a straightforward formula for correcting the spectroscopic surface gravities derived by our method and with our linelists. Methods: Our spectroscopic analysis is based on Kurucz models in local thermodynamic equilibrium, performed with the MOOG code to derive the atmospheric parameters. The surface gravity was either left free or fixed to a predetermined value. The latter is either obtained through a photometric transit light curve or derived using asteroseismology. Results: We find first that, despite some minor trends, the effective temperatures and metallicities for FGK dwarfs derived with the described method and linelists are, in most cases, only affected within the errorbars by using different values for the surface gravity, even for very large differences in surface gravity, so they can be trusted. The temperatures derived with a fixed surface gravity continue to be compatible within 1 sigma with the accurate results of the infrared flux method (IRFM), as is the case for the unconstrained temperatures. Secondly, we find that the spectroscopic surface gravity can easily be corrected to a more accurate value using a linear function with the effective temperature. Tables 1 and 2 are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Microgravimetry and the Measurement and Application of Gravity Gradients,

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

Neumann, R., 1972, High precision gravimetry--recent develop- ments: Report to Paris Commission of E.A.E.G., Compagnie Generale de Geophysique , Massy...experimentation on vertical gradient: Compagnie Generale de Geophysique , Massy, France. 12. Fajklewicz, Z. J., 1976, Gravity vertical gradient

GOCE, Satellite Gravimetry and Antarctic Mass Transports

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rummel, Reiner; Horwath, Martin; Yi, Weiyong; Albertella, Alberta; Bosch, Wolfgang; Haagmans, Roger

2011-09-01

In 2009 the European Space Agency satellite mission GOCE (Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer) was launched. Its objectives are the precise and detailed determination of the Earth's gravity field and geoid. Its core instrument, a three axis gravitational gradiometer, measures the gravity gradient components V xx , V yy , V zz and V xz (second-order derivatives of the gravity potential V) with high precision and V xy , V yz with low precision, all in the instrument reference frame. The long wavelength gravity field is recovered from the orbit, measured by GPS (Global Positioning System). Characteristic elements of the mission are precise star tracking, a Sun-synchronous and very low (260 km) orbit, angular control by magnetic torquing and an extremely stiff and thermally stable instrument environment. GOCE is complementary to GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment), another satellite gravity mission, launched in 2002. While GRACE is designed to measure temporal gravity variations, albeit with limited spatial resolution, GOCE is aiming at maximum spatial resolution, at the expense of accuracy at large spatial scales. Thus, GOCE will not provide temporal variations but is tailored to the recovery of the fine scales of the stationary field. GRACE is very successful in delivering time series of large-scale mass changes of the Antarctic ice sheet, among other things. Currently, emphasis of respective GRACE analyses is on regional refinement and on changes of temporal trends. One of the challenges is the separation of ice mass changes from glacial isostatic adjustment. Already from a few months of GOCE data, detailed gravity gradients can be recovered. They are presented here for the area of Antarctica. As one application, GOCE gravity gradients are an important addition to the sparse gravity data of Antarctica. They will help studies of the crustal and lithospheric field. A second area of application is ocean circulation. The geoid surface from the gravity field model GOCO01S allows us now to generate rather detailed maps of the mean dynamic ocean topography and of geostrophic flow velocities in the region of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.

Radio-Frequency Illuminated Superconductive Disks: Reverse Josephson Effects and Implications for Precise Measuring of Proposed Gravity Effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noever, David A.; Koczor, Ronald J.

1998-01-01

We have previously reported results using a high precision gravimeter to probe local gravity changes in the neighborhood of large bulk-processed high-temperature superconductors. It have been indicated three essential components to achieve anomalous gravity effects, namely large, two-layer high-temperature YBCO superconductors, magnetic levitation and AC input in the form of radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields. We report experiments on RF-illuminated (1-15 MHz) superconducting disks with corresponding gravity readings indicating an apparent increase in observed gravity of approximately 3-5 x l0(exp -5)cm/sq s, above and to the side of the superconductor. In this preliminary study, RF- illumination is achieved using a series of large radius (15 cm) spiral antenna with RF power inputs equal to or greater than 90 W. The observed gravitational modification range is significantly lower than the 2.1% gravity modification. The error analyses of thermal and electromagnetic interference in a magnetically shielded gravimeter with vacuum enclosures, Faraday cages and shielded instrument leads, are outlined both experimentally and theoretically. The nearly exact correspondence between the peak gravity effects reported and the well-known peak in AC resistance in superconductors (2-7 MHz, owing to reverse Josephson quantum effects) suggests that electrical resistance will arise in this frequency range and subsequently any trapped magnetic fields in the superconductor may disperse partially into the measuring instrument's local environment. Implications for propulsion initiatives and RF-heating in superconductors will be discussed.

Comparison of Einstein-Boltzmann solvers for testing general relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellini, E.; Barreira, A.; Frusciante, N.; Hu, B.; Peirone, S.; Raveri, M.; Zumalacárregui, M.; Avilez-Lopez, A.; Ballardini, M.; Battye, R. A.; Bolliet, B.; Calabrese, E.; Dirian, Y.; Ferreira, P. G.; Finelli, F.; Huang, Z.; Ivanov, M. M.; Lesgourgues, J.; Li, B.; Lima, N. A.; Pace, F.; Paoletti, D.; Sawicki, I.; Silvestri, A.; Skordis, C.; Umiltà, C.; Vernizzi, F.

2018-01-01

We compare Einstein-Boltzmann solvers that include modifications to general relativity and find that, for a wide range of models and parameters, they agree to a high level of precision. We look at three general purpose codes that primarily model general scalar-tensor theories, three codes that model Jordan-Brans-Dicke (JBD) gravity, a code that models f (R ) gravity, a code that models covariant Galileons, a code that models Hořava-Lifschitz gravity, and two codes that model nonlocal models of gravity. Comparing predictions of the angular power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background and the power spectrum of dark matter for a suite of different models, we find agreement at the subpercent level. This means that this suite of Einstein-Boltzmann solvers is now sufficiently accurate for precision constraints on cosmological and gravitational parameters.

Establishment of National Gravity Base Network of Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatam Chavari, Y.; Bayer, R.; Hinderer, J.; Ghazavi, K.; Sedighi, M.; Luck, B.; Djamour, Y.; Le Moign, N.; Saadat, R.; Cheraghi, H.

2009-04-01

A gravity base network is supposed to be a set of benchmarks uniformly distributed across the country and the absolute gravity values at the benchmarks are known to the best accessible accuracy. The gravity at the benchmark stations are either measured directly with absolute devices or transferred by gravity difference measurements by gravimeters from known stations. To decrease the accumulation of random measuring errors arising from these transfers, the number of base stations distributed across the country should be as small as possible. This is feasible if the stations are selected near to the national airports long distances apart but faster accessible and measurable by a gravimeter carried in an airplane between the stations. To realize the importance of such a network, various applications of a gravity base network are firstly reviewed. A gravity base network is the required reference frame for establishing 1st , 2nd and 3rd order gravity networks. Such a gravity network is used for the following purposes: a. Mapping of the structure of upper crust in geology maps. The required accuracy for the measured gravity values is about 0.2 to 0.4 mGal. b. Oil and mineral explorations. The required accuracy for the measured gravity values is about 5 µGal. c. Geotechnical studies in mining areas for exploring the underground cavities as well as archeological studies. The required accuracy is about 5 µGal and better. d. Subsurface water resource explorations and mapping crustal layers which absorb it. An accuracy of the same level of previous applications is required here too. e. Studying the tectonics of the Earth's crust. Repeated precise gravity measurements at the gravity network stations can assist us in identifying systematic height changes. The accuracy of the order of 5 µGal and more is required. f. Studying volcanoes and their evolution. Repeated precise gravity measurements at the gravity network stations can provide valuable information on the gradual upward movement of lava. g. Producing precise mean gravity anomaly for precise geoid determination. Replacing precise spirit leveling by the GPS leveling using precise geoid model is one of the forth coming application of the precise geoid. A gravity base network of 28 stations established over Iran. The stations were built mainly at bedrocks. All stations were measured by an FG5 absolute gravimeter, at least 12 hours at each station, to obtain an accuracy of a few micro gals. Several stations were repeated several times during recent years to estimate the gravity changes.

Venus spherical harmonic gravity model to degree and order 60

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Konopliv, Alex S.; Sjogren, William L.

1994-01-01

The Magellan and Pioneer Venus Orbiter radiometric tracking data sets have been combined to produce a 60th degree and order spherical harmonic gravity field. The Magellan data include the high-precision X-band gravity tracking from September 1992 to May 1993 and post-aerobraking data up to January 5, 1994. Gravity models are presented from the application of Kaula's power rule for Venus and an alternative a priori method using surface accelerations. Results are given as vertical gravity acceleration at the reference surface, geoid, vertical Bouguer, and vertical isostatic maps with errors for the vertical gravity and geoid maps included. Correlation of the gravity with topography for the different models is also discussed.

High Sensitivity Gravity Measurements in the Adverse Environment of Oil Wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfutzner, Harold

2014-03-01

Bulk density is a primary measurement within oil and gas reservoirs and is the basis of most reserves calculations by oil companies. The measurement is performed with a gamma-ray source and two scintillation gamma-ray detectors from within newly drilled exploration and production wells. This nuclear density measurement, while very precise is also very shallow and is therefore susceptible to errors due to any alteration of the formation and fluids in the vicinity of the borehole caused by the drilling process. Measuring acceleration due to gravity along a well provides a direct measure of bulk density with a very large depth of investigation that makes it practically immune to errors from near-borehole effects. Advances in gravity sensors and associated mechanics and electronics provide an opportunity for routine borehole gravity measurements with comparable density precision to the nuclear density measurement and with sufficient ruggedness to survive the rough handling and high temperatures experienced in oil well logging. We will describe a borehole gravity meter and its use under very realistic conditions in an oil well in Saudi Arabia. The density measurements will be presented. Alberto Marsala (2), Paul Wanjau (1), Olivier Moyal (1), and Justin Mlcak (1); (1) Schlumberger, (2) Saudi Aramco.

Compensation of Horizontal Gravity Disturbances for High Precision Inertial Navigation

PubMed Central

Cao, Juliang; Wu, Meiping; Lian, Junxiang; Cai, Shaokun; Wang, Lin

2018-01-01

Horizontal gravity disturbances are an important factor that affects the accuracy of inertial navigation systems in long-duration ship navigation. In this paper, from the perspective of the coordinate system and vector calculation, the effects of horizontal gravity disturbance on the initial alignment and navigation calculation are simultaneously analyzed. Horizontal gravity disturbances cause the navigation coordinate frame built in initial alignment to not be consistent with the navigation coordinate frame in which the navigation calculation is implemented. The mismatching of coordinate frame violates the vector calculation law, which will have an adverse effect on the precision of the inertial navigation system. To address this issue, two compensation methods suitable for two different navigation coordinate frames are proposed, one of the methods implements the compensation in velocity calculation, and the other does the compensation in attitude calculation. Finally, simulations and ship navigation experiments confirm the effectiveness of the proposed methods. PMID:29562653

Gravity data from the San Pedro River Basin, Cochise County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kennedy, Jeffrey R.; Winester, Daniel

2011-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, Arizona Water Science Center in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Geodetic Survey has collected relative and absolute gravity data at 321 stations in the San Pedro River Basin of southeastern Arizona since 2000. Data are of three types: observed gravity values and associated free-air, simple Bouguer, and complete Bouguer anomaly values, useful for subsurface-density modeling; high-precision relative-gravity surveys repeated over time, useful for aquifer-storage-change monitoring; and absolute-gravity values, useful as base stations for relative-gravity surveys and for monitoring gravity change over time. The data are compiled, without interpretation, in three spreadsheet files. Gravity values, GPS locations, and driving directions for absolute-gravity base stations are presented as National Geodetic Survey site descriptions.

GRAV-D Part II : Examining Airborne Gravity Processing Assumptions With an Aim Towards Producing a Better Gravimetric Geoid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Theresa, D. M.; Vicki, C.; Dan, R.; Dru, S.

2008-12-01

The primary objective of the GRAV-D (Gravity for the Redefinition of the American Vertical Datum) project is to redefine the American vertical datum by using an improved gravimetric geoid. This will be partially accomplished through an extensive airborne gravity measurement campaign, focusing first on the land/water interface (and later on interior areas) of the US and its holdings. This airborne campaign is designed specifically to capture intermediate wavelength gravity information by flying at high altitudes (35,000 ft, ~10 km) with a 10 km line spacing. The intermediate wavelengths captured by airborne gravity data are complementary to ground and satellite gravity data. Combining the GRAV-D airborne gravity data with the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite gravity field will allow existing terrestrial data sets to be corrected for bias and trend problems. Ultimately, all three types of data can then be merged into a single accurate representation of the gravity field. Typically, the airborne gravity data reduction process is used to produce free-air anomalies for geological/geophysical applications that require more limited accuracy and precision than do geodetic applications. Thus we re-examine long-standing data reduction simplifications and assumptions with an aim toward improving both the accuracy and precision of airborne gravity data before their inclusion into a gravimetric geoid. The data reduction process is tested on a 400 km x 500 km airborne gravity survey in southern Alaska (in the vicinity of Anchorage) collected in the summer of 2008 as part of the GRAV-D project. Potential improvements in processing come from examining the impacts of various GPS processing schemes on free-air gravity results and re-considering all assumptions in standard airborne gravity processing methods, especially those that might introduce bias into absolute gravity levels.

Application of precise altimetry to the study of precise leveling of the sea surface, the Earth's gravity field, and the rotation of the Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Segawa, J.; Ganeko, Y.; Sasaki, M.; Mori, T.; Ooe, M.; Nakagawa, I.; Ishii, H.; Hagiwara, Y.

1991-01-01

Our program includes five research items: (1) determination of a precision geoid and gravity anomaly field; (2) precise leveling and detection of tidal changes of the sea surface and study of the role of the tide in the global energy exchange; (3) oceanic effect on the Earth's rotation and polar motion; (4) geological and geophysical interpretation of the altimetry gravity field; and (5) evaluation of the effectiveness of local tracking of TOPEX/POSEIDON by use of a laser tracker.

Gravimetric effects of petroleum accumulations--A preliminary summary

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCulloh, Thane Hubert

1966-01-01

Negative gravity anomalies of very local extent and with amplitudes of 1.2 milligals or less have been observed over some known petroleum and natural gas fields in southern California and South Dagestan, U.S.S.R. Field evidence, laboratory measurements, and theory indicate that these anomalies are mainly the result of hydrocarbon pore fluids of densities significantly lower than that of water. Gravity meters already available have the precision necessary to detect some of these anomalies from surface measurements. In addition, a high-precision borehole gravity meter has been developed, by the industrial firm of LaCoste and Romberg, Inc., that can be used in wells with a casing 7 inches or more in diameter and at temperatures below 100?C. Field tests indicate that the prototype attains a precision in wells of ? 0.015 milligal for a single measurement. These observations and the new gravimeter should aid in the search for new petroleum fields and for new reservoirs in known fields that are incompletely explored.

Absolute marine gravimetry with matter-wave interferometry.

PubMed

Bidel, Y; Zahzam, N; Blanchard, C; Bonnin, A; Cadoret, M; Bresson, A; Rouxel, D; Lequentrec-Lalancette, M F

2018-02-12

Measuring gravity from an aircraft or a ship is essential in geodesy, geophysics, mineral and hydrocarbon exploration, and navigation. Today, only relative sensors are available for onboard gravimetry. This is a major drawback because of the calibration and drift estimation procedures which lead to important operational constraints. Atom interferometry is a promising technology to obtain onboard absolute gravimeter. But, despite high performances obtained in static condition, no precise measurements were reported in dynamic. Here, we present absolute gravity measurements from a ship with a sensor based on atom interferometry. Despite rough sea conditions, we obtained precision below 10 -5  m s -2 . The atom gravimeter was also compared with a commercial spring gravimeter and showed better performances. This demonstration opens the way to the next generation of inertial sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope) based on atom interferometry which should provide high-precision absolute measurements from a moving platform.

Superconductor-Mediated Modification of Gravity? AC Motor Experiments with Bulk YBCO Disks in Rotating Magnetic Fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noever, David A.; Koczor, Ronald J.; Roberson, Rick

1998-01-01

We have previously reported results using a high precision gravimeter to probe local gravity changes in the neighborhood of large bulk-processed high-temperature superconductors. Podkietnov, et al (Podkietnov, E. and Nieminen, R. (1992) A Possibility of Gravitational Force Shielding by Bulk YBa2 Cu3 O7-x Superconductor, Physica C, C203:441-444.) have indicated that rotating AC fields play an essential role in their observed distortion of combined gravity and barometric pressure readings. We report experiments on large (15 cm diameter) bulk YBCO ceramic superconductors placed in the core of a three-phase, AC motor stator. The applied rotating field produces up to a 12,000 revolutions per minute magnetic field. The field intensity decays rapidly from the maximum at the outer diameter of the superconducting disk (less than 60 Gauss) to the center (less than 10 Gauss). This configuration was applied with and without a permanent DC magnetic field levitating the superconducting disk, with corresponding gravity readings indicating an apparent increase in observed gravity of less than 1 x 10(exp -6)/sq cm, measured above the superconductor. No effect of the rotating magnetic field or thermal environment on the gravimeter readings or on rotating the superconducting disk was noted within the high precision of the observation. Implications for propulsion initiatives and power storage flywheel technologies for high temperature superconductors will be discussed for various spacecraft and satellite applications.

Precise orbit determination based on raw GPS measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zehentner, Norbert; Mayer-Gürr, Torsten

2016-03-01

Precise orbit determination is an essential part of the most scientific satellite missions. Highly accurate knowledge of the satellite position is used to geolocate measurements of the onboard sensors. For applications in the field of gravity field research, the position itself can be used as observation. In this context, kinematic orbits of low earth orbiters (LEO) are widely used, because they do not include a priori information about the gravity field. The limiting factor for the achievable accuracy of the gravity field through LEO positions is the orbit accuracy. We make use of raw global positioning system (GPS) observations to estimate the kinematic satellite positions. The method is based on the principles of precise point positioning. Systematic influences are reduced by modeling and correcting for all known error sources. Remaining effects such as the ionospheric influence on the signal propagation are either unknown or not known to a sufficient level of accuracy. These effects are modeled as unknown parameters in the estimation process. The redundancy in the adjustment is reduced; however, an improvement in orbit accuracy leads to a better gravity field estimation. This paper describes our orbit determination approach and its mathematical background. Some examples of real data applications highlight the feasibility of the orbit determination method based on raw GPS measurements. Its suitability for gravity field estimation is presented in a second step.

The Dawn Gravity Investigation at Vesta and Ceres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Konopliv, A. S.; Asmar, S.W.; Bills, B. G.; Mastrodemos, N.; Park, R. S.; Raymond, C. A.; Smith, D. E.; Zuber, M. T.

2011-01-01

The objective of the Dawn gravity investigation is to use high precision X-band Doppler tracking and landmark tracking from optical images to measure the gravity fields of Vesta and Ceres to a half-wavelength surface resolution better than 90-km and 300-km, respectively. Depending on the Doppler tracking assumptions, the gravity field will be determined to somewhere between harmonic degrees 15 and 25 for Vesta and about degree 10 for Ceres. The gravity fields together with shape models determined from Dawn's framing camera constrain models of the interior from the core to the crust. The gravity field is determined jointly with the spin pole location. The second degree harmonics together with assumptions on obliquity or hydrostatic equilibrium may determine the moments of inertia.

Precise orbit determination of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and first gravity field results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maier, Andrea; Baur, Oliver

2014-05-01

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) was launched in 2009 and is expected to orbit the Moon until the end of 2014. Among other instruments, LRO has a highly precise altimeter on board demanding an orbit accuracy of one meter in the radial component. Precise orbit determination (POD) is achieved with radiometric observations (Doppler range rates, ranges) on the one hand, and optical laser ranges on the other hand. LRO is the first satellite at a distance of approximately 360 000 to 400 000 km from the Earth that is routinely tracked with optical laser ranges. This measurement type was introduced to achieve orbits of higher precision than it would be possible with radiometric observations only. In this contribution we investigate the strength of each measurement type (radiometric range rates, radiometric ranges, optical laser ranges) based on single-technique orbit estimation. In a next step all measurement types are combined in a joined analysis. In addition to POD results, preliminary gravity field coefficients are presented being a subsequent product of the orbit determination process. POD and gravity field estimation was accomplished with the NASA/GSFC software packages GEODYN and SOLVE.

Motion and gravity effects in the precision of quantum clocks.

PubMed

Lindkvist, Joel; Sabín, Carlos; Johansson, Göran; Fuentes, Ivette

2015-05-19

We show that motion and gravity affect the precision of quantum clocks. We consider a localised quantum field as a fundamental model of a quantum clock moving in spacetime and show that its state is modified due to changes in acceleration. By computing the quantum Fisher information we determine how relativistic motion modifies the ultimate bound in the precision of the measurement of time. While in the absence of motion the squeezed vacuum is the ideal state for time estimation, we find that it is highly sensitive to the motion-induced degradation of the quantum Fisher information. We show that coherent states are generally more resilient to this degradation and that in the case of very low initial number of photons, the optimal precision can be even increased by motion. These results can be tested with current technology by using superconducting resonators with tunable boundary conditions.

Motion and gravity effects in the precision of quantum clocks

PubMed Central

Lindkvist, Joel; Sabín, Carlos; Johansson, Göran; Fuentes, Ivette

2015-01-01

We show that motion and gravity affect the precision of quantum clocks. We consider a localised quantum field as a fundamental model of a quantum clock moving in spacetime and show that its state is modified due to changes in acceleration. By computing the quantum Fisher information we determine how relativistic motion modifies the ultimate bound in the precision of the measurement of time. While in the absence of motion the squeezed vacuum is the ideal state for time estimation, we find that it is highly sensitive to the motion-induced degradation of the quantum Fisher information. We show that coherent states are generally more resilient to this degradation and that in the case of very low initial number of photons, the optimal precision can be even increased by motion. These results can be tested with current technology by using superconducting resonators with tunable boundary conditions. PMID:25988238

Altimeter measurements for the determination of the Earth's gravity field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tapley, B. D.; Schutz, B. E.; Shum, C. K.

1987-01-01

The ability of satellite-borne radar altimeter data to measure the global ocean surface with high precision and dense spatial coverage provides a unique tool for the mapping of the Earth's gravity field and its geoid. The altimeter crossover measurements, created by differencing direct altimeter measurements at the subsatellite points where the orbit ground tracks intersect, have the distinct advantage of eliminating geoid error and other nontemporal or long period oceanographic features. In the 1990's, the joint U.S./French TOPEX/POSEIDON mission and the European Space Agency's ERS-1 mission will carry radar altimeter instruments capable of global ocean mapping with high precision. This investigation aims at the development and application of dynamically consistent direct altimeter and altimeter crossover measurement models to the simultaneous mapping of the Earth's gravity field and its geoid, the ocean tides and the quasi-stationary component of the dynamic sea surface topography. Altimeter data collected by SEASAT, GEOS-3, and GEOSAT are used for the investigation.

High precision tide spectroscopy. [using the superconducting gravimeter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodkind, J. M.

1978-01-01

Diurnal and long period earth tides were measured to high accuracy and precision with the superconducting gravimeter. The results provide new evidence on the geophysical questions which have been attacked through earth tide measurements in the past. In addition, they raise new questions of potential interest. Slow fluctuations in gravity of order 10 micron gal over periods of 3 to 5 months were observed and are discussed.

Validity of the "Laplace Swindle" in Calculation of Giant-Planet Gravity Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubbard, William B.

2014-11-01

Jupiter and Saturn have large rotation-induced distortions, providing an opportunity to constrain interior structure via precise measurement of external gravity. Anticipated high-precision gravity measurements close to the surfaces of Jupiter (Juno spacecraft) and Saturn (Cassini spacecraft), possibly detecting zonal harmonics to J10 and beyond, will place unprecedented requirements on gravitational modeling via the theory of figures (TOF). It is not widely appreciated that the traditional TOF employs a formally nonconvergent expansion attributed to Laplace. This suspect expansion is intimately related to the standard zonal harmonic (J-coefficient) expansion of the external gravity potential. It can be shown (Hubbard, Schubert, Kong, and Zhang: Icarus, in press) that both Jupiter and Saturn are in the domain where Laplace's "swindle" works exactly, or at least as well as necessary. More highly-distorted objects such as rapidly spinning asteroids may not be in this domain, however. I present a numerical test for the validity and precision of TOF via polar "audit points". I extend the audit-point test to objects rotating differentially on cylinders, obtaining zonal harmonics to J20 and beyond. Models with only low-order differential rotation do not exhibit dramatic effects in the shape of the zonal harmonic spectrum. However, a model with Jupiter-like zonal winds exhibits a break in the zonal harmonic spectrum above about J10, and generally follows the more shallow Kaula power rule at higher orders. This confirms an earlier result obtained by a different method (Hubbard: Icarus 137, 357-359, 1999).

High-Precision Simulation of the Gravity Field of Rapidly-Rotating Barotropes in Hydrostatic Equilibrium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubbard, W. B.

2013-12-01

The so-called theory of figures (TOF) uses potential theory to solve for the structure of highly distorted rotating liquid planets in hydrostatic equilibrium. TOF is noteworthy both for its antiquity (Maclaurin 1742) and its mathematical complexity. Planned high-precision gravity measurements near the surfaces of Jupiter and Saturn (possibly detecting signals ~ microgal) will place unprecedented requirements on TOF, not because one expects hydrostatic equilibrium to that level, but because nonhydrostatic components in the surface gravity, at expected levels ~ 1 milligal, must be referenced to precise hydrostatic-equilibrium models. The Maclaurin spheroid is both a useful test of numerical TOF codes (Hubbard 2012, ApJ Lett 756:L15), and an approach to an efficient TOF code for arbitrary barotropes of variable density (Hubbard 2013, ApJ 768:43). For the latter, one trades off vertical resolution by replacing a continuous barotropic pressure-density relation with a stairstep relation, corresponding to N concentric Maclaurin spheroids (CMS), each of constant density. The benefit of this trade-off is that two-dimensional integrals over the mass distributions at each interface are reduced to one-dimensional integrals, quickly and accurately evaluated by Gaussian quadrature. The shapes of the spheroids comprise N level surfaces within the planet and at its surface, are gravitationally coupled to each other, and are found by self-consistent iteration, relaxing to a final configuration to within the computer's precision limits. The angular and radial variation of external gravity (using the usual geophysical expansion in multipole moments) can be found to the limit of typical floating point precision (~ 1.e-14), much better than the expected noise/signal for either the Juno or Cassini gravity experiments. The stairstep barotrope can be adjusted to fit a prescribed continuous or discontinuous interior barotrope, and can be made to approximate it to any required precision by increasing N. One can insert a higher density of CMSs toward the surface of an interior model in order to more accurately model high-order gravitational moments. The magnitude of high-order moments predicted by TOF declines geometrically with order number, and falls below the magnitude of expected non-hydrostatic terms produced by interior dynamics at ~ order 10 and above. Juno's sensitivity is enough to detect tidal gravity signals from Galilean satellites. The CMS method can be generalized to predict tidal zonal and tesseral terms consistent with an interior model fitted to measured zonal harmonics. For this purpose, two-dimensional Gaussian quadrature is necessary at each CMS interface. However, once the model is relaxed to equilibrium, one need not refit the model to the average zonal harmonics because of the smallness of the tidal terms. I will describe how the CMS method has been validated through comparisons with standard TOF models for which fully or partially analytic solutions exist, as well as through consistency checks. At this stage in software development in preparation for Jupiter orbit, we are focused on increasing the speed of the code in order to more efficiently search the parameter space of acceptable Jupiter interior models, as well as to interface it with advanced hydrogen-helium equations of state.

New Data Bases and Standards for Gravity Anomalies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, G. R.; Hildenbrand, T. G.; Webring, M. W.; Hinze, W. J.; Ravat, D.; Li, X.

2008-12-01

Ever since the use of high-precision gravimeters emerged in the 1950's, gravity surveys have been an important tool for geologic studies. Recent developments that make geologically useful measurements from airborne and satellite platforms, the ready availability of the Global Positioning System that provides precise vertical and horizontal control, improved global data bases, and the increased availability of processing and modeling software have accelerated the use of the gravity method. As a result, efforts are being made to improve the gravity databases publicly available to the geoscience community by expanding their holdings and increasing the accuracy and precision of the data in them. Specifically the North American Gravity Database as well as the individual databases of Canada, Mexico, and the United States are being revised using new formats and standards to improve their coverage, standardization, and accuracy. An important part of this effort is revision of procedures and standards for calculating gravity anomalies taking into account the enhanced computational power available, modern satellite-based positioning technology, improved terrain databases, and increased interest in more accurately defining the different components of gravity anomalies. The most striking revision is the use of one single internationally accepted reference ellipsoid for the horizontal and vertical datums of gravity stations as well as for the computation of the calculated value of theoretical gravity. The new standards hardly impact the interpretation of local anomalies, but do improve regional anomalies in that long wavelength artifacts are removed. Most importantly, such new standards can be consistently applied to gravity database compilations of nations, continents, and even the entire world. Although many types of gravity anomalies have been described, they fall into three main classes. The primary class incorporates planetary effects, which are analytically prescribed, to derive the predicted or modeled gravity, and thus, anomalies of this class are termed planetary. The most primitive version of a gravity anomaly is simply the difference between the value of gravity predicted by the effect of the reference ellipsoid and the observed gravity anomaly. When the height of the gravity station increases, the ellipsoidal gravity anomaly decreases because of the increased distance of measurement from the anomaly- producing masses. The two primary anomalies in geophysics, which are appropriately classified as planetary anomalies, are the Free-air and Bouguer gravity anomalies. They employ models that account for planetary effects on gravity including the topography of the earth. A second class of anomaly, geological anomalies, includes the modeled gravity effect of known or assumed masses leading to the predicted gravity by using geological data such as densities and crustal thickness. The third class of anomaly, filtered anomalies, removes arbitrary gravity effects of largely unknown sources that are empirically or analytically determined from the nature of the gravity anomalies by filtering.

GOCE gravity field simulation based on actual mission scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pail, R.; Goiginger, H.; Mayrhofer, R.; Höck, E.; Schuh, W.-D.; Brockmann, J. M.; Krasbutter, I.; Fecher, T.; Gruber, T.

2009-04-01

In the framework of the ESA-funded project "GOCE High-level Processing Facility", an operational hardware and software system for the scientific processing (Level 1B to Level 2) of GOCE data has been set up by the European GOCE Gravity Consortium EGG-C. One key component of this software system is the processing of a spherical harmonic Earth's gravity field model and the corresponding full variance-covariance matrix from the precise GOCE orbit and calibrated and corrected satellite gravity gradiometry (SGG) data. In the framework of the time-wise approach a combination of several processing strategies for the optimum exploitation of the information content of the GOCE data has been set up: The Quick-Look Gravity Field Analysis is applied to derive a fast diagnosis of the GOCE system performance and to monitor the quality of the input data. In the Core Solver processing a rigorous high-precision solution of the very large normal equation systems is derived by applying parallel processing techniques on a PC cluster. Before the availability of real GOCE data, by means of a realistic numerical case study, which is based on the actual GOCE orbit and mission scenario and simulation data stemming from the most recent ESA end-to-end simulation, the expected GOCE gravity field performance is evaluated. Results from this simulation as well as recently developed features of the software system are presented. Additionally some aspects on data combination with complementary data sources are addressed.

Geodesy and gravity experiment in earth orbit using a superconducting gravity gradiometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paik, H. J.

1985-01-01

A superconducting gravity gradiometer is under development with NASA support for space application. It is planned that a sensitive three-axis gravity gradiometer will be flown in a low-altitude (about 160 km) polar orbit in the 1990's for the purpose of obtaining a high-resolution gravity map of the earth. The large twice-an-orbit term in the harmonic expansion of gravity coming from the oblateness of the earth can be analyzed to obtain a precision test of the inverse square law at a distance of 100-1000 km. In this paper, the design, operating principle, and performance of the superconducting gravity gradiometer are described. The concept of a gravity-gradiometer mission (GGM), which is in an initial stage of development is discussed. In particular, requirements that such a mission imposes on the design of the cryogenic spacecraft will be addressed.

Altimeter measurements for the determination of the Earth's gravity field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tapley, B. D.; Schutz, B. E.; Shum, C. K.

1986-01-01

Progress in the following areas is described: refining altimeter and altimeter crossover measurement models for precise orbit determination and for the solution of the earth's gravity field; performing experiments using altimeter data for the improvement of precise satellite ephemerides; and analyzing an optimal relative data weighting algorithm to combine various data types in the solution of the gravity field.

Improved artificial bee colony algorithm based gravity matching navigation method.

PubMed

Gao, Wei; Zhao, Bo; Zhou, Guang Tao; Wang, Qiu Ying; Yu, Chun Yang

2014-07-18

Gravity matching navigation algorithm is one of the key technologies for gravity aided inertial navigation systems. With the development of intelligent algorithms, the powerful search ability of the Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithm makes it possible to be applied to the gravity matching navigation field. However, existing search mechanisms of basic ABC algorithms cannot meet the need for high accuracy in gravity aided navigation. Firstly, proper modifications are proposed to improve the performance of the basic ABC algorithm. Secondly, a new search mechanism is presented in this paper which is based on an improved ABC algorithm using external speed information. At last, modified Hausdorff distance is introduced to screen the possible matching results. Both simulations and ocean experiments verify the feasibility of the method, and results show that the matching rate of the method is high enough to obtain a precise matching position.

Improved Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm Based Gravity Matching Navigation Method

PubMed Central

Gao, Wei; Zhao, Bo; Zhou, Guang Tao; Wang, Qiu Ying; Yu, Chun Yang

2014-01-01

Gravity matching navigation algorithm is one of the key technologies for gravity aided inertial navigation systems. With the development of intelligent algorithms, the powerful search ability of the Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithm makes it possible to be applied to the gravity matching navigation field. However, existing search mechanisms of basic ABC algorithms cannot meet the need for high accuracy in gravity aided navigation. Firstly, proper modifications are proposed to improve the performance of the basic ABC algorithm. Secondly, a new search mechanism is presented in this paper which is based on an improved ABC algorithm using external speed information. At last, modified Hausdorff distance is introduced to screen the possible matching results. Both simulations and ocean experiments verify the feasibility of the method, and results show that the matching rate of the method is high enough to obtain a precise matching position. PMID:25046019

Superconducting thin-film gyroscope readout for Gravity Probe-B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lockhart, James M.; Cheung, W. Stephen; Gill, Dale K.

1987-01-01

The high-resolution gyroscope readout system for the Stanford Gravity Probe-B experiment, whose purpose is to measure two general relativistic precessions of gyroscopes in earth orbit, is described. In order to achieve the required resolution in angle (0.001 arcsec), the readout system combines high-precision mechanical fabrication and measurement techniques with superconducting thin-film technology, ultralow magnetic fields, and SQUID detectors. The system design, performance limits achievable with current technology, and the results of fabrication and laboratory testing to date are discussed.

Precision gravity measurement utilizing Accelerex vibrating beam accelerometer technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norling, Brian L.

Tests run using Sundstrand vibrating beam accelerometers to sense microgravity are described. Lunar-solar tidal effects were used as a highly predictable signal which varies by approximately 200 billionths of the full-scale gravitation level. Test runs of 48-h duration were used to evaluate stability, resolution, and noise. Test results on the Accelerex accelerometer show accuracies suitable for precision applications such as gravity mapping and gravity density logging. The test results indicate that Accelerex technology, even with an instrument design and signal processing approach not optimized for microgravity measurement, can achieve 48-nano-g (1 sigma) or better accuracy over a 48-h period. This value includes contributions from instrument noise and random walk, combined bias and scale factor drift, and thermal modeling errors as well as external contributions from sampling noise, test equipment inaccuracies, electrical noise, and cultural noise induced acceleration.

Inter-satellite links: A versatile tool for geodesy and planetary and interplanetary navigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlicht, Anja; Hugentobler, Urs; Hauk, Markus; Murböck, Michael; Pail, Roland

2016-07-01

With the use of low-low satellite-to-satellite tracking gravity field recovery made a big step forward. Based on this technique the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission delivers monthly gravity field with high precision, allowing to measure effects in Earth water storage basins and variations in ice mass in Greenland and Antarctica from space. GRACE is using a Ka-band inter-satellite ranging technique, GRACE Follow-On will in addition test optical ranging. In fundamental physics high-precision optical inter-satellite tracking will be used to detect gravitational waves in space, as a first step LISA Pathfinder was launched recently. Inter-satellite links are not only used for ranging, also data transfer in space is based on such links. ESA's European Data Relay System will be established in up-coming years to collect data from the low orbiting Sentinel satellites and transfer the high data rate to ground. The same link may be used for ranging, data transfer and time transfer, a functionality that is discussed for next generation Galileo satellites. But to exploit this synergy a common concept for all three tasks has to be developed. In this paper we show that with inter-satellite ranging techniques with µm accuracy the limited accuracy of GNSS based orbit determination of low Earth orbiters (LEO), which is due to the limitations of one-way microwave tracking (unsynchronized clocks, phase center variations and offsets of the sending and receiving antennas) can be overcome. In the ESA study GETRIS the following question is answered: How can a highly accurate and precise GEO-based two-way ranging method support GNSS tracking? The reduction of systematic errors in LEO precise orbit determination (POD) by exploiting the synergy between ranging, data- and time-transfer is assessed in a concept consisting of precise two-way GEO-LEO tracking (as used for data transfer) and an ultra-stable oscillator on-board of the geostationary satellite (GEO) synchronized from ground. We now want to get a step further and design a versatile concept for the use of this synergy in a satellite constellation based on existing and future planned ESA infrastructure and highlight the benefits in different disciplines from geodesy to interplanetary ranging, with emphasis on gravity field recovery.

A Model of Gravity Vector Measurement Noise for Estimating Accelerometer Bias in Gravity Disturbance Compensation.

PubMed

Tie, Junbo; Cao, Juliang; Chang, Lubing; Cai, Shaokun; Wu, Meiping; Lian, Junxiang

2018-03-16

Compensation of gravity disturbance can improve the precision of inertial navigation, but the effect of compensation will decrease due to the accelerometer bias, and estimation of the accelerometer bias is a crucial issue in gravity disturbance compensation. This paper first investigates the effect of accelerometer bias on gravity disturbance compensation, and the situation in which the accelerometer bias should be estimated is established. The accelerometer bias is estimated from the gravity vector measurement, and a model of measurement noise in gravity vector measurement is built. Based on this model, accelerometer bias is separated from the gravity vector measurement error by the method of least squares. Horizontal gravity disturbances are calculated through EGM2008 spherical harmonic model to build the simulation scene, and the simulation results indicate that precise estimations of the accelerometer bias can be obtained with the proposed method.

A Model of Gravity Vector Measurement Noise for Estimating Accelerometer Bias in Gravity Disturbance Compensation

PubMed Central

Cao, Juliang; Cai, Shaokun; Wu, Meiping; Lian, Junxiang

2018-01-01

Compensation of gravity disturbance can improve the precision of inertial navigation, but the effect of compensation will decrease due to the accelerometer bias, and estimation of the accelerometer bias is a crucial issue in gravity disturbance compensation. This paper first investigates the effect of accelerometer bias on gravity disturbance compensation, and the situation in which the accelerometer bias should be estimated is established. The accelerometer bias is estimated from the gravity vector measurement, and a model of measurement noise in gravity vector measurement is built. Based on this model, accelerometer bias is separated from the gravity vector measurement error by the method of least squares. Horizontal gravity disturbances are calculated through EGM2008 spherical harmonic model to build the simulation scene, and the simulation results indicate that precise estimations of the accelerometer bias can be obtained with the proposed method. PMID:29547552

High temperature aircraft research furnace facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, James E., Jr.; Cashon, John L.

1992-01-01

Focus is on the design, fabrication, and development of the High Temperature Aircraft Research Furnace Facilities (HTARFF). The HTARFF was developed to process electrically conductive materials with high melting points in a low gravity environment. The basic principle of operation is to accurately translate a high temperature arc-plasma gas front as it orbits around a cylindrical sample, thereby making it possible to precisely traverse the entire surface of a sample. The furnace utilizes the gas-tungsten-arc-welding (GTAW) process, also commonly referred to as Tungsten-Inert-Gas (TIG). The HTARFF was developed to further research efforts in the areas of directional solidification, float-zone processing, welding in a low-gravity environment, and segregation effects in metals. The furnace is intended for use aboard the NASA-JSC Reduced Gravity Program KC-135A Aircraft.

Gravity compensation in a Strapdown Inertial Navigation System to improve the attitude accuracy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Jing; Wang, Jun; Wang, Xingshu; Yang, Shuai

2017-10-01

Attitude errors in a strapdown inertial navigation system due to gravity disturbances and system noises can be relatively large, although they are bound within the Schuler and the Earth rotation period. The principal objective of the investigation is to determine to what extent accurate gravity data can improve the attitude accuracy. The way the gravity disturbances affect the attitude were analyzed and compared with system noises by the analytic solution and simulation. The gravity disturbances affect the attitude accuracy by introducing the initial attitude error and the equivalent accelerometer bias. With the development of the high precision inertial devices and the application of the rotation modulation technology, the gravity disturbance cannot be neglected anymore. The gravity compensation was performed using the EGM2008 and simulations with and without accurate gravity compensation under varying navigation conditions were carried out. The results show that the gravity compensation improves the horizontal components of attitude accuracy evidently while the yaw angle is badly affected by the uncompensated gyro bias in vertical channel.

Monitoring groundwater variation by satellite and implications for in-situ gravity measurements.

PubMed

Fukuda, Yoichi; Yamamoto, Keiko; Hasegawa, Takashi; Nakaegawa, Toshiyuki; Nishijima, Jun; Taniguchi, Makoto

2009-04-15

In order to establish a new technique for monitoring groundwater variations in urban areas, the applicability of precise in-situ gravity measurements and extremely high precision satellite gravity data via GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) was tested. Using the GRACE data, regional scale water mass variations in four major river basins of the Indochina Peninsula were estimated. The estimated variations were compared with Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (SVATS) models with a river flow model of 1) globally uniform river velocity, 2) river velocity tuned by each river basin, 3) globally uniform river velocity considering groundwater storage, and 4) river velocity tuned by each river basin considering groundwater storage. Model 3) attained the best fit to the GRACE data, and the model 4) yielded almost the same values. This implies that the groundwater plays an important role in estimating the variation of total terrestrial storage. It also indicates that tuning river velocity, which is based on the in-situ measurements, needs further investigations in combination with the GRACE data. The relationships among GRACE data, SVATS models, and in-situ measurements were also discussed briefly.

Investigations on vertical crustal movements in the Venezuelan Andes by gravimetric methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drewes, H.

1978-01-01

A precise gravimetric network has been installed in the Venezuelan Andes to study eventual gravity changes due to vertical tectonic movements. The design and the measurements of the network are described and the accuracy is estimated. In the center of the region a local gravity network has been reobserved three times. The detected variations are discussed. In order to obtain a genuine statement as far as possible about the significance of observed gravity changes, requirements for the procedure of monitoring precise gravity networks are pointed out.

Development of a Transportable Gravity Gradiometer Based on Atom Interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, N.; Kohel, J. M.; Aveline, D. C.; Kellogg, J. R.; Thompson, R. J.; Maleki, L.

2007-12-01

JPL is developing a transportable gravity gradiometer based on light-pulse atom interferometers for NASA's Earth Science Technology Office's Instrument Incubator Program. The inertial sensors in this instrument employ a quantum interference measurement technique, analogous to the precise phase measurements in atomic clocks, which offers increased sensitivity and improved long-term stability over traditional mechanical devices. We report on the implementation of this technique in JPL's gravity gradiometer, and on the current performance of the mobile instrument. We also discuss the prospects for satellite-based gravity field mapping, including high-resolution monitoring of time-varying fields from a single satellite platform and multi-component measurements of the gravitational gradient tensor, using atom interferometer-based instruments.

Measuring "g" Using a Magnetic Pendulum and Telephone Pickup

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinacore, J.; Takai, H.

2010-01-01

The simple pendulum has long been used to measure "g", the acceleration due to gravity, with a precision of a few percent. Achieving agreement with the accepted value of less than 1% is feasible in the high school laboratory, though it requires some care. The precision of the measurement is bound by how accurately the period and the pendulum…

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kramer, Michael; Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL

The last years have seen continuing activities in the exploration of our understanding of gravity, motivated by results from precision cosmology and new precision astrophysical experiments. At the centre of attention lies the question as to whether general relativity is the correct theory of gravity. In answering this question, we work not only towards correctly interpreting the phenomenon of 'dark energy' but also towards the goal of achieving a quantum theory of gravity. In these efforts, the observations of pulsars, especially those in binary systems, play an important role. Pulsars do not only provide the only evidence for the existencemore » of gravitational waves so far, but they also provide precision tests of general relativity and alternative theories of gravity. This talk summarizes the current state-of-art in these experiments and looks into the future.« less

Testing Fundamental Gravity with Interplanetary Laser Ranging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turyshev, S. G.; Shao, M.; Hahn, I.

2018-02-01

Very accurate range measurements with the Interplanetary Laser Ranging Terminal (ILRT) will push high-precision tests of astrophysics/gravitation into a new regime. It could be used for navigation and investigations in planetary/lunar science.

High Degree and Order Gravity Fields of the Moon Derived from GRAIL Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lemoine, F. G.; Goossens, S. J.; Sabaka, T. J.; Nicholas, J. B.; Mazarico, E.; Rowlands, D. D.; Loomis, B. D.; Chinn, D. S.; Caprette, D. S.; McCarthy, J. J.;

Empirical Foundations of the Relativistic Gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Wei-Tou

In 1859, Le Verrier discovered the mercury perihelion advance anomaly. This anomaly turned out to be the first relativistic-gravity effect observed. During the 141 years to 2000, the precisions of laboratory and space experiments, and astrophysical and cosmological observations on relativistic gravity have been improved by 3 orders of magnitude. In 1999, we envisaged a 3-6 order improvement in the next 30 years in all directions of tests of relativistic gravity. In 2000, the interferometric gravitational wave detectors began their runs to accumulate data. In 2003, the measurement of relativistic Shapiro time-delay of the Cassini spacecraft determined the relativistic-gravity parameter γ to be 1.000021 ± 0.000023 of general relativity — a 1.5-order improvement. In October 2004, Ciufolini and Pavlis reported a measurement of the Lense-Thirring effect on the LAGEOS and LAGEOS2 satellites to be 0.99 ± 0.10 of the value predicted by general relativity. In April 2004, Gravity Probe B (Stanford relativity gyroscope experiment to measure the Lense-Thirring effect to 1%) was launched and has been accumulating science data for more than 170 days now. μSCOPE (MICROSCOPE: MICRO-Satellite à trainée Compensée pour l'Observation du Principle d'Équivalence) is on its way for a 2008 launch to test Galileo equivalence principle to 10-15. LISA Pathfinder (SMART2), the technological demonstrator for the LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) mission is well on its way for a 2009 launch. STEP (Satellite Test of Equivalence Principle), and ASTROD (Astrodynamical Space Test of Relativity using Optical Devices) are in good planning stage. Various astrophysical tests and cosmological tests of relativistic gravity will reach precision and ultra-precision stages. Clock tests and atomic interferometry tests of relativistic gravity will reach an ever-increasing precision. These will give revived interest and development both in experimental and theoretical aspects of gravity, and may lead to answers to some profound questions of gravity and the cosmos.

Quantum light in coupled interferometers for quantum gravity tests.

PubMed

Ruo Berchera, I; Degiovanni, I P; Olivares, S; Genovese, M

2013-05-24

In recent years quantum correlations have received a lot of attention as a key ingredient in advanced quantum metrology protocols. In this Letter we show that they provide even larger advantages when considering multiple-interferometer setups. In particular, we demonstrate that the use of quantum correlated light beams in coupled interferometers leads to substantial advantages with respect to classical light, up to a noise-free scenario for the ideal lossless case. On the one hand, our results prompt the possibility of testing quantum gravity in experimental configurations affordable in current quantum optics laboratories and strongly improve the precision in "larger size experiments" such as the Fermilab holometer; on the other hand, they pave the way for future applications to high precision measurements and quantum metrology.

Lunar Prospector Orbit Determination Uncertainties Using the High Resolution Lunar Gravity Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carranza, Eric; Konopliv, Alex; Ryne, Mark

1999-01-01

The Lunar Prospector (LP) mission began on January 6, 1998, when the LP spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The objectives of the mission were to determine whether water ice exists at the lunar poles, generate a global compositional map of the lunar surface, detect lunar outgassing, and improve knowledge of the lunar magnetic and gravity fields. Orbit determination of LP performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is conducted as part of the principal science investigation of the lunar gravity field. This paper will describe the JPL effort in support of the LP Gravity Investigation. This support includes high precision orbit determination, gravity model validation, and data editing. A description of the mission and its trajectory will be provided first, followed by a discussion of the orbit determination estimation procedure and models. Accuracies will be examined in terms of orbit-to-orbit solution differences, as a function of oblateness model truncation, and inclination in the plane-of-sky. Long term predictions for several gravity fields will be compared to the reconstructed orbits to demonstrate the accuracy of the orbit determination and oblateness fields developed by the Principal Gravity Investigator.

Specific Yields Estimated from Gravity Change during Pumping Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, K. H.; Hwang, C.; Chang, L. C.

2017-12-01

Specific yield (Sy) is the most important parameter to describe available groundwater capacity in an unconfined aquifer. When estimating Sy by a field pumping test, aquifer heterogeneity and well performers will cause a large uncertainty. In this study, we use a gravity-based method to estimate Sy. At the time of pumping test, amounts of mass (groundwater) are forced to be taken out. If drawdown corn is big and close enough to high precision gravimeter, the gravity change can be detected. The gravity-based method use gravity observations that are independent from traditional flow computation. Only the drawdown corn should be modeled with observed head and hydrogeology data. The gravity method can be used in most groundwater field tests, such as locally pumping/injection tests initiated by active man-made or annual variations due to natural sources. We apply our gravity method at few sites in Taiwan situated over different unconfined aquifer. Here pumping tests for Sy determinations were also carried out. We will discuss why the gravity method produces different results from traditional pumping test, field designs and limitations of the gravity method.

Mapping the gravity field in coastal areas: feasibility and interest of a new airborne planar gradiometer concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Douch, Karim; Panet, Isabelle; Foulon, Bernard; Christophe, Bruno; Pajot-Métivier, Gwendoline; Diament, Michel

2014-05-01

Satellite missions such as CHAMP, GRACE and GOCE have led to an unprecedented improvement of global gravity field models during the past decade. However, for many applications these global models are not sufficiently accurate when dealing with wavelengths shorter than 100 km. This is all the more true in areas where gravity data are scarce and uneven as for instance in the poorly covered land-sea transition area. We suggest here, in line with spatial gravity gradiometry, airborne gravity gradiometry as a convenient way to amplify the sensitivity to short wavelengths and to cover homogeneously coastal region. Moreover, the directionality of the gravity gradients gives new information on the geometry of the gravity field and therefore of the causative bodies. In this respect, we analyze here the performances of a new airborne electrostatic acceleration gradiometer, GREMLIT, which permits along with ancillary measurements to determine the horizontal gradients of the horizontal components of the gravitational field in the instrumental frame. GREMLIT is composed of a compact assembly of 4 planar electrostatic accelerometers inheriting from technologies developed by ONERA for spatial accelerometers. After an overview of the functionals of the gravity field that are of interest for coastal oceanography, passive navigation and hydrocarbon exploration, we present the corresponding required precision and resolution. Then, we investigate the influence of the different parameters of the survey, such as altitude or cross-track distance, on the resolution and precision of the final measurements. To do so, we design numerical simulations of airborne survey performed with GREMLIT and compute the total error budget on the gravity gradients. Based on this error analysis, we infer by a method of error propagation the uncertainty on the different functionals of the gravity potential used for each application. This finally enables us to conclude on the requirements for a high resolution mapping of the gravity field in coastal areas.

Techniques for increasing the efficiency of Earth gravity calculations for precision orbit determination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, R. L.; Lyubomirsky, A. S.

1981-01-01

Two techniques were analyzed. The first is a representation using Chebyshev expansions in three-dimensional cells. The second technique employs a temporary file for storing the components of the nonspherical gravity force. Computer storage requirements and relative CPU time requirements are presented. The Chebyshev gravity representation can provide a significant reduction in CPU time in precision orbit calculations, but at the cost of a large amount of direct-access storage space, which is required for a global model.

Terrestrial Gravity Fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harms, Jan

2015-12-01

Different forms of fluctuations of the terrestrial gravity field are observed by gravity experiments. For example, atmospheric pressure fluctuations generate a gravity-noise foreground in measurements with super-conducting gravimeters. Gravity changes caused by high-magnitude earthquakes have been detected with the satellite gravity experiment GRACE, and we expect high-frequency terrestrial gravity fluctuations produced by ambient seismic fields to limit the sensitivity of ground-based gravitational-wave (GW) detectors. Accordingly, terrestrial gravity fluctuations are considered noise and signal depending on the experiment. Here, we will focus on ground-based gravimetry. This field is rapidly progressing through the development of GW detectors. The technology is pushed to its current limits in the advanced generation of the LIGO and Virgo detectors, targeting gravity strain sensitivities better than 10-23 Hz-1/2 above a few tens of a Hz. Alternative designs for GW detectors evolving from traditional gravity gradiometers such as torsion bars, atom interferometers, and superconducting gradiometers are currently being developed to extend the detection band to frequencies below 1 Hz. The goal of this article is to provide the analytical framework to describe terrestrial gravity perturbations in these experiments. Models of terrestrial gravity perturbations related to seismic fields, atmospheric disturbances, and vibrating, rotating or moving objects, are derived and analyzed. The models are then used to evaluate passive and active gravity noise mitigation strategies in GW detectors, or alternatively, to describe their potential use in geophysics. The article reviews the current state of the field, and also presents new analyses especially with respect to the impact of seismic scattering on gravity perturbations, active gravity noise cancellation, and time-domain models of gravity perturbations from atmospheric and seismic point sources. Our understanding of terrestrial gravity fluctuations will have great impact on the future development of GW detectors and high-precision gravimetry in general, and many open questions need to be answered still as emphasized in this article.

Terrestrial Gravity Fluctuations.

PubMed

Harms, Jan

2015-01-01

Different forms of fluctuations of the terrestrial gravity field are observed by gravity experiments. For example, atmospheric pressure fluctuations generate a gravity-noise foreground in measurements with super-conducting gravimeters. Gravity changes caused by high-magnitude earthquakes have been detected with the satellite gravity experiment GRACE, and we expect high-frequency terrestrial gravity fluctuations produced by ambient seismic fields to limit the sensitivity of ground-based gravitational-wave (GW) detectors. Accordingly, terrestrial gravity fluctuations are considered noise and signal depending on the experiment. Here, we will focus on ground-based gravimetry. This field is rapidly progressing through the development of GW detectors. The technology is pushed to its current limits in the advanced generation of the LIGO and Virgo detectors, targeting gravity strain sensitivities better than 10 -23 Hz -1/2 above a few tens of a Hz. Alternative designs for GW detectors evolving from traditional gravity gradiometers such as torsion bars, atom interferometers, and superconducting gradiometers are currently being developed to extend the detection band to frequencies below 1 Hz. The goal of this article is to provide the analytical framework to describe terrestrial gravity perturbations in these experiments. Models of terrestrial gravity perturbations related to seismic fields, atmospheric disturbances, and vibrating, rotating or moving objects, are derived and analyzed. The models are then used to evaluate passive and active gravity noise mitigation strategies in GW detectors, or alternatively, to describe their potential use in geophysics. The article reviews the current state of the field, and also presents new analyses especially with respect to the impact of seismic scattering on gravity perturbations, active gravity noise cancellation, and time-domain models of gravity perturbations from atmospheric and seismic point sources. Our understanding of terrestrial gravity fluctuations will have great impact on the future development of GW detectors and high-precision gravimetry in general, and many open questions need to be answered still as emphasized in this article.

Effect of Numerical Error on Gravity Field Estimation for GRACE and Future Gravity Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCullough, Christopher; Bettadpur, Srinivas

2015-04-01

In recent decades, gravity field determination from low Earth orbiting satellites, such as the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), has become increasingly more effective due to the incorporation of high accuracy measurement devices. Since instrumentation quality will only increase in the near future and the gravity field determination process is computationally and numerically intensive, numerical error from the use of double precision arithmetic will eventually become a prominent error source. While using double-extended or quadruple precision arithmetic will reduce these errors, the numerical limitations of current orbit determination algorithms and processes must be accurately identified and quantified in order to adequately inform the science data processing techniques of future gravity missions. The most obvious numerical limitation in the orbit determination process is evident in the comparison of measured observables with computed values, derived from mathematical models relating the satellites' numerically integrated state to the observable. Significant error in the computed trajectory will corrupt this comparison and induce error in the least squares solution of the gravitational field. In addition, errors in the numerically computed trajectory propagate into the evaluation of the mathematical measurement model's partial derivatives. These errors amalgamate in turn with numerical error from the computation of the state transition matrix, computed using the variational equations of motion, in the least squares mapping matrix. Finally, the solution of the linearized least squares system, computed using a QR factorization, is also susceptible to numerical error. Certain interesting combinations of each of these numerical errors are examined in the framework of GRACE gravity field determination to analyze and quantify their effects on gravity field recovery.

AN ADJOINT-BASED METHOD FOR THE INVERSION OF THE JUNO AND CASSINI GRAVITY MEASUREMENTS INTO WIND FIELDS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Galanti, Eli; Kaspi, Yohai, E-mail: eli.galanti@weizmann.ac.il

2016-04-01

During 2016–17, the Juno and Cassini spacecraft will both perform close eccentric orbits of Jupiter and Saturn, respectively, obtaining high-precision gravity measurements for these planets. These data will be used to estimate the depth of the observed surface flows on these planets. All models to date, relating the winds to the gravity field, have been in the forward direction, thus only allowing the calculation of the gravity field from given wind models. However, there is a need to do the inverse problem since the new observations will be of the gravity field. Here, an inverse dynamical model is developed tomore » relate the expected measurable gravity field, to perturbations of the density and wind fields, and therefore to the observed cloud-level winds. In order to invert the gravity field into the 3D circulation, an adjoint model is constructed for the dynamical model, thus allowing backward integration. This tool is used for the examination of various scenarios, simulating cases in which the depth of the wind depends on latitude. We show that it is possible to use the gravity measurements to derive the depth of the winds, both on Jupiter and Saturn, also taking into account measurement errors. Calculating the solution uncertainties, we show that the wind depth can be determined more precisely in the low-to-mid-latitudes. In addition, the gravitational moments are found to be particularly sensitive to flows at the equatorial intermediate depths. Therefore, we expect that if deep winds exist on these planets they will have a measurable signature by Juno and Cassini.« less

A SEA FLOOR GRAVITY SURVEY OF THE SLEIPNER FIELD TO MONITOR CO2 MIGATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mark Zumberge

2003-06-13

At the Sleipner gas field, excess CO{sub 2} is sequestered and injected underground into a porous saline aquifer 1000 m below the seafloor. A high precision micro-gravity survey was carried out on the seafloor to monitor the injected CO{sub 2}. A repeatability of 5 {micro}Gal in the station averages was observed. This is considerably better than pre-survey expectations. These data will serve as the baseline for time-lapse gravity monitoring of the Sleipner CO{sub 2} injection site. Simple modeling of the first year data give inconclusive results, thus a more detailed approach is needed. Work towards this is underway.

Precise positioning with sparse radio tracking: How LRO-LOLA and GRAIL enable future lunar exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazarico, E.; Goossens, S. J.; Barker, M. K.; Neumann, G. A.; Zuber, M. T.; Smith, D. E.

2017-12-01

Two recent NASA missions to the Moon, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL), have obtained highly accurate information about the lunar shape and gravity field. These global geodetic datasets resolve long-standing issues with mission planning; the tidal lock of the Moon long prevented collection of accurate gravity measurements over the farside, and deteriorated precise positioning of topographic data. We describe key datasets and results from the LRO and GRAIL mission that are directly relevant to future lunar missions. SmallSat and CubeSat missions especially would benefit from these recent improvements, as they are typically more resource-constrained. Even with limited radio tracking data, accurate knowledge of topography and gravity enables precise orbit determination (OD) (e.g., limiting the scope of geolocation and co-registration tasks) and long-term predictions of altitude (e.g., dramatically reducing uncertainties in impact time). With one S-band tracking pass per day, LRO OD now routinely achieves total position knowledge better than 10 meters and radial position knowledge around 0.5 meter. Other tracking data, such as Laser Ranging from Earth-based SLR stations, can further support OD. We also show how altimetry can be used to substantially improve orbit reconstruction with the accurate topographic maps now available from Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) data. We present new results with SELENE extended mission and LRO orbits processed with direct altimetry measurements. With even a simple laser altimeter onboard, high-quality OD can be achieved for future missions because of the datasets acquired by LRO and GRAIL, without the need for regular radio contact. Onboard processing of altimetric ranges would bring high-quality real-time position knowledge to support autonomous operation. We also describe why optical ranging transponders are ideal payloads for future lunar missions, as they can address both communication and navigation needs with little resources.

The prospects of pulsar timing with new-generation radio telescopes and the Square Kilometre Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stappers, B. W.; Keane, E. F.; Kramer, M.; Possenti, A.; Stairs, I. H.

2018-05-01

Pulsars are highly magnetized and rapidly rotating neutron stars. As they spin, the lighthouse-like beam of radio emission from their magnetic poles sweeps across the Earth with a regularity approaching that of the most precise clocks known. This precision combined with the extreme environments in which they are found, often in compact orbits with other neutron stars and white dwarfs, makes them excellent tools for studying gravity. Present and near-future pulsar surveys, especially those using the new generation of telescopes, will find more extreme binary systems and pulsars that are more precise `clocks'. These telescopes will also greatly improve the precision to which we can measure the arrival times of the pulses. The Square Kilometre Array will revolutionize pulsar searches and timing precision. The increased number of sources will reveal rare sources, including possibly a pulsar-black hole binary, which can provide the most stringent tests of strong-field gravity. The improved timing precision will reveal new phenomena and also allow us to make a detection of gravitational waves in the nanohertz frequency regime. It is here where we expect to see the signature of the binary black holes that are formed as galaxies merge throughout cosmological history. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue `The promises of gravitational-wave astronomy'.

Gravity increase before the 2015 Mw 7.8 Nepal earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shi; Liu, Mian; Xing, Lelin; Xu, Weimin; Wang, Wuxing; Zhu, Yiqing; Li, Hui

2016-01-01

The 25 April 2015 Nepal earthquake (Mw 7.8) ruptured a segment of the Himalayan front fault zone. Four absolute gravimetric stations in southern Tibet, surveyed from 2010/2011 to 2013 and corrected for secular variations, recorded up to 22.40 ± 1.11 μGal/yr of gravity increase during this period. The gravity increase is distinct from the long-wavelength secular trends of gravity decrease over the Tibetan Plateau and may be related to interseismic mass change around the locked plate interface under the Himalayan-Tibetan Plateau. We modeled the source region as a disk of 580 km in diameter, which is consistent with the notion that much of the southern Tibetan crust is involved in storing strain energy that drives the Himalayan earthquakes. If validated in other regions, high-precision ground measurements of absolute gravity may provide a useful method for monitoring mass changes in the source regions of potential large earthquakes.

The beam combiners of Gravity VLTI instrument: concept, development, and performance in laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jocou, L.; Perraut, K.; Moulin, T.; Magnard, Y.; Labeye, P.; Lapras, V.; Nolot, A.; Perrin, G.; Eisenhauer, F.; Holmes, C.; Amorim, A.; Brandner, W.; Straubmeier, C.

2014-07-01

Gravity is one of the second-generation instruments of the Very Large Telescope Interferometer that operates in the near infrared range and that is designed for precision narrow-angle astrometry and interferometric imaging. With its infrared wavefront sensors, pupil stabilization, fringe tracker, and metrology, the instrument is tailored to provide a high sensitivity, imaging with 4-millisecond resolution, and astrometry with a 10μarcsec precision. It will probe physics close to the event horizon of the Galactic Centre black hole, and allow to study mass accretion and jets in young stellar objects and active galactic nuclei, planet formation in circumstellar discs, or detect and measure the masses of black holes in massive star clusters throughout the Milky Way. As the instrument required an outstanding level of precision and stability, integrated optics has been chosen to collect and combine the four VLTI beams in the K band. A dedicated integrated optics chip glued to a fiber array has been developed. Technology breakthroughs have been mandatory to fulfill all the specifications. This paper is focused on the interferometric beam combination system of Gravity. Once the combiner concept described, the paper details the developments that have been led, the integration and the performance of the assemblies.

Goce and Its Role in Combined Global High Resolution Gravity Field Determination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fecher, T.; Pail, R.; Gruber, T.

2013-12-01

Combined high-resolution gravity field models serve as a mandatory basis to describe static and dynamic processes in system Earth. Ocean dynamics can be modeled referring to a high-accurate geoid as reference surface, solid earth processes are initiated by the gravity field. Also geodetic disciplines such as height system determination depend on high-precise gravity field information. To fulfill the various requirements concerning resolution and accuracy, any kind of gravity field information, that means satellite as well as terrestrial and altimetric gravity field observations have to be included in one combination process. A key role is here reserved for GOCE observations, which contribute with its optimal signal content in the long to medium wavelength part and enable a more accurate gravity field determination than ever before especially in areas, where no high-accurate terrestrial gravity field observations are available, such as South America, Asia or Africa. For our contribution we prepare a combined high-resolution gravity field model up to d/o 720 based on full normal equation including recent GOCE, GRACE and terrestrial / altimetric data. For all data sets, normal equations are set up separately, relative weighted to each other in the combination step and solved. This procedure is computationally challenging and can only be performed using super computers. We put special emphasis on the combination process, for which we modified especially our procedure to include GOCE data optimally in the combination. Furthermore we modified our terrestrial/altimetric data sets, what should result in an improved outcome. With our model, in which we included the newest GOCE TIM4 gradiometry results, we can show how GOCE contributes to a combined gravity field solution especially in areas of poor terrestrial data coverage. The model is validated by independent GPS leveling data in selected regions as well as computation of the mean dynamic topography over the oceans. Further, we analyze the statistical error estimates derived from full covariance propagation and compare them with the absolute validation with independent data sets.

High-resolution gravity field modeling using GRAIL mission data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemoine, F. G.; Goossens, S. J.; Sabaka, T. J.; Nicholas, J. B.; Mazarico, E.; Rowlands, D. D.; Neumann, G. A.; Loomis, B.; Chinn, D. S.; Smith, D. E.; Zuber, M. T.

2015-12-01

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft were designed to map the structure of the Moon through high-precision global gravity mapping. The mission consisted of two spacecraft with Ka-band inter-satellite tracking complemented by tracking from Earth. The mission had two phases: a primary mapping mission from March 1 until May 29, 2012 at an average altitude of 50 km, and an extended mission from August 30 until December 14, 2012, with an average altitude of 23 km before November 18, and 20 and 11 km after. High-resolution gravity field models using both these data sets have been estimated, with the current resolution being degree and order 1080 in spherical harmonics. Here, we focus on aspects of the analysis of the GRAIL data: we investigate eclipse modeling, the influence of empirical accelerations on the results, and we discuss the inversion of large-scale systems. In addition to global models we also estimated local gravity adjustments in areas of particular interest such as Mare Orientale, the south pole area, and the farside. We investigate the use of Ka-band Range Rate (KBRR) data versus numerical derivatives of KBRR data, and show that the latter have the capability to locally improve correlations with topography.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kalaydzhyan, Tigran

Within the general theory of relativity, the curvature of spacetime is related to the energy and momentum of the present matter and radiation. One of the more specific predictions of general relativity is the deflection of light and particle trajectories in the gravitational field of massive objects. Bending angles for electromagnetic waves and light in particular were measured with a high precision. However, the effect of gravity on relativistic massive particles was never studied experimentally. Here we propose and analyze experiments devoted to that purpose. We demonstrate a high sensitivity of the laser Compton scattering at high energy accelerators tomore » the effects of gravity. The main observable – maximal energy of the scattered photons – would experience a significant shift in the ambient gravitational field even for otherwise negligible violation of the equivalence principle. In conclusion, we confirm predictions of general relativity for ultrarelativistic electrons of energy of tens of GeV at a current level of resolution and expect our work to be a starting point of further high-precision studies on current and future accelerators, such as PETRA, European XFEL and ILC.« less

Testing general relativity on accelerators

DOE PAGES

Kalaydzhyan, Tigran

2015-09-07

Within the general theory of relativity, the curvature of spacetime is related to the energy and momentum of the present matter and radiation. One of the more specific predictions of general relativity is the deflection of light and particle trajectories in the gravitational field of massive objects. Bending angles for electromagnetic waves and light in particular were measured with a high precision. However, the effect of gravity on relativistic massive particles was never studied experimentally. Here we propose and analyze experiments devoted to that purpose. We demonstrate a high sensitivity of the laser Compton scattering at high energy accelerators tomore » the effects of gravity. The main observable – maximal energy of the scattered photons – would experience a significant shift in the ambient gravitational field even for otherwise negligible violation of the equivalence principle. In conclusion, we confirm predictions of general relativity for ultrarelativistic electrons of energy of tens of GeV at a current level of resolution and expect our work to be a starting point of further high-precision studies on current and future accelerators, such as PETRA, European XFEL and ILC.« less

Global height datum unification: a new approach in gravity potential space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardalan, A. A.; Safari, A.

2005-12-01

The problem of “global height datum unification” is solved in the gravity potential space based on: (1) high-resolution local gravity field modeling, (2) geocentric coordinates of the reference benchmark, and (3) a known value of the geoid’s potential. The high-resolution local gravity field model is derived based on a solution of the fixed-free two-boundary-value problem of the Earth’s gravity field using (a) potential difference values (from precise leveling), (b) modulus of the gravity vector (from gravimetry), (c) astronomical longitude and latitude (from geodetic astronomy and/or combination of (GNSS) Global Navigation Satellite System observations with total station measurements), (d) and satellite altimetry. Knowing the height of the reference benchmark in the national height system and its geocentric GNSS coordinates, and using the derived high-resolution local gravity field model, the gravity potential value of the zero point of the height system is computed. The difference between the derived gravity potential value of the zero point of the height system and the geoid’s potential value is computed. This potential difference gives the offset of the zero point of the height system from geoid in the “potential space”, which is transferred into “geometry space” using the transformation formula derived in this paper. The method was applied to the computation of the offset of the zero point of the Iranian height datum from the geoid’s potential value W 0=62636855.8 m2/s2. According to the geometry space computations, the height datum of Iran is 0.09 m below the geoid.

Superconducting gravity gradiometer for sensitive gravity measurements. I. Theory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chan, H.A.; Paik, H.J.

1987-06-15

Because of the equivalence principle, a global measurement is necessary to distinguish gravity from acceleration of the reference frame. A gravity gradiometer is therefore an essential instrument needed for precision tests of gravity laws and for applications in gravity survey and inertial navigation. Superconductivity and SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) technology can be used to obtain a gravity gradiometer with very high sensitivity and stability. A superconducting gravity gradiometer has been developed for a null test of the gravitational inverse-square law and space-borne geodesy. Here we present a complete theoretical model of this instrument. Starting from dynamical equations for themore » device, we derive transfer functions, a common mode rejection characteristic, and an error model of the superconducting instrument. Since a gradiometer must detect a very weak differential gravity signal in the midst of large platform accelerations and other environmental disturbances, the scale factor and common mode rejection stability of the instrument are extremely important in addition to its immunity to temperature and electromagnetic fluctuations. We show how flux quantization, the Meissner effect, and properties of liquid helium can be utilized to meet these challenges.« less

High Performance Clocks and Gravity Field Determination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, J.; Dirkx, D.; Kopeikin, S. M.; Lion, G.; Panet, I.; Petit, G.; Visser, P. N. A. M.

2018-02-01

Time measured by an ideal clock crucially depends on the gravitational potential and velocity of the clock according to general relativity. Technological advances in manufacturing high-precision atomic clocks have rapidly improved their accuracy and stability over the last decade that approached the level of 10^{-18}. This notable achievement along with the direct sensitivity of clocks to the strength of the gravitational field make them practically important for various geodetic applications that are addressed in the present paper. Based on a fully relativistic description of the background gravitational physics, we discuss the impact of those highly-precise clocks on the realization of reference frames and time scales used in geodesy. We discuss the current definitions of basic geodetic concepts and come to the conclusion that the advances in clocks and other metrological technologies will soon require the re-definition of time scales or, at least, clarification to ensure their continuity and consistent use in practice. The relative frequency shift between two clocks is directly related to the difference in the values of the gravity potential at the points of clock's localization. According to general relativity the relative accuracy of clocks in 10^{-18} is equivalent to measuring the gravitational red shift effect between two clocks with the height difference amounting to 1 cm. This makes the clocks an indispensable tool in high-precision geodesy in addition to laser ranging and space geodetic techniques. We show how clock measurements can provide geopotential numbers for the realization of gravity-field-related height systems and can resolve discrepancies in classically-determined height systems as well as between national height systems. Another application of clocks is the direct use of observed potential differences for the improved recovery of regional gravity field solutions. Finally, clock measurements for space-borne gravimetry are analyzed along with closely-related deficiencies of this method like an extra-ordinary knowledge of the spacecraft velocity, etc. For all these applications besides the near-future prospects, we also discuss the challenges that are related to using those novel clock data in geodesy.

Initial conditions for cosmological N-body simulations of the scalar sector of theories of Newtonian, Relativistic and Modified Gravity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Valkenburg, Wessel; Hu, Bin, E-mail: valkenburg@lorentz.leidenuniv.nl, E-mail: hu@lorentz.leidenuniv.nl

2015-09-01

We present a description for setting initial particle displacements and field values for simulations of arbitrary metric theories of gravity, for perfect and imperfect fluids with arbitrary characteristics. We extend the Zel'dovich Approximation to nontrivial theories of gravity, and show how scale dependence implies curved particle paths, even in the entirely linear regime of perturbations. For a viable choice of Effective Field Theory of Modified Gravity, initial conditions set at high redshifts are affected at the level of up to 5% at Mpc scales, which exemplifies the importance of going beyond Λ-Cold Dark Matter initial conditions for modifications of gravitymore » outside of the quasi-static approximation. In addition, we show initial conditions for a simulation where a scalar modification of gravity is modelled in a Lagrangian particle-like description. Our description paves the way for simulations and mock galaxy catalogs under theories of gravity beyond the standard model, crucial for progress towards precision tests of gravity and cosmology.« less

Temperature, gravity, and bolometric correction scales for non-supergiant OB stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nieva, M.-F.

2013-02-01

Context. Precise and accurate determinations of the atmospheric parameters effective temperature and surface gravity are mandatory to derive reliable chemical abundances in OB stars. Furthermore, fundamental parameters like distances, masses, radii, luminosities can also be derived from the temperature and gravity of the stars. Aims: Atmospheric parameters recently determined at high precision with several independent spectroscopic indicators in non-local thermodynamic equilibrium, with typical uncertainties of ~300 K for temperature and of ~0.05 dex for gravity, are employed to calibrate photometric relationships. This is in order to investigate whether a faster tool to estimate atmospheric parameters can be provided. Methods: Temperatures and gravities of 30 calibrators, i.e. well-studied OB main sequence to giant stars in the solar neighbourhood, are compared to reddening-independent quantities of the Johnson and Strömgren photometric systems, assuming normal reddening. In addition, we examine the spectral and luminosity classification of the star sample and compute bolometric corrections. Results: Calibrations of temperatures and gravities are proposed for various photometric indices and spectral types. Once the luminosity of the stars is well known, effective temperatures can be determined at a precision of ~400 K for luminosity classes III/IV and ~800 K for luminosity class V. Furthermore, surface gravities can reach internal uncertainties as low as ~0.08 dex when using our calibration to the Johnson Q-parameter. Similar precision is achieved for gravities derived from the β-index and the precision is lower for both atmospheric parameters when using the Strömgren indices [c1] and [u - b] . In contrast, external uncertainties are larger for the Johnson than for the Strömgren calibrations. Our uncertainties are smaller than typical differences among other methods in the literature, reaching values up to ± 2000 K for temperature and ± 0.25 dex for gravity, and in extreme cases, + 6000 K and ± 0.4 dex, respectively. A parameter calibration for sub-spectral types is also proposed. Moreover, we present a new bolometric correction relation to temperature based on our empirical data, rather than on synthetic grids. Conclusions: The photometric calibrations presented here are useful tools to estimate effective temperatures and surface gravities of non-supergiant OB stars in a fast manner. This is also applicable to some single-line spectroscopic binaries, but caution has to be taken for undetected double-lined spectroscopic binaries and single objects with anomalous reddening-law, dubious photometric quantities and/or luminosity classes, for which the systematic uncertainties may increase significantly. We recommend to use these calibrations only as a first step of the parameter estimation, with subsequent refinements based on spectroscopy. A larger sample covering more uniformly the parameter space under consideration will allow refinements to the present calibrations. Based on observations collected at the Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán (CAHA) at Calar Alto, operated jointly by the Max- Planck Institut für Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC), proposals H2001-2.2-011 and H2005-2.2-016.Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, Chile, ESO 074.B-0455(A) and from the ESO Archive.Based on spectral data retrieved from the ELODIE archive at Observatoire de Haute-Provence (OHP).Appendices A and B are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

GRACE gravity field recovery using refined acceleration approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhao; van Dam, Tonie; Weigelt, Matthias

2017-04-01

Since 2002, the GRACE mission has yielded monthly gravity field solutions with such a high level of quality that we have been able to observe so many changes to the Earth mass system. Based on GRACE L1B observations, a number of official monthly gravity field models have been developed and published using different methods, e.g. the CSR RL05, JPL RL05, and GFZ RL05 are being computed by a dynamic approach, the ITSG and Tongji GRACE are generated using what is known as the short-arc approach, the AIUB models are computed using celestial mechanics approach, and the DMT-1 model is calculated by means of an acceleration approach. Different from the DMT-1 model, which links the gravity field parameters directly to the bias-corrected range measurements at three adjacent epochs, in this work we present an alternative acceleration approach which connects range accelerations and velocity differences to the gradient of the gravitational potential. Due to the fact that GPS derived velocity difference is provided at a lower precision, we must reduce this approach to residual quantities using an a priori gravity field which allows us to subsequently neglect the residual velocity difference term. We find that this assumption would cause a problem in the low-degree gravity field coefficient, particularly for degree 2 and also from degree 16 to 26. To solve this problem, we present a new way of handling the residual velocity difference term, that is to treat this residual velocity difference term as unknown but estimable quantity, as it depends on the unknown residual gravity field parameters and initial conditions. In other word, we regard the kinematic orbit position vectors as pseudo observations, and the corrections of orbits are estimated together with both the geopotential coefficients and the accelerometer scale/bias by using a weighted least square adjustment. The new approach is therefore a refinement of the existing approach but offers a better approximation to reality. This result is especially important in view of the upcoming GRACE Follow-On mission, which will be equipped with a laser ranging instrument offering a higher precision. Our validation results show that this refined acceleration approach could produce monthly GRACE gravity solutions at the same level of precision as the other approaches.

The prospects of pulsar timing with new-generation radio telescopes and the Square Kilometre Array.

PubMed

Stappers, B W; Keane, E F; Kramer, M; Possenti, A; Stairs, I H

2018-05-28

Pulsars are highly magnetized and rapidly rotating neutron stars. As they spin, the lighthouse-like beam of radio emission from their magnetic poles sweeps across the Earth with a regularity approaching that of the most precise clocks known. This precision combined with the extreme environments in which they are found, often in compact orbits with other neutron stars and white dwarfs, makes them excellent tools for studying gravity. Present and near-future pulsar surveys, especially those using the new generation of telescopes, will find more extreme binary systems and pulsars that are more precise 'clocks'. These telescopes will also greatly improve the precision to which we can measure the arrival times of the pulses. The Square Kilometre Array will revolutionize pulsar searches and timing precision. The increased number of sources will reveal rare sources, including possibly a pulsar-black hole binary, which can provide the most stringent tests of strong-field gravity. The improved timing precision will reveal new phenomena and also allow us to make a detection of gravitational waves in the nanohertz frequency regime. It is here where we expect to see the signature of the binary black holes that are formed as galaxies merge throughout cosmological history.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The promises of gravitational-wave astronomy'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Precision gravity studies at Cerro Prieto: a progress report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grannell, R.B.; Kroll, R.C.; Wyman, R.M.

A third and fourth year of precision gravity data collection and reduction have now been completed at the Cerro Prieto geothermal field. In summary, 66 permanently monumented stations were occupied between December and April of 1979 to 1980 and 1980 to 1981 by a LaCoste and Romberg gravity meter (G300) at least twice, with a minimum of four replicate values obtained each time. Station 20 alternate, a stable base located on Cerro Prieto volcano, was used as the reference base for the third year and all the stations were tied to this base, using four to five hour loops. Themore » field data were reduced to observed gravity values by (1) multiplication with the appropriate calibration factor; (2) removal of calculated tidal effects; (3) calculation of average values at each station, and (4) linear removal of accumulated instrumental drift which remained after carrying out the first three reductions. Following the reduction of values and calculation of gravity differences between individual stations and the base stations, standard deviations were calculated for the averaged occupation values (two to three per station). In addition, pooled variance calculations were carried out to estimate precision for the surveys as a whole.« less

Atom Interferometry with Ultracold Quantum Gases in a Microgravity Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Jason; D'Incao, Jose; Chiow, Sheng-Wey; Yu, Nan

2015-05-01

Precision atom interferometers (AI) in space promise exciting technical capabilities for fundamental physics research, with proposals including unprecedented tests of the weak equivalence principle, precision measurements of the fine structure and gravitational constants, and detection of gravity waves and dark energy. Consequently, multiple AI-based missions have been proposed to NASA, including a dual-atomic-species interferometer that is to be integrated into the Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL) onboard the International Space Station. In this talk, I will discuss our plans and preparation at JPL for the proposed flight experiments to use the CAL facility to study the leading-order systematics expected to corrupt future high-precision measurements of fundamental physics with AIs in microgravity. The project centers on the physics of pairwise interactions and molecular dynamics in these quantum systems as a means to overcome uncontrolled shifts associated with the gravity gradient and few-particle collisions. We will further utilize the CAL AI for proof-of-principle tests of systematic mitigation and phase-readout techniques for use in the next-generation of precision metrology experiments based on AIs in microgravity. This research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

27 CFR 30.24 - Specific gravity hydrometers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... hydrometers. 30.24 Section 30.24 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE... hydrometers. (a) The specific gravity hydrometers furnished by proprietors to appropriate TTB officers shall... instruments. Such specific gravity hydrometers shall be of a precision grade, standardization temperature 60...

27 CFR 30.21 - Requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... thermometers furnished by the Government. However, where this part requires the use of a specific gravity hydrometer, TTB officers shall use precision grade specific gravity hydrometers conforming to the provisions... determination of specific gravity and for gauging. From time to time appropriate TTB officers shall verify the...

27 CFR 30.21 - Requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... thermometers furnished by the Government. However, where this part requires the use of a specific gravity hydrometer, TTB officers shall use precision grade specific gravity hydrometers conforming to the provisions... determination of specific gravity and for gauging. From time to time appropriate TTB officers shall verify the...

27 CFR 30.21 - Requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... thermometers furnished by the Government. However, where this part requires the use of a specific gravity hydrometer, TTB officers shall use precision grade specific gravity hydrometers conforming to the provisions... determination of specific gravity and for gauging. From time to time appropriate TTB officers shall verify the...

27 CFR 30.21 - Requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... thermometers furnished by the Government. However, where this part requires the use of a specific gravity hydrometer, TTB officers shall use precision grade specific gravity hydrometers conforming to the provisions... determination of specific gravity and for gauging. From time to time appropriate TTB officers shall verify the...

Assessing performance of gravity models in the Arctic and the implications for polar oceanography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, S. F.; McAdoo, D. C.; Farrell, S. L.; Brozena, J. M.; Childers, V. A.; Ziebart, M. K.; Shepherd, A.

2014-12-01

The circulation of the Arctic Ocean is of great interest to both the oceanographic and cryospheric communities. Understanding both the steady state and variations of this circulation is essential to building our knowledge of Arctic climate. With the advent of high inclination altimeter missions such as CryoSat and ICESat, it is now feasible to produce Mean Dynamic Topography (MDT) products for the region, which allow a comprehensive investigation of geostrophic currents. However, the accuracy of these products is largely limited by our knowledge of the marine geoid in the Arctic. There are a number of publicly available gravity models commonly used to derive the geoid. These use different combinations of available data (satellite gravimetry, altimetry, laser ranging, and in-situ) and are calculated using different mathematical techniques. However, the effect of these differences on the real world performance of these models when used for oceanographic studies in the Arctic is not well known. Given the unique problems for gravimetry in the region (especially data gaps) and their potential impact on MDT products, it is especially important that the relative performance of these models be assessed We consider the needs of the "end user" satellite oceanographer in the Arctic with respect to gravimetry, and the relationship between the precision of gravity data and the accuracy of a final MDT/current velocity product. Using high-precision aerogravity data collected over 3 years of campaigns by NASA's Operation IceBridge we inter-compare 10 of the leading gravity models and assess their performance in the Arctic. We also use historical data from campaigns flown by the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to demonstrate the impact of gravity errors on MDT products. We describe how gravity models for the region might be improved in the future, in an effort to maximize the level at which Arctic currents may be resolved.

Measurement of Jupiter’s asymmetric gravity field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iess, L.; Folkner, W. M.; Durante, D.; Parisi, M.; Kaspi, Y.; Galanti, E.; Guillot, T.; Hubbard, W. B.; Stevenson, D. J.; Anderson, J. D.; Buccino, D. R.; Casajus, L. Gomez; Milani, A.; Park, R.; Racioppa, P.; Serra, D.; Tortora, P.; Zannoni, M.; Cao, H.; Helled, R.; Lunine, J. I.; Miguel, Y.; Militzer, B.; Wahl, S.; Connerney, J. E. P.; Levin, S. M.; Bolton, S. J.

2018-03-01

The gravity harmonics of a fluid, rotating planet can be decomposed into static components arising from solid-body rotation and dynamic components arising from flows. In the absence of internal dynamics, the gravity field is axially and hemispherically symmetric and is dominated by even zonal gravity harmonics J2n that are approximately proportional to qn, where q is the ratio between centrifugal acceleration and gravity at the planet’s equator. Any asymmetry in the gravity field is attributed to differential rotation and deep atmospheric flows. The odd harmonics, J3, J5, J7, J9 and higher, are a measure of the depth of the winds in the different zones of the atmosphere. Here we report measurements of Jupiter’s gravity harmonics (both even and odd) through precise Doppler tracking of the Juno spacecraft in its polar orbit around Jupiter. We find a north–south asymmetry, which is a signature of atmospheric and interior flows. Analysis of the harmonics, described in two accompanying papers, provides the vertical profile of the winds and precise constraints for the depth of Jupiter’s dynamical atmosphere.

New design and facilities for the International Database for Absolute Gravity Measurements (AGrav): A support for the Establishment of a new Global Absolute Gravity Reference System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wziontek, Hartmut; Falk, Reinhard; Bonvalot, Sylvain; Rülke, Axel

2017-04-01

After about 10 years of successful joint operation by BGI and BKG, the International Database for Absolute Gravity Measurements "AGrav" (see references hereafter) was under a major revision. The outdated web interface was replaced by a responsive, high level web application framework based on Python and built on top of Pyramid. Functionality was added, like interactive time series plots or a report generator and the interactive map-based station overview was updated completely, comprising now clustering and the classification of stations. Furthermore, the database backend was migrated to PostgreSQL for better support of the application framework and long-term availability. As comparisons of absolute gravimeters (AG) become essential to realize a precise and uniform gravity standard, the database was extended to document the results on international and regional level, including those performed at monitoring stations equipped with SGs. By this it will be possible to link different AGs and to trace their equivalence back to the key comparisons under the auspices of International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) as the best metrological realization of the absolute gravity standard. In this way the new AGrav database accommodates the demands of the new Global Absolute Gravity Reference System as recommended by the IAG Resolution No. 2 adopted in Prague 2015. The new database will be presented with focus on the new user interface and new functionality, calling all institutions involved in absolute gravimetry to participate and contribute with their information to built up a most complete picture of high precision absolute gravimetry and improve its visibility. A Digital Object Identifier (DOI) will be provided by BGI to contributors to give a better traceability and facilitate the referencing of their gravity surveys. Links and references: BGI mirror site : http://bgi.obs-mip.fr/data-products/Gravity-Databases/Absolute-Gravity-data/ BKG mirror site: http://agrav.bkg.bund.de/agrav-meta/ Wilmes, H., H. Wziontek, R. Falk, S. Bonvalot (2009). AGrav - the New Absolute Gravity Database and a Proposed Cooperation with the GGP Project. J. of Geodynamics, 48, pp. 305-309. doi:10.1016/j.jog.2009.09.035. Wziontek, H., H. Wilmes, S. Bonvalot (2011). AGrav: An international database for absolute gravity measurements. In Geodesy for Planet Earth (S. Kenyon at al. eds). IAG Symposia, 136, 1035-1040, Springer, Berlin. 2011. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-20338-1_130.

Advances and Best Practices in Airborne Gravimetry from the U.S. GRAV-D Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diehl, Theresa; Childers, Vicki; Preaux, Sandra; Holmes, Simon; Weil, Carly

2013-04-01

The Gravity for the Redefinition of the American Vertical Datum (GRAV-D) project, an official policy of the U.S. National Geodetic Survey as of 2007, is working to survey the entire U.S. and its holdings with high-altitude airborne gravimetry. The goal of the project is to provide a consistent, high-quality gravity dataset that will become the cornerstone of a new gravimetric geoid and national vertical datum in 2022. Over the last five years, the GRAV-D project has surveyed more than 25% of the country, accomplishing almost 500 flights on six different aircraft platforms and producing more than 3.7 Million square km of data thus far. This wealth of experience has led to advances in the collection, processing, and evaluation of high-altitude (20,000 - 35,000 ft) airborne gravity data. This presentation will highlight the most important practical and theoretical advances of the GRAV-D project, giving an introduction to each. Examples of innovation include: 1. Use of navigation grade inertial measurement unit data and precise lever arm measurements for positioning; 2. New quality control tests and software for near real-time analysis of data in the field; 3. Increased accuracy of gravity post-processing by reexamining assumptions and simplifications that were inconsistent with a goal of 1 mGal precision; and 4. Better final data evaluation through crossovers, additional statistics, and inclusion of airborne data into harmonic models that use EGM08 as a base model. The increases in data quality that resulted from implementation of the above advances (and others) will be shown with a case study of the GRAV-D 2008 southern Alaska survey near Anchorage, over Cook Inlet. The case study's statistics and comparisons to global models illustrate the impact that these advances have had on the final airborne gravity data quality. Finally, the presentation will summarize the best practices identified by the project from its last five years of experience.

On a more rigorous gravity field processing for future LL-SST type gravity satellite missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daras, I.; Pail, R.; Murböck, M.

2013-12-01

In order to meet the augmenting demands of the user community concerning accuracies of temporal gravity field models, future gravity missions of low-low satellite-to-satellite tracking (LL-SST) type are planned to carry more precise sensors than their precedents. A breakthrough is planned with the improved LL-SST measurement link, where the traditional K-band microwave instrument of 1μm accuracy will be complemented by an inter-satellite ranging instrument of several nm accuracy. This study focuses on investigations concerning the potential performance of the new sensors and their impact in gravity field solutions. The processing methods for gravity field recovery have to meet the new sensor standards and be able to take full advantage of the new accuracies that they provide. We use full-scale simulations in a realistic environment to investigate whether the standard processing techniques suffice to fully exploit the new sensors standards. We achieve that by performing full numerical closed-loop simulations based on the Integral Equation approach. In our simulation scheme, we simulate dynamic orbits in a conventional tracking analysis to compute pseudo inter-satellite ranges or range-rates that serve as observables. Each part of the processing is validated separately with special emphasis on numerical errors and their impact in gravity field solutions. We demonstrate that processing with standard precision may be a limiting factor for taking full advantage of new generation sensors that future satellite missions will carry. Therefore we have created versions of our simulator with enhanced processing precision with primarily aim to minimize round-off system errors. Results using the enhanced precision show a big reduction of system errors that were present at the standard precision processing even for the error-free scenario, and reveal the improvements the new sensors will bring into the gravity field solutions. As a next step, we analyze the contribution of individual error sources to the system's error budget. More specifically we analyze sensor noise from the laser interferometer and the accelerometers, errors in the kinematic orbits and the background fields as well as temporal and spatial aliasing errors. We give special care on the assessment of error sources with stochastic behavior, such as the laser interferometer and the accelerometers, and their consistent stochastic modeling in frame of the adjustment process.

A historical review of gravimetric observations in Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ragnvald Pettersen, Bjørn

2016-10-01

The first gravity determinations in Norway were made by Edward Sabine in 1823 with a pendulum instrument by Henry Kater. Seventy years later a Sterneck pendulum was acquired by the Norwegian Commission for the International Arc Measurements. It improved the precision and eventually reduced the bias of the absolute calibration from 85 to 15 mGal. The last pendulum observations in Norway were made in 1955 with an instrument from Cambridge University. At a precision of ±1 mGal, the purpose was to calibrate a section of the gravity line from Rome, Italy, to Hammerfest, Norway. Relative spring gravimeters were introduced in Norway in 1946 and were used to densify and expand the national gravity network. These data were used to produce regional geoids for Norway and adjacent ocean areas. Improved instrument precision allowed them to connect Norwegian and foreign fundamental stations as well. Extensive geophysical prospecting was made, as in other countries. The introduction of absolute gravimeters based on free-fall methods, especially after 2004, improved the calibration by 3 orders of magnitude and immediately revealed the secular changes of the gravity field in Norway. This was later confirmed by satellite gravimetry, which provides homogeneous data sets for global and regional gravity models. The first-ever determinations of gravity at sea were made by pendulum observations onboard the Norwegian polar vessel Fram during frozen-in conditions in the Arctic Ocean in 1893-1896. Simultaneously, an indirect method was developed at the University of Oslo for deducing gravity at sea with a hypsometer. The precision of both methods was greatly superseded by relative spring gravimeters 50 years later. They were employed extensively both at sea and on land. When GPS allowed precise positioning, relative gravimeters were mounted in airplanes to cover large areas of ocean faster than before. Gravimetry is currently being applied to study geodynamical phenomena relevant to climate change. The viscoelastic postglacial land uplift of Fennoscandia has been detected by terrestrial gravity time series as well as by satellite gravimetry. Corrections for local effects of snow load, hydrology, and ocean loading at coastal stations have been improved. The elastic adjustment of present-day melting of glaciers at Svalbard and in mainland Norway has been detected. Gravimetry is extensively employed at offshore oil facilities to monitor the subsidence of the ocean floor during oil and gas extraction.

Bathymetry of Patagonia glacier fjords and glacier ice thickness from high-resolution airborne gravity combined with other data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

An, L.; Rignot, E.; Rivera, A.; Bunetta, M.

2012-12-01

The North and South Patagonia Ice fields are the largest ice masses outside Antarctica in the Southern Hemisphere. During the period 1995-2000, these glaciers lost ice at a rate equivalent to a sea level rise of 0.105 ± 0.001 mm/yr. In more recent years, the glaciers have been thinning more quickly than can be explained by warmer air temperatures and decreased precipitation. A possible cause is an increase in flow speed due to enhanced ablation of the submerged glacier fronts. To understand the dynamics of these glaciers and how they change with time, it is critical to have a detailed view of their ice thickness, the depth of the glacier bed below sea or lake level, how far inland these glaciers remain below sea or lake level, and whether bumps or hollows in the bed may slow down or accelerate their retreat. A grid of free-air gravity data over the Patagonia Glaciers was collected in May 2012 and October 2012, funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF) to measure ice thickness and sea floor bathymetry. This survey combines the Sander Geophysics Limited (SGL) AIRGrav system, SGL laser altimetry and Chilean CECS/UCI ANDREA-2 radar. To obtain high-resolution and high-precision gravity data, the helicopter operates at 50 knots (25.7 m/s) with a grid spacing of 400m and collects gravity data at sub mGal level (1 Gal =1 Galileo = 1 cm/s2) near glacier fronts. We use data from the May 2012 survey to derive preliminarily high-resolution, high-precision thickness estimates and bathymetry maps of Jorge Montt Glacier and San Rafael Glacier. Boat bathymetry data is used to optimize the inversion of gravity over water and radar-derived thickness over glacier ice. The bathymetry maps will provide a breakthrough in our knowledge of the ice fields and enable a new era of glacier modeling and understanding that is not possible at present because ice thickness is not known.

Gravity and crustal movements: The canadian experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanner, J. G.; Lambert, A.

1987-07-01

Repeated high precision gravity measurement have already played an important role in the detection of crustal deformation in Canada and elsewhere, but even more useful results can be expected through more widespread use of gravity in combination with other techniques. The crucial element in the process is the development of a good physical model on which the experiment can be based. Otherwise, considerable time and effort can be spent on determining the most appropriate field strategy. New technical developments on the horizon appear to offer enhanced opportunities for gravity studies of crustal processes. The coming availability of the Global Positioning System and transportable absolute gravimeters will open up the possibility of regional studies (i.e., areas of the order of 100 km or perhaps greater) of crustal movements at reasonable cost. Within Africa the development of an African Gravity Standardization Net will be a major first step in any program to provide a better understanding of the neo-tectonic framework of this vast continent.

Prospects for Probing Strong Gravity with a Pulsar-Black Hole System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wex, N.; Liu, K.; Eatough, R. P.; Kramer, M.; Cordes, J. M.; Lazio, T. J. W.

2012-01-01

The discovery of a pulsar (PSR) in orbit around a black hole (BH) is expected to provide a superb new probe of relativistic gravity and BH properties. Apart from a precise mass measurement for the BH, one could expect a clean verification of the dragging of space-time caused by the BH spin. In order to measure the quadrupole moment of the BH for testing the no-hair theorem of general relativity (GR), one has to hope for a sufficiently massive BH. In this respect, a PSR orbiting the super-massive BH in the center of our Galaxy would be the ultimate laboratory for gravity tests with PSRs. But even for gravity theories that predict the same properties for BHs as GR, a PSR-BH system would constitute an excellent test system, due to the high grade of asymmetry in the strong field properties of these two components. Here we highlight some of the potential gravity tests that one could expect from different PSR-BH systems.

46 CFR 28.535 - Inclining test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... section, each vessel for which the lightweight displacement and centers of gravity must be determined in... of the vessel which was inclined and the location of the longitudinal center of gravity differs less... characteristics can be made and the precise location of the position of the vessel's vertical center of gravity is...

46 CFR 28.535 - Inclining test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... section, each vessel for which the lightweight displacement and centers of gravity must be determined in... of the vessel which was inclined and the location of the longitudinal center of gravity differs less... characteristics can be made and the precise location of the position of the vessel's vertical center of gravity is...

46 CFR 28.535 - Inclining test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... section, each vessel for which the lightweight displacement and centers of gravity must be determined in... of the vessel which was inclined and the location of the longitudinal center of gravity differs less... characteristics can be made and the precise location of the position of the vessel's vertical center of gravity is...

The Joint Damping Experiment (JDX)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Folkman, Steven L.; Bingham, Jeff G.; Crookston, Jess R.; Dutson, Joseph D.; Ferney, Brook D.; Ferney, Greg D.; Rowsell, Edwin A.

1997-01-01

The Joint Damping Experiment (JDX), flown on the Shuttle STS-69 Mission, is designed to measure the influence of gravity on the structural damping of a high precision three bay truss. Principal objectives are: (1) Measure vibration damping of a small-scale, pinjointed truss to determine how pin gaps give rise to gravity-dependent damping rates; (2) Evaluate the applicability of ground and low-g aircraft tests for predicting on-orbit behavior; and (3) Evaluate the ability of current nonlinear finite element codes to model the dynamic behavior of the truss. Damping of the truss was inferred from 'Twang' tests that involve plucking the truss structure and recording the decay of the oscillations. Results are summarized as follows. (1) Damping, rates can change by a factor of 3 to 8 through changing the truss orientation; (2) The addition of a few pinned joints to a truss structure can increase the damping by a factor as high as 30; (3) Damping is amplitude dependent; (4) As gravity induced preloads become large (truss long axis perpendicular to gravity vector) the damping is similar to non-pinjointed truss; (5) Impacting in joints drives higher modes in structure; (6) The torsion mode disappears if gravity induced preloads are low.

Measuring g Using a Magnetic Pendulum and Telephone Pickup

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinacore, J.; Takai, H.

2010-10-01

The simple pendulum has long been used to measure g, the acceleration due to gravity, with a precision of a few percent. Achieving agreement with the accepted value of less than 1% is feasible in the high school laboratory, though it requires some care. The precision of the measurement is bound by how accurately the period and the pendulum length are determined. To improve on the period measurement, we have developed a simple and inexpensive method using a magnet and telephone pickup.2

A method for estimating radioactive cesium concentrations in cattle blood using urine samples.

PubMed

Sato, Itaru; Yamagishi, Ryoma; Sasaki, Jun; Satoh, Hiroshi; Miura, Kiyoshi; Kikuchi, Kaoru; Otani, Kumiko; Okada, Keiji

2017-12-01

In the region contaminated by the Fukushima nuclear accident, radioactive contamination of live cattle should be checked before slaughter. In this study, we establish a precise method for estimating radioactive cesium concentrations in cattle blood using urine samples. Blood and urine samples were collected from a total of 71 cattle on two farms in the 'difficult-to-return zone'. Urine 137 Cs, specific gravity, electrical conductivity, pH, sodium, potassium, calcium, and creatinine were measured and various estimation methods for blood 137 Cs were tested. The average error rate of the estimation was 54.2% without correction. Correcting for urine creatinine, specific gravity, electrical conductivity, or potassium improved the precision of the estimation. Correcting for specific gravity using the following formula gave the most precise estimate (average error rate = 16.9%): [blood 137 Cs] = [urinary 137 Cs]/([specific gravity] - 1)/329. Urine samples are faster to measure than blood samples because urine can be obtained in larger quantities and has a higher 137 Cs concentration than blood. These advantages of urine and the estimation precision demonstrated in our study, indicate that estimation of blood 137 Cs using urine samples is a practical means of monitoring radioactive contamination in live cattle. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

f (T ) gravity after GW170817 and GRB170817A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Yi-Fu; Li, Chunlong; Saridakis, Emmanuel N.; Xue, Ling-Qin

2018-05-01

The combined observation of GW170817 and its electromagnetic counterpart GRB170817A reveals that gravitational waves propagate at the speed of light in high precision. We apply the standard analysis of cosmological perturbations, as well as the effective field theory approach, to investigate the experimental consequences for the theory of f (T ) gravity. Our analysis verifies for the first time that the speed of gravitational waves within f (T ) gravity is equal to the light speed, and hence, the constraints from GW170817 and GRB170817A are trivially satisfied. Nevertheless, by examining the dispersion relation and the frequency of cosmological gravitational waves, we observe a deviation from the results of general relativity, quantified by a new parameter. Although its value is relatively small in viable f (T ) models, its possible future measurement in advancing gravitational-wave astronomy would be the smoking gun of testing this type of modified gravity.

Discrete gravity on random tensor network and holographic Rényi entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Muxin; Huang, Shilin

2017-11-01

In this paper we apply the discrete gravity and Regge calculus to tensor networks and Anti-de Sitter/conformal field theory (AdS/CFT) correspondence. We construct the boundary many-body quantum state |Ψ〉 using random tensor networks as the holographic mapping, applied to the Wheeler-deWitt wave function of bulk Euclidean discrete gravity in 3 dimensions. The entanglement Rényi entropy of |Ψ〉 is shown to holographically relate to the on-shell action of Einstein gravity on a branch cover bulk manifold. The resulting Rényi entropy S n of |Ψ〉 approximates with high precision the Rényi entropy of ground state in 2-dimensional conformal field theory (CFT). In particular it reproduces the correct n dependence. Our results develop the framework of realizing the AdS3/CFT2 correspondence on random tensor networks, and provide a new proposal to approximate the CFT ground state.

Venus Gravity: 180th Degree and Order Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Konopliv, A. S.; Banerdt, W. B.; Sjogren, W. L.

1998-01-01

The Megallan Doppler radiometric tracking data provides unprecedented precision for spacecraft based gravity measurements with the maximum resolution approaching spherical harmonic degree and order 180 in selected equatorial regions.

A new magnetic bearing using Halbach magnet arrays for a magnetic levitation stage.

PubMed

Choi, Young-Man; Lee, Moon G; Gweon, Dae-Gab; Jeong, Jaehwa

2009-04-01

Next-generation lithography requires a high precision stage, which is compatible with a high vacuum condition. A magnetic levitation stage with six degrees-of-freedom is considered state-of-the-art technology for a high vacuum condition. The noncontact characteristic of magnetic levitation enables high precision positioning as well as no particle generation. To position the stage against gravity, z-directional electromagnetic levitation mechanisms are widely used. However, if electromagnetic actuators for levitation are used, heat is inevitably generated, which deforms the structures and degrades accuracy of the stage. Thus, a gravity compensator is required. In this paper, we propose a new magnetic bearing using Halbach magnet arrays for a magnetic levitation stage. The novel Halbach magnetic bearing exerts a force four times larger than a conventional magnetic bearing with the same volume. We also discuss the complementary characteristics of the two magnetic bearings. By modifying the height of the center magnet in a Halbach magnetic bearing, a performance compromise between levitating force density and force uniformity is obtained. The Halbach linear active magnetic bearing can be a good solution for magnetic levitation stages because of its large and uniform levitation force.

Refining Parameters of the XO-5 Planetary System with High-Precision Transit Photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maciejewski, G.; Seeliger, M.; Adam, Ch.; Raetz, St.; Neuhäuser, R.

2011-03-01

Studies of transiting extrasolar planets provide unique opportunity to get to know the internal structure of those worlds. The transiting exoplanet XO-5 b was found to have an anomalously high Safronov number and surface gravity. Our aim was to refine parameters of this intriguing system and search for signs of transit timing variations. We gathered high-precision light curves for two transits of XO-5 b. Assuming three different limb darkening laws, we found the best-fitting model and redetermined parameters of the system, including planet-to-star radius ratio, impact parameter and central time of transits. Error estimates were derived by the prayer bead method and Monte Carlo simulations. Although system's parameters obtained by us were found to agree with previous studies within one sigma, the planet was found to be notable smaller with the radius of 1.03+0.06-0.05 Jupiter radii. Our results confirm the high Safronov number and surface gravity of the planet. With two new mid-transit times, the ephemeris was refined to BJDTDB=(2454485.66842±0.00028)+(4.1877537±0.000017)E. No significant transit timing variation was detected.

Testing Einstein's Gravity on Large Scales

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prescod-Weinstein, Chandra

2011-01-01

A little over a decade has passed since two teams studying high redshift Type Ia supernovae announced the discovery that the expansion of the universe was accelerating. After all this time, we?re still not sure how cosmic acceleration fits into the theory that tells us about the large-scale universe: General Relativity (GR). As part of our search for answers, we have been forced to question GR itself. But how will we test our ideas? We are fortunate enough to be entering the era of precision cosmology, where the standard model of gravity can be subjected to more rigorous testing. Various techniques will be employed over the next decade or two in the effort to better understand cosmic acceleration and the theory behind it. In this talk, I will describe cosmic acceleration, current proposals to explain it, and weak gravitational lensing, an observational effect that allows us to do the necessary precision cosmology.

Comparison of survey and photogrammetry methods to position gravity data, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ponce, D.A.; Wu, S.S.C.; Spielman, J.B.

1985-12-31

Locations of gravity stations at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, were determined by a survey using an electronic distance-measuring device and by a photogram-metric method. The data from both methods were compared to determine if horizontal and vertical coordinates developed from photogrammetry are sufficently accurate to position gravity data at the site. The results show that elevations from the photogrammetric data have a mean difference of 0.57 +- 0.70 m when compared with those of the surveyed data. Comparison of the horizontal control shows that the two methods agreed to within 0.01 minute. At a latitude of 45{sup 0}, an error ofmore » 0.01 minute (18 m) corresponds to a gravity anomaly error of 0.015 mGal. Bouguer gravity anomalies are most sensitive to errors in elevation, thus elevation is the determining factor for use of photogrammetric or survey methods to position gravity data. Because gravity station positions are difficult to locate on aerial photographs, photogrammetric positions are not always exactly at the gravity station; therefore, large disagreements may appear when comparing electronic and photogrammetric measurements. A mean photogrammetric elevation error of 0.57 m corresponds to a gravity anomaly error of 0.11 mGal. Errors of 0.11 mGal are too large for high-precision or detailed gravity measurements but acceptable for regional work. 1 ref. 2 figs., 4 tabs.« less

A surface spherical harmonic expansion of gravity anomalies on the ellipsoid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Claessens, S. J.; Hirt, C.

2015-10-01

A surface spherical harmonic expansion of gravity anomalies with respect to a geodetic reference ellipsoid can be used to model the global gravity field and reveal its spectral properties. In this paper, a direct and rigorous transformation between solid spherical harmonic coefficients of the Earth's disturbing potential and surface spherical harmonic coefficients of gravity anomalies in ellipsoidal approximation with respect to a reference ellipsoid is derived. This transformation cannot rigorously be achieved by the Hotine-Jekeli transformation between spherical and ellipsoidal harmonic coefficients. The method derived here is used to create a surface spherical harmonic model of gravity anomalies with respect to the GRS80 ellipsoid from the EGM2008 global gravity model. Internal validation of the model shows a global RMS precision of 1 nGal. This is significantly more precise than previous solutions based on spherical approximation or approximations to order or , which are shown to be insufficient for the generation of surface spherical harmonic coefficients with respect to a geodetic reference ellipsoid. Numerical results of two applications of the new method (the computation of ellipsoidal corrections to gravimetric geoid computation, and area means of gravity anomalies in ellipsoidal approximation) are provided.

Holographic heat current as Noether current

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hai-Shan; Lü, H.; Pope, C. N.

2017-09-01

We employ the Noether procedure to derive a general formula for the radially conserved heat current in AdS planar black holes with certain transverse and traceless perturbations, for a general class of gravity theories. For Einstein gravity, the general higher-order Lovelock gravities and also a class of Horndeski gravities, we derive the boundary stress tensor and show that the resulting boundary heat current matches precisely the bulk Noether current.

Towards the GEOSAT Follow-On Precise Orbit Determination Goals of High Accuracy and Near-Real-Time Processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lemoine, Frank G.; Zelensky, Nikita P.; Chinn, Douglas S.; Beckley, Brian D.; Lillibridge, John L.

2006-01-01

The US Navy's GEOSAT Follow-On spacecraft (GFO) primary mission objective is to map the oceans using a radar altimeter. Satellite laser ranging data, especially in combination with altimeter crossover data, offer the only means of determining high-quality precise orbits. Two tuned gravity models, PGS7727 and PGS7777b, were created at NASA GSFC for GFO that reduce the predicted radial orbit through degree 70 to 13.7 and 10.0 mm. A macromodel was developed to model the nonconservative forces and the SLR spacecraft measurement offset was adjusted to remove a mean bias. Using these improved models, satellite-ranging data, altimeter crossover data, and Doppler data are used to compute both daily medium precision orbits with a latency of less than 24 hours. Final precise orbits are also computed using these tracking data and exported with a latency of three to four weeks to NOAA for use on the GFO Geophysical Data Records (GDR s). The estimated orbit precision of the daily orbits is between 10 and 20 cm, whereas the precise orbits have a precision of 5 cm.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Surface gravity determination in late-type stars (Morel+, 2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morel, T.; Miglio, A.

2012-06-01

The frequency of maximum oscillation power measured in dwarfs and giants exhibiting solar-like pulsations provides a precise, and potentially accurate, inference of the stellar surface gravity. An extensive comparison for about 40 well-studied pulsating stars with gravities derived using classical methods (ionization balance, pressure-sensitive spectral features or location with respect to evolutionary tracks) supports the validity of this technique and reveals an overall remarkable agreement with mean differences not exceeding 0.05dex (although with a dispersion of up to ~0.2dex). It is argued that interpolation in theoretical isochrones may be the most precise way of estimating the gravity by traditional means in nearby dwarfs. Attention is drawn to the usefulness of seismic targets as benchmarks in the context of large-scale surveys. (1 data file).

A precise extragalactic test of General Relativity.

PubMed

Collett, Thomas E; Oldham, Lindsay J; Smith, Russell J; Auger, Matthew W; Westfall, Kyle B; Bacon, David; Nichol, Robert C; Masters, Karen L; Koyama, Kazuya; van den Bosch, Remco

2018-06-22

Einstein's theory of gravity, General Relativity, has been precisely tested on Solar System scales, but the long-range nature of gravity is still poorly constrained. The nearby strong gravitational lens ESO 325-G004 provides a laboratory to probe the weak-field regime of gravity and measure the spatial curvature generated per unit mass, γ. By reconstructing the observed light profile of the lensed arcs and the observed spatially resolved stellar kinematics with a single self-consistent model, we conclude that γ = 0.97 ± 0.09 at 68% confidence. Our result is consistent with the prediction of 1 from General Relativity and provides a strong extragalactic constraint on the weak-field metric of gravity. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

An atlas of Rapp's 180-th order geopotential.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melvin, P. J.

1986-08-01

Deprit's 1979 approach to the summation of the spherical harmonic expansion of the geopotential has been modified to spherical components and normalized Legendre polynomials. An algorithm has been developed which produces ten fields at the users option: the undulations of the geoid, three anomalous components of the gravity vector, or six components of the Hessian of the geopotential (gravity gradient). The algorithm is stable to high orders in single precision and does not treat the polar regions as a special case. Eleven contour maps of components of the anomalous geopotential on the surface of the ellipsoid are presented to validate the algorithm.

Testing Quantum Gravity Induced Nonlocality via Optomechanical Quantum Oscillators.

PubMed

Belenchia, Alessio; Benincasa, Dionigi M T; Liberati, Stefano; Marin, Francesco; Marino, Francesco; Ortolan, Antonello

2016-04-22

Several quantum gravity scenarios lead to physics below the Planck scale characterized by nonlocal, Lorentz invariant equations of motion. We show that such nonlocal effective field theories lead to a modified Schrödinger evolution in the nonrelativistic limit. In particular, the nonlocal evolution of optomechanical quantum oscillators is characterized by a spontaneous periodic squeezing that cannot be generated by environmental effects. We discuss constraints on the nonlocality obtained by past experiments, and show how future experiments (already under construction) will either see such effects or otherwise cast severe bounds on the nonlocality scale (well beyond the current limits set by the Large Hadron Collider). This paves the way for table top, high precision experiments on massive quantum objects as a promising new avenue for testing some quantum gravity phenomenology.

Refinement of Earth's gravity field with Topex GPS measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Sien-Chong; Wu, Jiun-Tsong

1989-01-01

The NASA Ocean Topography Experiment satellite TOPEX will carry a microwave altimeter accurate to a few centimeters for the measurement of ocean height. The capability can be fully exploited only if TOPEX altitude can be independently determined to 15 cm or better. This in turn requires an accurate gravity model. The gravity will be tuned with selected nine 10-day arcs of laser ranging, which will be the baseline tracking data type, collected in the first six months of TOPEX flight. TOPEX will also carry onboard an experimental Global Positioning System (GPS) flight receiver capable of simultaneously observing six GPS satellites above its horizon to demonstrate the capability of GPS carrier phase and P-code pseudorange for precise determination of the TOPEX orbit. It was found that subdecimeter orbit accuracy can be achieved with a mere two-hour arc of GPS tracking data, provided that simultaneous measurements are also made at six of more ground tracking sites. The precision GPS data from TOPEX are also valuable for refining the gravity model. An efficient technique is presented for gravity tuning using GPS measurements. Unlike conventional global gravity tuning, this technique solves for far fewer gravity parameters in each filter run. These gravity parameters yield local gravity anomalies which can later be combined with the solutions over other parts of the earth to generate a global gravity map. No supercomputing power will be needed for such combining. The approaches used in this study are described and preliminary results of a covariance analysis presented.

Phasemeter core for intersatellite laser heterodyne interferometry: modelling, simulations and experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerberding, Oliver; Sheard, Benjamin; Bykov, Iouri; Kullmann, Joachim; Esteban Delgado, Juan Jose; Danzmann, Karsten; Heinzel, Gerhard

2013-12-01

Intersatellite laser interferometry is a central component of future space-borne gravity instruments like Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), evolved LISA, NGO and future geodesy missions. The inherently small laser wavelength allows us to measure distance variations with extremely high precision by interfering a reference beam with a measurement beam. The readout of such interferometers is often based on tracking phasemeters, which are able to measure the phase of an incoming beatnote with high precision over a wide range of frequencies. The implementation of such phasemeters is based on all digital phase-locked loops (ADPLL), hosted in FPGAs. Here, we present a precise model of an ADPLL that allows us to design such a readout algorithm and we support our analysis by numerical performance measurements and experiments with analogue signals.

Gravity model development for precise orbit computations for satellite altimetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marsh, James G.; Lerch, Francis, J.; Smith, David E.; Klosko, Steven M.; Pavlis, Erricos

1986-01-01

Two preliminary gravity models developed as a first step in reaching the TOPEX/Poseidon modeling goals are discussed. They were obtained by NASA-Goddard from an analysis of exclusively satellite tracking observations. With the new Preliminary Gravity Solution-T2 model, an improved global estimate of the field is achieved with an improved description of the geoid.

Processing of Bulk YBa2Cu3O(7-x) High Temperature Superconductor Materials for Gravity Modification Experiments and Performance Under AC Levitation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koczor, Ronald; Noever, David; Hiser, Robert

1999-01-01

We have previously reported results using a high precision gravimeter to probe local gravity changes in the neighborhood of bulk-processed high temperature superconductor disks. Others have indicated that large annular disks (on the order of 25cm diameter) and AC levitation fields play an essential role in their observed experiments. We report experiments in processing such large bulk superconductors. Successful results depend on material mechanical characteristics, and pressure and heat treat protocols. Annular disks having rough dimensions of 30cm O.D., 7cm I.D. and 1 cm thickness have been routinely fabricated and tested under AC levitation fields ranging from 45 to 300OHz. Implications for space transportation initiatives and power storage flywheel technology will be discussed.

Evaluation and Comparison of the Processing Methods of Airborne Gravimetry Concerning the Errors Effects on Downward Continuation Results: Case Studies in Louisiana (USA) and the Tibetan Plateau (China).

PubMed

Zhao, Qilong; Strykowski, Gabriel; Li, Jiancheng; Pan, Xiong; Xu, Xinyu

2017-05-25

Gravity data gaps in mountainous areas are nowadays often filled in with the data from airborne gravity surveys. Because of the errors caused by the airborne gravimeter sensors, and because of rough flight conditions, such errors cannot be completely eliminated. The precision of the gravity disturbances generated by the airborne gravimetry is around 3-5 mgal. A major obstacle in using airborne gravimetry are the errors caused by the downward continuation. In order to improve the results the external high-accuracy gravity information e.g., from the surface data can be used for high frequency correction, while satellite information can be applying for low frequency correction. Surface data may be used to reduce the systematic errors, while regularization methods can reduce the random errors in downward continuation. Airborne gravity surveys are sometimes conducted in mountainous areas and the most extreme area of the world for this type of survey is the Tibetan Plateau. Since there are no high-accuracy surface gravity data available for this area, the above error minimization method involving the external gravity data cannot be used. We propose a semi-parametric downward continuation method in combination with regularization to suppress the systematic error effect and the random error effect in the Tibetan Plateau; i.e., without the use of the external high-accuracy gravity data. We use a Louisiana airborne gravity dataset from the USA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to demonstrate that the new method works effectively. Furthermore, and for the Tibetan Plateau we show that the numerical experiment is also successfully conducted using the synthetic Earth Gravitational Model 2008 (EGM08)-derived gravity data contaminated with the synthetic errors. The estimated systematic errors generated by the method are close to the simulated values. In addition, we study the relationship between the downward continuation altitudes and the error effect. The analysis results show that the proposed semi-parametric method combined with regularization is efficient to address such modelling problems.

Evaluation and Comparison of the Processing Methods of Airborne Gravimetry Concerning the Errors Effects on Downward Continuation Results: Case Studies in Louisiana (USA) and the Tibetan Plateau (China)

PubMed Central

Zhao, Qilong; Strykowski, Gabriel; Li, Jiancheng; Pan, Xiong; Xu, Xinyu

2017-01-01

Gravity data gaps in mountainous areas are nowadays often filled in with the data from airborne gravity surveys. Because of the errors caused by the airborne gravimeter sensors, and because of rough flight conditions, such errors cannot be completely eliminated. The precision of the gravity disturbances generated by the airborne gravimetry is around 3–5 mgal. A major obstacle in using airborne gravimetry are the errors caused by the downward continuation. In order to improve the results the external high-accuracy gravity information e.g., from the surface data can be used for high frequency correction, while satellite information can be applying for low frequency correction. Surface data may be used to reduce the systematic errors, while regularization methods can reduce the random errors in downward continuation. Airborne gravity surveys are sometimes conducted in mountainous areas and the most extreme area of the world for this type of survey is the Tibetan Plateau. Since there are no high-accuracy surface gravity data available for this area, the above error minimization method involving the external gravity data cannot be used. We propose a semi-parametric downward continuation method in combination with regularization to suppress the systematic error effect and the random error effect in the Tibetan Plateau; i.e., without the use of the external high-accuracy gravity data. We use a Louisiana airborne gravity dataset from the USA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to demonstrate that the new method works effectively. Furthermore, and for the Tibetan Plateau we show that the numerical experiment is also successfully conducted using the synthetic Earth Gravitational Model 2008 (EGM08)-derived gravity data contaminated with the synthetic errors. The estimated systematic errors generated by the method are close to the simulated values. In addition, we study the relationship between the downward continuation altitudes and the error effect. The analysis results show that the proposed semi-parametric method combined with regularization is efficient to address such modelling problems. PMID:28587086

Evaluation and Comparison of the Processing Methods of Airborne Gravimetry Concerning the Errors Effects on Downward Continuation Results: Case Studies in Louisiana (USA) and the Tibetan Plateau (China)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Q.

2017-12-01

Gravity data gaps in mountainous areas are nowadays often filled in with the data from airborne gravity surveys. Because of the errors caused by the airborne gravimeter sensors, and because of rough flight conditions, such errors cannot be completely eliminated. The precision of the gravity disturbances generated by the airborne gravimetry is around 3-5 mgal. A major obstacle in using airborne gravimetry are the errors caused by the downward continuation. In order to improve the results the external high-accuracy gravity information e.g., from the surface data can be used for high frequency correction, while satellite information can be applying for low frequency correction. Surface data may be used to reduce the systematic errors, while regularization methods can reduce the random errors in downward continuation. Airborne gravity surveys are sometimes conducted in mountainous areas and the most extreme area of the world for this type of survey is the Tibetan Plateau. Since there are no high-accuracy surface gravity data available for this area, the above error minimization method involving the external gravity data cannot be used. We propose a semi-parametric downward continuation method in combination with regularization to suppress the systematic error effect and the random error effect in the Tibetan Plateau; i.e., without the use of the external high-accuracy gravity data. We use a Louisiana airborne gravity dataset from the USA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to demonstrate that the new method works effectively. Furthermore, and for the Tibetan Plateau we show that the numerical experiment is also successfully conducted using the synthetic Earth Gravitational Model 2008 (EGM08)-derived gravity data contaminated with the synthetic errors. The estimated systematic errors generated by the method are close to the simulated values. In addition, we study the relationship between the downward continuation altitudes and the error effect. The analysis results show that the proposed semi-parametric method combined with regularization is efficient to address such modelling problems.

Improvement of the GPS/A system for extensive observation along subduction zones around Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujimoto, H.; Kido, M.; Tadokoro, K.; Sato, M.; Ishikawa, T.; Asada, A.; Mochizuki, M.

2011-12-01

Combined high-resolution gravity field models serve as a mandatory basis to describe static and dynamic processes in system Earth. Ocean dynamics can be modeled referring to a high-accurate geoid as reference surface, solid earth processes are initiated by the gravity field. Also geodetic disciplines such as height system determination depend on high-precise gravity field information. To fulfill the various requirements concerning resolution and accuracy, any kind of gravity field information, that means satellite as well as terrestrial and altimetric gravity field observations have to be included in one combination process. A key role is here reserved for GOCE observations, which contribute with its optimal signal content in the long to medium wavelength part and enable a more accurate gravity field determination than ever before especially in areas, where no high-accurate terrestrial gravity field observations are available, such as South America, Asia or Africa. For our contribution we prepare a combined high-resolution gravity field model up to d/o 720 based on full normal equation including recent GOCE, GRACE and terrestrial / altimetric data. For all data sets, normal equations are set up separately, relative weighted to each other in the combination step and solved. This procedure is computationally challenging and can only be performed using super computers. We put special emphasis on the combination process, for which we modified especially our procedure to include GOCE data optimally in the combination. Furthermore we modified our terrestrial/altimetric data sets, what should result in an improved outcome. With our model, in which we included the newest GOCE TIM4 gradiometry results, we can show how GOCE contributes to a combined gravity field solution especially in areas of poor terrestrial data coverage. The model is validated by independent GPS leveling data in selected regions as well as computation of the mean dynamic topography over the oceans. Further, we analyze the statistical error estimates derived from full covariance propagation and compare them with the absolute validation with independent data sets.

Very accurate upward continuation to low heights in a test of non-Newtonian theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Romaides, Anestis J.; Jekeli, Christopher

1989-01-01

Recently, gravity measurements were made on a tall, very stable television transmitting tower in order to detect a non-Newtonian gravitational force. This experiment required the upward continuation of gravity from the Earth's surface to points as high as only 600 m above ground. The upward continuation was based on a set of gravity anomalies in the vicinity of the tower whose data distribution exhibits essential circular symmetry and appropriate radial attenuation. Two methods were applied to perform the upward continuation - least-squares solution of a local harmonic expansion and least-squares collocation. Both methods yield comparable results, and have estimated accuracies on the order of 50 microGal or better (1 microGal = 10(exp -8) m/sq s). This order of accuracy is commensurate with the tower gravity measurments (which have an estimated accuracy of 20 microGal), and enabled a definitive detection of non-Newtonian gravity. As expected, such precise upward continuations require very dense data near the tower. Less expected was the requirement of data (though sparse) up to 220 km away from the tower (in the case that only an ellipsoidal reference gravity is applied).

Gravity study of Libya;Evaluation and Integration with Geological Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben Suleman, abdunnur; Saheel, Ahmed

2016-04-01

Libya is located on the Mediterranean foreland of the African Shield and covers an area of approximately 1.8 million square kilometers. Since Early Paleozoic time, Libya has been a site of deposition of large sheets of continental clastics and several transgressions and regressions by the seas with consequent accumulations of a wide variety of sedimentary rocks. Several tectonic cycles affected the area and shaped the geological setting of the country. However, the regional geology and the structural framework have been highly influenced by the Caledonian, Hercynian, and Alpine tectonic events. As a result, a total of seven sedimentary basins, namely Ghadames, Murzuq, Al Kufra, Al Butnan, Sirt, and the Offshore Pelagian Basin, were developed and were separated by intervening uplifts and platforms ( Gargaf, Tibesti, Nafusah and Cyrenaica platform). Apart from Sirt and the offshore basins, all the above mentioned basins are active since Early Paleozoic time and received several thousand feet of sediments. The capability of providing regional information on the structure of sedimentary basins makes gravity mapping, in conjunction with geological information, potentially powerful tools. In this study we used gravity mapping as our primary tool of investigation however, we also used all available geological information to better understand the regional tectonics. The gravity dataset that were used in the Gravity compilation project of Libya is not homogenous. As a result, some irregularities, apparent spikes or misties, and large shifts were obtained and were taken into consideration. Evaluation of gravity Maps of Libya and their integration with geological data provide a better understanding of the role that gravity mapping plays in the geological exploration of sedimentary basins. Results confirm the known Sirt Basin regional tectonic elements and the possible presence of NW-SE lateral wrench tectonics, crossing Ajdabiya Trough at the center of Sirt Basin. The residual gravity map supports new interpretation of the Sirwal Trough in Northern Cyrenaica. Results also indicate shallow crust along the present day coast line of Al Jabal Al Akhdar, steeply dipping toward the offshore. The depo-center of Ghadames Basin cannot be precisely defined due to the lack of gravity coverage. However, Murzuq Basin is well defined regionally, in spite of gravity gaps which make the overall coverage in the southern basins inadequate for precise interpretation.

Gravity measurements in southeastern Alaska reveal negative gravity rate of change caused by glacial isostatic adjustment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, W.; Miura, S.; Sato, T.; Sugano, T.; Freymueller, J.; Kaufman, M.; Larsen, C. F.; Cross, R.; Inazu, D.

2010-12-01

For the past 300 years, southeastern Alaska has undergone rapid ice-melting and land uplift attributable to global warming. Corresponding crustal deformation (3 cm/yr) caused by the Little Ice Age retreat is detectable with modern geodetic techniques such as GPS and tidal gauge measurements. Geodetic deformation provides useful information for assessing ice-melting rates, global warming effects, and subcrustal viscosity. Nevertheless, integrated geodetic observations, including gravity measurements, are important. To detect crustal deformation caused by glacial isostatic adjustment and to elucidate the viscosity structure in southeastern Alaska, Japanese and U.S. researchers began a joint 3-year project in 2006 using GPS, Earth tide, and absolute gravity measurements. A new absolute gravity network was established, comprising five sites around Glacier Bay, near Juneau, Alaska. This paper reports the network's gravity measurements during 2006-2008. The bad ocean model in this area hindered ocean loading correction: Large tidal residuals remain in the observations. Accurate tidal correction necessitated on-site tidal observation. Results show high observation precision for all five stations: <1 μGal. The gravity rate of change was found to be -3.5 to -5.6 μGal/yr in the gravity network. Furthermore, gravity results obtained during the 3 years indicate a similar gravity change rate. These gravity data are anticipated for application in geophysical studies of southeastern Alaska. Using gravity and vertical displacement data, we constructed a quantity to remove viscoelastic effects. The observations are thus useful to constrain present-day ice thickness changes. A gravity bias of about -13.2 ± 0.1 mGal exists between the Potsdam and current FG5 gravity data.

Constraining Saturn's interior density profile from precision gravity field measurement obtained during Grand Finale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Movshovitz, N.; Fortney, J. J.; Helled, R.; Hubbard, W. B.; Mankovich, C.; Thorngren, D.; Wahl, S. M.; Militzer, B.; Durante, D.

2017-12-01

The external gravity field of a planetary body is determined by the distribution of mass in its interior. Therefore, a measurement of the external field, properlyinterpreted, tells us about the interior density profile, ρ(r), which in turn can be used to constrain the composition in the interior and thereby learn about theformation mechanism of the planet. Recently, very high precision measurements of the gravity coefficients for Saturn have been made by the radio science instrument on the Cassini spacecraft during its Grand Finale orbits. The resulting coefficients come with an associated uncertainty. The task of matching a given density profile to a given set of gravity coefficients is relatively straightforward, but the question of how to best account for the uncertainty is not. In essentially all prior work on matching models to gravity field data inferences about planetary structure have rested on assumptions regarding the imperfectly known H/He equation of state and the assumption of an adiabatic interior. Here we wish to vastly expand the phase space of such calculations. We present a framework for describing all the possible interior density structures of a Jovian planet constrained by a given set of gravity coefficients and their associated uncertainties. Our approach is statistical. We produce a random sample of ρ(a) curves drawn from the underlying (and unknown) probability distribution of all curves, where ρ is the density on an interior level surface with equatorial radius a. Since the resulting set of density curves is a random sample, that is, curves appear with frequency proportional to the likelihood of their being consistent with the measured gravity, we can compute probability distributions for any quantity that is a function of ρ, such as central pressure, oblateness, core mass and radius, etc. Our approach is also Bayesian, in that it can utilize any prior assumptions about the planet's interior, as necessary, without being overly constrained by them. We apply this approach to produce a sample of Saturn interior models based on gravity data from Grand Finale orbits and discuss their implications.

Gravity effects obtained from global hydrology models in comparison with high precision gravimetric time series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wziontek, Hartmut; Wilmes, Herbert; Güntner, Andreas; Creutzfeldt, Benjamin

2010-05-01

Water mass changes are a major source of variations in residual gravimetric time series obtained from the combination of observations with superconducting and absolute gravimeters. Changes in the local water storage are the main influence, but global variations contribute to the signal significantly. For three European gravity stations, Bad Homburg, Wettzell and Medicina, different global hydrology models are compared. The influence of topographic effects is discussed and due to the long-term stability of the combined gravity time series, inter-annual signals in model data and gravimetric observations are compared. Two sources of influence are discriminated, i.e., the effect of a local zone with an extent of a few kilometers around the gravimetric station and the global contribution beyond 50km. Considering their coarse resolution and uncertainties, local effects calculated from global hydrological models are compared with the in-situ gravity observations and, for the station Wettzell, with local hydrological monitoring data.

Temporal gravity variations associated with the November 1975 deflation of Kilauea Volcano

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jachens, R.; Eaton, G.; Lipman, P.

1976-12-01

Repeated high-precision gravity measurements made near the summit of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii have revealed temporal variations in gravity associated with the deflation of the volcano that followed the earthquake and eruption of November 29, 1975. Gravity differences with respect to a base station located on the south flank of Mauna Loa were measured at 18 sites within 5 km of Kilauea Crater. The original survey, conducted between November 10 and November 23, 1975, was repeated during the two weeks following the earthquake. Standard errors of the gravity differences measured during both surveys average about 5 ..mu..gal. These two surveys indicatemore » that gravity at sites near the summit of Kilauea increased with respect to gravity at sites located away from the summit. The pattern of gravity increase is roughly radially symmetrical about the geodetically determined locus of this deflation event, located approximately 1 km southeast of Kilauea Crater, and has a half-width of 2.2 km. The gravity changes correlate closely with elevation changes that occurred between level surveys conducted on September 22, 1975 and January 8, 1976. The relation between gravity change and elevation change (-1.70 +- 0.07 (s.e.) ..mu..gal/cm)) determined from these data shows that the local mass distribution beneath the summit of Kilauea changed during the time between the surveys. Mass balance calculations indicate that the volume of subsidence is too small to account for the gravity changes, presumably because some magma moved away from the summit area without complete collapse of the resulting voids.« less

Observations of high manganese layers by the Curiosity rover at the Kimberley, Gale crater, Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lanza, N.; Wiens, R. C.; Fischer, W. W.; Grotzinger, J. P.; Cousin, A.; Rice, M. S.; Clark, B. C.; Arvidson, R. E.; Hurowitz, J.; Gellert, R.; McLennan, S. M.; Maurice, S.; Mangold, N.; Le Mouelic, S.; Anderson, R. B.; Nachon, M.; Ollila, A.; Schmidt, M. E.; Berger, J. A.; Blank, J. G.; Clegg, S. M.; Forni, O.; Hardgrove, C. J.; Hardy, K.; Johnson, J. R.; Melikechi, N.; Newsom, H. E.; Sautter, V.; Martín-Torres, J.; Zorzano, M. P.

2014-12-01

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft were designed to map the structure of the Moon through high-precision global gravity mapping. The mission consisted of two spacecraft with Ka-band inter-satellite tracking complemented by tracking from Earth. The mission had two phases: a primary mapping mission from March 1 until May 29, 2012 at an average altitude of 50 km, and an extended mission from August 30 until December 14, 2012, with an average altitude of 23 km before November 18, and 20 and 11 km after. High-resolution gravity field models using both these data sets have been estimated, with the current resolution being degree and order 1080 in spherical harmonics. Here, we focus on aspects of the analysis of the GRAIL data: we investigate eclipse modeling, the influence of empirical accelerations on the results, and we discuss the inversion of large-scale systems. In addition to global models we also estimated local gravity adjustments in areas of particular interest such as Mare Orientale, the south pole area, and the farside. We investigate the use of Ka-band Range Rate (KBRR) data versus numerical derivatives of KBRR data, and show that the latter have the capability to locally improve correlations with topography.

A contrastive study on the influences of radial and three-dimensional satellite gravity gradiometry on the accuracy of the Earth's gravitational field recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Wei; Hsu, Hou-Tse; Zhong, Min; Yun, Mei-Juan

2012-10-01

The accuracy of the Earth's gravitational field measured from the gravity field and steady-state ocean circulation explorer (GOCE), up to 250 degrees, influenced by the radial gravity gradient Vzz and three-dimensional gravity gradient Vij from the satellite gravity gradiometry (SGG) are contrastively demonstrated based on the analytical error model and numerical simulation, respectively. Firstly, the new analytical error model of the cumulative geoid height, influenced by the radial gravity gradient Vzz and three-dimensional gravity gradient Vij are established, respectively. In 250 degrees, the GOCE cumulative geoid height error measured by the radial gravity gradient Vzz is about 2½ times higher than that measured by the three-dimensional gravity gradient Vij. Secondly, the Earth's gravitational field from GOCE completely up to 250 degrees is recovered using the radial gravity gradient Vzz and three-dimensional gravity gradient Vij by numerical simulation, respectively. The study results show that when the measurement error of the gravity gradient is 3 × 10-12/s2, the cumulative geoid height errors using the radial gravity gradient Vzz and three-dimensional gravity gradient Vij are 12.319 cm and 9.295 cm at 250 degrees, respectively. The accuracy of the cumulative geoid height using the three-dimensional gravity gradient Vij is improved by 30%-40% on average compared with that using the radial gravity gradient Vzz in 250 degrees. Finally, by mutual verification of the analytical error model and numerical simulation, the orders of magnitude from the accuracies of the Earth's gravitational field recovery make no substantial differences based on the radial and three-dimensional gravity gradients, respectively. Therefore, it is feasible to develop in advance a radial cold-atom interferometric gradiometer with a measurement accuracy of 10-13/s2-10-15/s2 for precisely producing the next-generation GOCE Follow-On Earth gravity field model with a high spatial resolution.

Ocean gravity and geoid determination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kahn, W. D.; Siry, J. W.; Brown, R. D.; Wells, W. T.

1977-01-01

Gravity anomalies have been recovered in the North Atlantic and the Indian Ocean regions. Comparisons of 63 2 deg x 2 deg mean free air gravity anomalies recovered in the North Atlantic area and 24 5 deg x 5 deg mean free air gravity anomalies in the Indian Ocean area with surface gravimetric measurements have shown agreement to + or - 8 mgals for both solutions. Geoids derived from the altimeter solutions are consistent with altimetric sea surface height data to within the precision of the data, about + or - 2 meters.

Terrestrial gravity instrumentation in the 20th Century: A brief review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Valliant, H. D.

1989-01-01

At the turn of the century, only pendulum apparatuses and torsion balances were available for general exploration work. Both of these early techniques were cumbersome and time-consuming. It was no wonder that the development of the gravity meter was welcomed with a universal sigh of relief. By 1935 potential field measurements with gravity meters supplanted gradient measurements with torsion balances. Potential field measurements are generally characterized by three types: absolute - measurements are made in fundamental units, traceable to national standards of length and time at each observation site; relative with absolute scale - differences in gravity are measured in fundamental units traceable to national standards of length and time; and relative - differences in gravity are measured with arbitrary scale. Improvements in the design of gravity meters since their introduction has led to a significant reduction in size and greatly increased precision. As the precision increased, applications expanded to include the measurement of crustal motion, the search for non-Newtonian forces, archeology, and civil engineering. Apart from enhancements to the astatic gravity meter, few developments in hardware were achieved. One of these was the vibrating string gravity meter which was developed in the 1950s and was employed briefly for marine and borehole applications. Another is the cryogenic gravity meter which utilizes the stability of superconducting current to achieve a relative instrument with extremely low drift suitable for tidal and secular gravity measurements. An advance in performing measurements from a moving platform was achieved with the development of the straight-line gravity meter. The latter part of the century also saw the rebirth of gradient measurements which offers advantages for observations from a moving platform. Definitive testing of the Bell gradiometer was recently reported.

EFTofPNG: a package for high precision computation with the effective field theory of post-Newtonian gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levi, Michele; Steinhoff, Jan

2017-12-01

We present a novel public package ‘EFTofPNG’ for high precision computation in the effective field theory of post-Newtonian (PN) gravity, including spins. We created this package in view of the timely need to publicly share automated computation tools, which integrate the various types of physics manifested in the expected increasing influx of gravitational wave (GW) data. Hence, we created a free and open source package, which is self-contained, modular, all-inclusive, and accessible to the classical gravity community. The ‘EFTofPNG’ Mathematica package also uses the power of the ‘xTensor’ package, suited for complicated tensor computation, where our coding also strategically approaches the generic generation of Feynman contractions, which is universal to all perturbation theories in physics, by efficiently treating n-point functions as tensors of rank n. The package currently contains four independent units, which serve as subsidiaries to the main one. Its final unit serves as a pipeline chain for the obtainment of the final GW templates, and provides the full computation of derivatives and physical observables of interest. The upcoming ‘EFTofPNG’ package version 1.0 should cover the point mass sector, and all the spin sectors, up to the fourth PN order, and the two-loop level. We expect and strongly encourage public development of the package to improve its efficiency, and to extend it to further PN sectors, and observables useful for the waveform modelling.

Design of Superconducting Gravity Gradiometer Cryogenic System for Mars Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, X.; Lemoine, F. G.; Paik, H. J.; Zagarola, M.; Shirron, P. J.; Griggs, C. E.; Moody, M. V.; Han, S.-C.

2016-01-01

Measurement of a planet's gravity field provides fundamental information about the planet's mass properties. The static gravity field reveals information about the internal structure of the planet, including crustal density variations that provide information on the planet's geological history and evolution. The time variations of gravity result from the movement of mass inside the planet, on the surface, and in the atmosphere. NASA is interested in a Superconducting Gravity Gradiometer (SGG) with which to measure the gravity field of a planet from orbit. An SGG instrument is under development with the NASA PICASSO program, which will be able to resolve the Mars static gravity field to degree 200 in spherical harmonics, and the time-varying field on a monthly basis to degree 20 from a 255 x 320 km orbit. The SGG has a precision two orders of magnitude better than the electrostatic gravity gradiometer that was used on the ESA's GOCE mission. The SGG operates at the superconducting temperature lower than 6 K. This study developed a cryogenic thermal system to maintain the SGG at the design temperature in Mars orbit. The system includes fixed radiation shields, a low thermal conductivity support structure and a two-stage cryocooler. The fixed radiation shields use double aluminized polyimide to emit heat from the warm spacecraft into the deep space. The support structure uses carbon fiber reinforced plastic, which has low thermal conductivity at cryogenic temperature and very high stress. The low vibration cryocooler has two stages, of which the high temperature stage operates at 65 K and the low temperature stage works at 6 K, and the heat rejection radiator works at 300 K. The study also designed a second option with a 4-K adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR) and two-stage 10-K turbo-Brayton cooler.

Design of Superconducting Gravity Gradiometer Cryogenic System for Mars Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, X.; Lemoine, F. G.; Shirron, P. J.; Paik, H. J.; Griggs, C. E.; Moody, M. V.; Han, S. C.; Zagarola, M.

2016-01-01

Measurement of a planets gravity field provides fundamental information about the planets mass properties. The static gravity field reveals information about the internal structure of the planet, including crustal density variations that provide information on the planets geological history and evolution. The time variations of gravity result from the movement of mass inside the planet, on the surface, and in the atmosphere. NASA is interested in a Superconducting Gravity Gradiometer (SGG) with which to measure the gravity field of a planet from orbit. An SGG instrument is under development with the NASA PICASSO program, which will be able to resolve the Mars static gravity field to degree 200 in spherical harmonics, and the time-varying field on a monthly basis to degree 20 from a 255 x 320 km orbit. The SGG has a precision two orders of magnitude better than the electrostatic gravity gradiometer that was used on the ESAs GOCE mission. The SGG operates at the superconducting temperature lower than 6 K. This study developed a cryogenic thermal system to maintain the SGG at the design temperature in Mars orbit. The system includes fixed radiation shields, a low thermal conductivity support structure and a two-stage cryocooler. The fixed radiation shields use double aluminized polyimide to emit heat from the warm spacecraft into the deep space. The support structure uses carbon fiber reinforced plastic, which has low thermal conductivity at cryogenic temperature and very high stress. The low vibration cryocooler has two stages, of which the high temperature stage operates at 65 K and the low temperature stage works at 6 K, and the heat rejection radiator works at 300 K. The study also designed a second option with a 4-K adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR) and two-stage 10-K turbo-Brayton cooler.

Assessing the precision of the iGrav superconducting gravimeter for hydrological models and karstic hydrological process identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fores, B.; Champollion, C.; Le Moigne, N.; Bayer, R.; Chéry, J.

2017-01-01

In this paper we present the potential of a new compact superconducting gravimeter (GWR iGrav) designed for groundwater monitoring. At first, 3 yr of continuous gravity data are evaluated and the performance of the instrument is investigated. With repeated absolute gravity measurements using a Micro-g Lacoste FG5, the calibration factor (-894.8 nm s-2 V-1) and the long-term drift of this instrument (45 nm s-2 yr-1) are estimated for the first time with a high precision and found to be respectively constant and linear for this particular iGrav. The low noise level performance is found similar to those of previous superconducting gravimeters and leads to gravity residuals coherent with local hydrology. The iGrav is located in a fully instrumented hydrogeophysical observatory on the Durzon karstic basin (Larzac plateau, south of France). Rain gauges and a flux tower (evapo-transpiration measurements) are used to evaluate the groundwater mass balance at the local scale. Water mass balance demonstrates that the karst is only capacitive: all the rainwater is temporarily stored in the matrix and fast transfers to the spring through fractures are insignificant in this area. Moreover, the upper part of the karst around the observatory appears to be representative of slow transfer of the whole catchment. Indeed, slow transfer estimated on the site fully supports the low-flow discharge at the only spring which represents all groundwater outflows from the catchment. In the last part of the paper, reservoir models are used to characterize the water transfer and storage processes. Particular highlights are done on the advantages of continuous gravity data (compared to repeated campaigns) and on the importance of local accurate meteorological data to limit misinterpretation of the gravity observations. The results are complementary with previous studies at the basin scale and show a clear potential for continuous gravity time-series assimilation in hydrological simulations, even on heterogeneous karstic systems.

Speeding up N-body simulations of modified gravity: chameleon screening models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bose, Sownak; Li, Baojiu; Barreira, Alexandre; He, Jian-hua; Hellwing, Wojciech A.; Koyama, Kazuya; Llinares, Claudio; Zhao, Gong-Bo

2017-02-01

We describe and demonstrate the potential of a new and very efficient method for simulating certain classes of modified gravity theories, such as the widely studied f(R) gravity models. High resolution simulations for such models are currently very slow due to the highly nonlinear partial differential equation that needs to be solved exactly to predict the modified gravitational force. This nonlinearity is partly inherent, but is also exacerbated by the specific numerical algorithm used, which employs a variable redefinition to prevent numerical instabilities. The standard Newton-Gauss-Seidel iterative method used to tackle this problem has a poor convergence rate. Our new method not only avoids this, but also allows the discretised equation to be written in a form that is analytically solvable. We show that this new method greatly improves the performance and efficiency of f(R) simulations. For example, a test simulation with 5123 particles in a box of size 512 Mpc/h is now 5 times faster than before, while a Millennium-resolution simulation for f(R) gravity is estimated to be more than 20 times faster than with the old method. Our new implementation will be particularly useful for running very high resolution, large-sized simulations which, to date, are only possible for the standard model, and also makes it feasible to run large numbers of lower resolution simulations for covariance analyses. We hope that the method will bring us to a new era for precision cosmological tests of gravity.

Simulation Study of a Follow-on Gravity Mission to GRACE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loomis, Bryant D.; Nerem, R. S.; Luthcke, Scott B.

2012-01-01

The gravity recovery and climate experiment (GRACE) has been providing monthly estimates of the Earth's time-variable gravity field since its launch in March 2002. The GRACE gravity estimates are used to study temporal mass variations on global and regional scales, which are largely caused by a redistribution of water mass in the Earth system. The accuracy of the GRACE gravity fields are primarily limited by the satellite-to-satellite range-rate measurement noise, accelerometer errors, attitude errors, orbit errors, and temporal aliasing caused by unmodeled high-frequency variations in the gravity signal. Recent work by Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp., Boulder, CO has resulted in the successful development of an interferometric laser ranging system to specifically address the limitations of the K-band microwave ranging system that provides the satellite-to-satellite measurements for the GRACE mission. Full numerical simulations are performed for several possible configurations of a GRACE Follow-On (GFO) mission to determine if a future satellite gravity recovery mission equipped with a laser ranging system will provide better estimates of time-variable gravity, thus benefiting many areas of Earth systems research. The laser ranging system improves the range-rate measurement precision to approximately 0.6 nm/s as compared to approx. 0.2 micro-seconds for the GRACE K-band microwave ranging instrument. Four different mission scenarios are simulated to investigate the effect of the better instrument at two different altitudes. The first pair of simulated missions is flown at GRACE altitude (approx. 480 km) assuming on-board accelerometers with the same noise characteristics as those currently used for GRACE. The second pair of missions is flown at an altitude of approx. 250 km which requires a drag-free system to prevent satellite re-entry. In addition to allowing a lower satellite altitude, the drag-free system also reduces the errors associated with the accelerometer. All simulated mission scenarios assume a two satellite co-orbiting pair similar to GRACE in a near-polar, near-circular orbit. A method for local time variable gravity recovery through mass concentration blocks (mascons) is used to form simulated gravity estimates for Greenland and the Amazon region for three GFO configurations and GRACE. Simulation results show that the increased precision of the laser does not improve gravity estimation when flown with on-board accelerometers at the same altitude and spacecraft separation as GRACE, even when time-varying background models are not included. This study also shows that only modest improvement is realized for the best-case scenario (laser, low-altitude, drag-free) as compared to GRACE due to temporal aliasing errors. These errors are caused by high-frequency variations in the hydrology signal and imperfections in the atmospheric, oceanographic, and tidal models which are used to remove unwanted signal. This work concludes that applying the updated technologies alone will not immediately advance the accuracy of the gravity estimates. If the scientific objectives of a GFO mission require more accurate gravity estimates, then future work should focus on improvements in the geophysical models, and ways in which the mission design or data processing could reduce the effects of temporal aliasing.

Test-particle dynamics in general spherically symmetric black hole spacetimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Laurentis, Mariafelicia; Younsi, Ziri; Porth, Oliver; Mizuno, Yosuke; Rezzolla, Luciano

2018-05-01

To date, the most precise tests of general relativity have been achieved through pulsar timing, albeit in the weak-field regime. Since pulsars are some of the most precise and stable "clocks" in the Universe, present observational efforts are focused on detecting pulsars in the vicinity of supermassive black holes (most notably in the Galactic Centre), enabling pulsar timing to be used as an extremely precise probe of strong-field gravity. In this paper, a mathematical framework to describe test-particle dynamics in general black-hole spacetimes is presented and subsequently used to study a binary system comprising a pulsar orbiting a black hole. In particular, taking into account the parameterization of a general spherically symmetric black-hole metric, general analytic expressions for both the advance of the periastron and for the orbital period of a massive test particle are derived. Furthermore, these expressions are applied to four representative cases of solutions arising in both general relativity and in alternative theories of gravity. Finally, this framework is applied to the Galactic center S -stars and four distinct pulsar toy models. It is shown that by adopting a fully general-relativistic description of test-particle motion which is independent of any particular theory of gravity, observations of pulsars can help impose better constraints on alternative theories of gravity than is presently possible.

CryoSat-2 altimetry derived Arctic bathymetry map: first results and validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andersen, O. B.; Abulaitijiang, A.; Cancet, M.; Knudsen, P.

2017-12-01

The Technical University of Denmark (DTU), DTU Space has been developing high quality high resolution gravity fields including the new highly accurate CryoSat-2 radar altimetry satellite data which extends the global coverage of altimetry data up to latitude 88°. With its exceptional Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) mode being operating throughout the Arctic Ocean, leads, i.e., the ocean surface heights, is used to retrieve the sea surface height with centimeter-level range precision. Combined with the long repeat cycle ( 369 days), i.e., dense cross-track coverage, the high-resolution Arctic marine gravity can be modelled using the CryoSat-2 altimetry. Further, the polar gap can be filled by the available ArcGP product, thus yielding the complete map of the Arctic bathymetry map. In this presentation, we will make use of the most recent DTU17 marine gravity, to derive the arctic bathymetry map using inversion based on best available hydrographic maps. Through the support of ESA a recent evaluation of existing hydrographic models of the Arctic Ocean Bathymetry models (RTOPO, GEBCO, IBCAO etc) and various inconsistencies have been identified and means to rectify these inconsistencies have been taken prior to perform the inversion using altimetry. Simultaneously DTU Space has been placing great effort on the Arctic data screening, filtering, and de-noising using various altimetry retracking solutions and classifications. All the pre-processing contributed to the fine modelling of Actic gravity map. Thereafter, the arctic marine gravity grids will eventually be translated (downward continuation operation) to a new altimetry enhanced Arctic bathymetry map using appropriate band-pass filtering.

pyGrav, a Python-based program for handling and processing relative gravity data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hector, Basile; Hinderer, Jacques

2016-06-01

pyGrav is a Python-based open-source software dedicated to the complete processing of relative-gravity data. It is particularly suited for time-lapse gravity surveys where high precision is sought. Its purpose is to bind together single-task processing codes in a user-friendly interface for handy and fast treatment of raw gravity data from many stations of a network. The intuitive object-based implementation allows to easily integrate additional functions (reading/writing routines, processing schemes, data plots) related to the appropriate object (a station, a loop, or a survey). This makes pyGrav an evolving tool. Raw data can be corrected for tides and air pressure effects. The data selection step features a double table-plot graphical window with either manual or automatic selection according to specific thresholds on data channels (tilts, gravity values, gravity standard deviation, duration of measurements, etc.). Instrumental drifts and gravity residuals are obtained by least square analysis of the dataset. This first step leads to the gravity simple differences between a reference point and any point of the network. When different repetitions of the network are done, the software computes then the gravity double differences and associated errors. The program has been tested on two specific case studies: a large dataset acquired for the study of water storage changes on a small catchment in West Africa, and a dataset operated and processed by several different users for geothermal studies in northern Alsace, France. In both cases, pyGrav proved to be an efficient and easy-to-use solution for the effective processing of relative-gravity data.

APOKASC 2.0: Asteroseismology and Spectroscopy for Cool Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinsonneault, Marc H.; Elsworth, Yvonne P.; APOKASC

2017-01-01

The APOGEE survey has obtained and analyzed high resolution H band spectra of more than 10,000 cool dwarfs and giants in the original Kepler fields. The APOKASC effort combines this data with asteroseismology and star spot studies, resulting in more than 7,000 stellar mass estimates for dwarfs and giants with high quality abundances, temperatures, and surface gravities. We highlight the main results from this effort so far, which include a tight correlation between surface abundances in giants and stellar mass, precise absolute gravity calibrations, and the discovery of unexpected stellar populations, such as young alpha-enhanced stars. We discuss grid modeling estimates for stellar masses and compare the absolute asteroseismic mass scale to calibrators in star clusters and the halo Directions for future efforts are discussed.

Development and calibration of an air-floating six-axis force measurement platform using self-calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Bin; Wang, Xiaomeng; Li, Chengwei; Yi, Jiajing; Lu, Rongsheng; Tao, Jiayue

2016-09-01

This paper describes the design, working principle, as well as calibration of an air-floating six-axis force measurement platform, where the floating plate and nozzles were connected without contact, preventing inter-dimensional coupling and increasing precision significantly. The measurement repeatability error of the force size in the platform is less than 0.2% full scale (FS), which is significantly better than the precision of 1% FS in the six-axis force sensors on the current market. We overcame the difficulties of weight loading device in high-precision calibration by proposing a self-calibration method based on the floating plate gravity and met the calibration precision requirement of 0.02% FS. This study has general implications for the development and calibration of high-precision multi-axis force sensors. In particular, the air-floating six-axis force measurement platform could be applied to the calibration of some special sensors such as flexible tactile sensors and may be used as a micro-nano mechanical assembly platform for real-time assembly force testing.

Airborne Sea-Surface Topography in an Absolute Reference Frame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brozena, J. M.; Childers, V. A.; Jacobs, G.; Blaha, J.

2003-12-01

Highly dynamic coastal ocean processes occur at temporal and spatial scales that cannot be captured by the present generation of satellite altimeters. Space-borne gravity missions such as GRACE also provide time-varying gravity and a geoidal msl reference surface at resolution that is too coarse for many coastal applications. The Naval Research Laboratory and the Naval Oceanographic Office have been testing the application of airborne measurement techniques, gravity and altimetry, to determine sea-surface height and height anomaly at the short scales required for littoral regions. We have developed a precise local gravimetric geoid over a test region in the northern Gulf of Mexico from historical gravity data and recent airborne gravity surveys. The local geoid provides a msl reference surface with a resolution of about 10-15 km and provides a means to connect airborne, satellite and tide-gage observations in an absolute (WGS-84) framework. A series of altimetry reflights over the region with time scales of 1 day to 1 year reveal a highly dynamic environment with coherent and rapidly varying sea-surface height anomalies. AXBT data collected at the same time show apparent correlation with wave-like temperature anomalies propagating up the continental slope of the Desoto Canyon. We present animations of the temporal evolution of the surface topography and water column temperature structure down to the 800 m depth of the AXBT sensors.

Actin-based gravity-sensing mechanisms in unicellular plant model systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braun, Markus; Limbach, Christoph

2005-08-01

Considerable progress has been made in the understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying gravity sensing and gravity-oriented polarized growth in single-celled rhizoids and protonemata of the characean algae. It is well known that the actin cytoskeleton plays a key role in these processes. Numerous actin-binding proteins control apical actin polymerization and the dynamic remodeling of the actin arrangement. An actomyosin-based system mediates the delivery and incorporation of secretory vesicles at the growing tip and coordinates the tip-high gradient of cytoplasmic free calcium which is required for local exocytosis. Additionally, the actomyosin system precisely controls the position of statoliths and, upon a change in orientation relative to the gravity vector, directs sedimenting statoliths to the confined graviperception sites of the plasma membrane where gravitropic signalling is initiated. The upward growth response of protonemata is preceded by an actin-dependent relocalization of the Ca2+-gradient to the upper flank. The downward growth response of rhizoids, however, is caused by differential growth of the opposite flankes due to a local reduction of cytoplasmic free calcium limited to the plasma membrane area where statoliths are sedimented. Thus, constant actin polymerization in the growing tip and the spatiotemporal control of actin remodeling are essential for gravity sensing and gravity-oriented polarized growth of characean rhizoids and protonemata.

DISENTANGLING CONFUSED STARS AT THE GALACTIC CENTER WITH LONG-BASELINE INFRARED INTERFEROMETRY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stone, Jordan M.; Eisner, J. A.; Monnier, J. D.

2012-08-01

We present simulations of Keck Interferometer ASTRA and VLTI GRAVITY observations of mock star fields in orbit within {approx}50 mas of Sgr A*. Dual-field phase referencing techniques, as implemented on ASTRA and planned for GRAVITY, will provide the sensitivity to observe Sgr A* with long-baseline infrared interferometers. Our results show an improvement in the confusion noise limit over current astrometric surveys, opening a window to study stellar sources in the region. Since the Keck Interferometer has only a single baseline, the improvement in the confusion limit depends on source position angles. The GRAVITY instrument will yield a more compact andmore » symmetric point-spread function, providing an improvement in confusion noise which will not depend as strongly on position angle. Our Keck results show the ability to characterize the star field as containing zero, few, or many bright stellar sources. We are also able to detect and track a source down to m{sub K} {approx} 18 through the least confused regions of our field of view at a precision of {approx}200 {mu}as along the baseline direction. This level of precision improves with source brightness. Our GRAVITY results show the potential to detect and track multiple sources in the field. GRAVITY will perform {approx}10 {mu}as astrometry on an m{sub K} = 16.3 source and {approx}200 {mu}as astrometry on an m{sub K} = 18.8 source in 6 hr of monitoring a crowded field. Monitoring the orbits of several stars will provide the ability to distinguish between multiple post-Newtonian orbital effects, including those due to an extended mass distribution around Sgr A* and to low-order general relativistic effects. ASTRA and GRAVITY both have the potential to detect and monitor sources very close to Sgr A*. Early characterizations of the field by ASTRA, including the possibility of a precise source detection, could provide valuable information for future GRAVITY implementation and observation.« less

Constraining the interior density profile of a Jovian planet from precision gravity field data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Movshovitz, Naor; Fortney, Jonathan J.; Helled, Ravit; Hubbard, William B.; Thorngren, Daniel; Mankovich, Chris; Wahl, Sean; Militzer, Burkhard; Durante, Daniele

2017-10-01

The external gravity field of a planetary body is determined by the distribution of mass in its interior. Therefore, a measurement of the external field, properly interpreted, tells us about the interior density profile, ρ(r), which in turn can be used to constrain the composition in the interior and thereby learn about the formation mechanism of the planet. Planetary gravity fields are usually described by the coefficients in an expansion of the gravitational potential. Recently, high precision measurements of these coefficients for Jupiter and Saturn have been made by the radio science instruments on the Juno and Cassini spacecraft, respectively.The resulting coefficients come with an associated uncertainty. And while the task of matching a given density profile with a given set of gravity coefficients is relatively straightforward, the question of how best to account for the uncertainty is not. In essentially all prior work on matching models to gravity field data, inferences about planetary structure have rested on imperfect knowledge of the H/He equation of state and on the assumption of an adiabatic interior. Here we wish to vastly expand the phase space of such calculations. We present a framework for describing all the possible interior density structures of a Jovian planet, constrained only by a given set of gravity coefficients and their associated uncertainties. Our approach is statistical. We produce a random sample of ρ(a) curves drawn from the underlying (and unknown) probability distribution of all curves, where ρ is the density on an interior level surface with equatorial radius a. Since the resulting set of density curves is a random sample, that is, curves appear with frequency proportional to the likelihood of their being consistent with the measured gravity, we can compute probability distributions for any quantity that is a function of ρ, such as central pressure, oblateness, core mass and radius, etc. Our approach is also bayesian, in that it can utilize any prior assumptions about the planet's interior, as necessary, without being overly constrained by them.We demonstrate this approach with a sample of Jupiter interior models based on recent Juno data and discuss prospects for Saturn.

Large scale mass redistribution and surface displacement from GRACE and SLR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, M.; Ries, J. C.; Tapley, B. D.

2012-12-01

Mass transport between the atmosphere, ocean and solid earth results in the temporal variations in the Earth gravity field and loading induced deformation of the Earth. Recent space-borne observations, such as GRACE mission, are providing extremely high precision temporal variations of gravity field. The results from 10-yr GRACE data has shown a significant annual variations of large scale vertical and horizontal displacements occurring over the Amazon, Himalayan region and South Asia, African, and Russian with a few mm amplitude. Improving understanding from monitoring and modeling of the large scale mass redistribution and the Earth's response are a critical for all studies in the geosciences, in particular for determination of Terrestrial Reference System (TRS), including geocenter motion. This paper will report results for the observed seasonal variations in the 3-dimentional surface displacements of SLR and GPS tracking stations and compare with the prediction from time series of GRACE monthly gravity solution.

Results from Radio Tracking the Rosetta Spacecraft: Gravity, Internal Structure and Nucleus Composition of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hahn, M.; Andert, T.; Asmar, S.; Bird, M. K.; Häusler, B.; Peter, K.; Tellmann, S.; Weissman, P. R.; Barriot, J. P.; Sierks, H.

2017-12-01

When Rosetta arrived at its target comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko it first performed a series of distant flybys (100 - 30 km). During this mission phase the mass of the comets nucleus could be determined by analyzing the RSI radio tracking data. In combination with the volume from images of the OSIRIS camera this resulted in a precise bulk density determination. That already gave first insights into the comets interior structure. The nucleus appears to be a low-density, highly porous dusty body. From bound orbits with distances below 30 km the low degree and order gravity field coefficients could be derived. The gravity field coefficients strongly depend on the nucleus irregular shape and on the interior mass distribution. The shape is very well reconstructed from of the OSIRIS camera images. Various models of the interior nucleus structure and density distributions are used to compute simulated values of the gravity field coefficients. A comparison with the observed coefficients yields the feasibility of the theoretical interior structure. Thus, the gravity field helps constraining models of the internal structure, the composition and also of the origin and formation of the comets nucleus.

Techniques, analysis, and noise in a Salt Lake Valley 4D gravity experiment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gettings, P.; Chapman, D.S.; Allis, R.

2008-01-01

Repeated high-precision gravity measurements using an automated gravimeter and analysis of time series of 1-Hz samples allowed gravity measurements to be made with an accuracy of 5 ??Gal or better. Nonlinear instrument drift was removed using a new empirical staircase function built from multiple station loops. The new technique was developed between March 1999 and September 2000 in a pilot study conducted in the southern Salt Lake Valley along an east-west profile of eight stations from the Wasatch Mountains to the Jordan River. Gravity changes at eight profile stations were referenced to a set of five stations in the northern Salt Lake Valley, which showed residual signals of <10 ??Gal in amplitude, assuming a reference station near the Great Salt Lake to be stable. Referenced changes showed maximum amplitudes of -40 through +40 ??Gal at profile stations, with minima in summer 1999, maxima in winter 1999-2000, and some decrease through summer 2000. Gravity signals were likely a composite of production-induced changes monitored by well-water levels, elevation changes, precipitation-induced vadose-zone changes, and local irrigation effects for which magnitudes were estimated quantitatively. ?? 2008 Society of Exploration Geophysicists. All rights reserved.

Thermo-electric transport in gauge/gravity models with momentum dissipation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amoretti, Andrea; Braggio, Alessandro; Maggiore, Nicola; Magnoli, Nicodemo; Musso, Daniele

2014-09-01

We present a systematic definition and analysis of the thermo-electric linear response in gauge/gravity systems focusing especially on models with massive gravity in the bulk and therefore momentum dissipation in the dual field theory. A precise treatment of finite counter-terms proves to be essential to yield a consistent physical picture whose hydrodynamic and beyond-hydrodynamics behaviors noticeably match with field theoretical expectations. The model furnishes a possible gauge/gravity description of the crossover from the quantum-critical to the disorder-dominated Fermi-liquid behaviors, as expected in graphene.

Testing the weak gravity-cosmic censorship connection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crisford, Toby; Horowitz, Gary T.; Santos, Jorge E.

2018-03-01

A surprising connection between the weak gravity conjecture and cosmic censorship has recently been proposed. In particular, it was argued that a promising class of counterexamples to cosmic censorship in four-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell-Λ theory would be removed if charged particles (with sufficient charge) were present. We test this idea and find that indeed if the weak gravity conjecture is true, one cannot violate cosmic censorship this way. Remarkably, the minimum value of charge required to preserve cosmic censorship appears to agree precisely with that proposed by the weak gravity conjecture.

A new Ellipsoidal Gravimetric-Satellite Altimetry Boundary Value Problem; Case study: High Resolution Geoid of Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardalan, A.; Safari, A.; Grafarend, E.

2003-04-01

A new ellipsoidal gravimetric-satellite altimetry boundary value problem has been developed and successfully tested. This boundary value problem has been constructed for gravity observables of the type (i) gravity potential (ii) gravity intensity (iii) deflection of vertical and (iv) satellite altimetry data. The developed boundary value problem is enjoying the ellipsoidal nature and as such can take advantage of high precision GPS observations in the set-up of the problem. The highlights of the solution are as follows: begin{itemize} Application of ellipsoidal harmonic expansion up to degree/order and ellipsoidal centrifugal field for the reduction of global gravity and isostasy effects from the gravity observable at the surface of the Earth. Application of ellipsoidal Newton integral on the equal area map projection surface for the reduction of residual mass effects within a radius of 55 km around the computational point. Ellipsoidal harmonic downward continuation of the residual observables from the surface of the earth down to the surface of reference ellipsoid using the ellipsoidal height of the observation points derived from GPS. Restore of the removed effects at the application points on the surface of reference ellipsoid. Conversion of the satellite altimetry derived heights of the water bodies into potential. Combination of the downward continued gravity information with the potential equivalent of the satellite altimetry derived heights of the water bodies. Application of ellipsoidal Bruns formula for converting the potential values on the surface of the reference ellipsoid into the geoidal heights (i.e. ellipsoidal heights of the geoid) with respect to the reference ellipsoid. Computation of the high-resolution geoid of Iran has successfully tested this new methodology!

Gravity model improvement using the DORIS tracking system on the SPOT 2 satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nerem, R. S.; Lerch, F. J.; Williamson, R. G.; Klosko, S. M.; Robbins, J. W.; Patel, G. B.

1994-01-01

A high-precision radiometric satellite tracking system, Doppler Orbitography and Radio-positioning Integrated by Satellite system (DORIS), has recently been developed by the French space agency, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). DORIS was designed to provide tracking support for missions such as the joint United States/French TOPEX/Poseidon. As part of the flight testing process, a DORIS package was flown on the French SPOT 2 satellite. A substantial quantity of geodetic quality tracking data was obtained on SPOT 2 from an extensive international DORIS tracking network. These data were analyzed to assess their accuracy and to evaluate the gravitational modeling enhancements provided by these data in combination with the Goddard Earth Model-T3 (GEM-T3) gravitational model. These observations have noise levels of 0.4 to 0.5 mm/s, with few residual systematic effects. Although the SPOT 2 satellite experiences high atmospheric drag forces, the precision and global coverage of the DORIS tracking data have enabled more extensive orbit parameterization to mitigate these effects. As a result, the SPOT 2 orbital errors have been reduced to an estimated radial accuracy in the 10-20 cm RMS range. The addition of these data, which encompass many regions heretofore lacking in precision satellite tracking, has significantly improved GEM-T3 and allowed greatly improved orbit accuracies for Sun-synchronous satellites like SPOT 2 (such as ERS 1 and EOS). Comparison of the ensuing gravity model with other contemporary fields (GRIM-4C2, TEG2B, and OSU91A) provides a means to assess the current state of knowledge of the Earth's gravity field. Thus, the DORIS experiment on SPOT 2 has provided a strong basis for evaluating this new orbit tracking technology and has demonstrated the important contribution of the DORIS network to the success of the TOPEX/Poseidon mission.

The Equivalence of Precession Phenomena in Metric Theories of Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krisher, Timothy P.

1997-01-01

The requirement of general covariance imparts to metric theories of gravity, such as general relavity, important structural features. A precise mathematical form results, ensuring that computation of observable physical effects in the theory gives the same answers independently of the chosen system of coordinates.

Expected precision of Europa Clipper gravity measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, Ashok K.; Margot, Jean-Luc

2018-11-01

The primary gravity science objective of NASA's Clipper mission to Europa is to confirm the presence or absence of a global subsurface ocean beneath Europa's Icy crust. Gravity field measurements obtained with a radio science investigation can reveal much about Europa's interior structure. Here, we conduct extensive simulations of the radio science measurements with the anticipated spacecraft trajectory and attitude (17F12v2) and assets on the spacecraft and the ground, including antenna orientations and beam patterns, transmitter characteristics, and receiver noise figures. In addition to two-way Doppler measurements, we also include radar altimeter crossover range measurements. We concentrate on ± 2 h intervals centered on the closest approach of each of the 46 flybys. Our covariance analyses reveal the precision with which the tidal Love number k2, second-degree gravity coefficients Cbar20 and Cbar22 , and higher-order gravity coefficients can be determined. The results depend on the Deep Space Network (DSN) assets that are deployed to track the spacecraft. We find that some DSN allocations are sufficient to conclusively confirm the presence or absence of a global ocean. Given adequate crossover range performance, it is also possible to evaluate whether the ice shell is hydrostatic.

TESTING GRAVITY WITH QUASI-PERIODIC OSCILLATIONS FROM ACCRETING BLACK HOLES: THE CASE OF THE EINSTEIN–DILATON–GAUSS–BONNET THEORY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maselli, Andrea; Gualtieri, Leonardo; Ferrari, Valeria

Quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) observed in the X-ray flux emitted by accreting black holes are associated with phenomena occurring near the horizon. Future very large area X-ray instruments will be able to measure QPO frequencies with very high precision, thus probing this strong-field region. Using the relativistic precession model, we show the way in which QPO frequencies could be used to test general relativity (GR) against those alternative theories of gravity which predict deviations from the classical theory in the strong-field and high-curvature regimes. We consider one of the best-motivated high-curvature corrections to GR, namely, the Einstein–Dilaton–Gauss–Bonnet theory, and show thatmore » a detection of QPOs with the expected sensitivity of the proposed ESA M-class mission LOFT would set the most stringent constraints on the parameter space of this theory.« less

The use of visual cues in gravity judgements on parabolic motion.

PubMed

Jörges, Björn; Hagenfeld, Lena; López-Moliner, Joan

2018-06-21

Evidence suggests that humans rely on an earth gravity prior for sensory-motor tasks like catching or reaching. Even under earth-discrepant conditions, this prior biases perception and action towards assuming a gravitational downwards acceleration of 9.81 m/s 2 . This can be particularly detrimental in interactions with virtual environments employing earth-discrepant gravity conditions for their visual presentation. The present study thus investigates how well humans discriminate visually presented gravities and which cues they use to extract gravity from the visual scene. To this end, we employed a Two-Interval Forced-Choice Design. In Experiment 1, participants had to judge which of two presented parabolas had the higher underlying gravity. We used two initial vertical velocities, two horizontal velocities and a constant target size. Experiment 2 added a manipulation of the reliability of the target size. Experiment 1 shows that participants have generally high discrimination thresholds for visually presented gravities, with weber fractions of 13 to beyond 30%. We identified the rate of change of the elevation angle (ẏ) and the visual angle (θ) as major cues. Experiment 2 suggests furthermore that size variability has a small influence on discrimination thresholds, while at the same time larger size variability increases reliance on ẏ and decreases reliance on θ. All in all, even though we use all available information, humans display low precision when extracting the governing gravity from a visual scene, which might further impact our capabilities of adapting to earth-discrepant gravity conditions with visual information alone. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Isostatic gravity map of the Nevada Test Site and vicinity, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ponce, D.A.; Harris, R.N.; Oliver, H.W.

1988-12-31

The isostatic gravity map of the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and vicinity is based on about 16,000 gravity stations. Principal facts of the gravity data were listed by Harris and others (1989) and their report included descriptions of base stations, high-precision and absolute gravity stations, and data accuracy. Observed gravity values were referenced to the International Gravity Standardization Net 1971 gravity datum described by Morelli (1974) and reduced using the Geodetic Reference System 1967 formula for the normal gravity on the ellipsoid (International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, 1971). Free-air, Bouguer, curvature, and terrain corrections for a standard reduction densitymore » of 2.67 g/cm{sup 3} were made to compute complete Bouguer anomalies. Terrain corrections were made to a radial distance of 166.7 km from each station using a digital elevation model and a computer procedure by Plouff (1977) and, in general, include manually estimated inner-zone terrain corrections. Finally, isostatic corrections were made using a procedure by Simpson and others (1983) based on an Airy-Heiskanen model with local compensation (Heiskanen and Moritz, 1967) with an upper-crustal density of 2.67 g/cm{sup 3}, a crustal thickness of 25 km, and a density contrast between the lower-crust and upper-mantle of 0.4 g/cm{sup 3}. Isostatic corrections help remove the effects of long-wavelength anomalies related to topography and their compensating masses and, thus, enhance short- to moderate-wavelength anomalies caused by near surface geologic features. 6 refs.« less

From Germany to Antarctica: Airborne geodesy and geophysics and the utilization of the research aircraft HALO (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheinert, M.; Barthelmes, F.; Foerste, C.; Heyde, I.

2013-12-01

The geoid as an equipotential surface of the gravity potential plays a crucial role for the realiziation of the Global Geodetic Observation System (GGOS) of IAG (International Association of Geodesy). It is the major reference surface for physical height systems. The gravity potential is needed to precisely predict the orbits of artificial satellites of the earth. A precise static solution enters analyses of temporal changes of the gravity field due to mass transport processes between the different subsystems of the earth. However, also in neighbouring disciplines the geoid is applied. In oceanography, for example, the geoid serves as a reference surface for the determination of the mean sea-surface topography (MSST). In glaciology, it enters analyses of the thickness of ice bodies floating in polar waters, based on freeboard heights and the equilibrium supposition. To come up with high resolution global gravity field models, satellite observations - preferably of the dedicated satellite gravity missions - have to be combined with surface gravity data. Although the majority of the continental surface is captured by ground-based or near-surface gravity measurements - and gravity over the oceans is determined by satellite altimetry - still large gaps in surface gravity data exist. In this respect it is the Antarctic continent which suffers large data gaps, not only in surface gravity but also due to the polar gap of GOCE satellite gravimetry. Chairing the IAG Subcommission 2.4f 'Gravity and Geoid in Antarctica' (AntGG) the author will discuss the current status of gravity surveys in Antarctica. Especially airborne gravimetry has been and is being widely applied as the only reasonable method to survey large areas in this vast and hostile environment. As a novel application the German research aircraft HALO was utilized for a geodetic-geophysical flight mission. Measurements were realized to acquire data of the gravity and magnetic fields, of GNSS remote sensing and of laser altimetry over Italy and adjacent (Tyrrhenian, Adriatic and Ionian) seas. This so-called GEOHALO flight mission was carried out in the time period from June 2 to 12, 2012. The flights comprised seven parallel profiles directing from north-west to south-east, in a height of about 3,500 m, with a length of about 1,000 km each and a line spacing of about 40 km. These long profiles were complemented by four crossing profiles and a profile at an altitude of approx. 10 km along the same track as the center long profile. Special focus will be given to the results of airborne gravimetry and laser altimetry to further investigate the gravity field and the sea-surface topography in the Mediterranean. Furthermore, the status of HALO and future plans to utilize HALO for an Antarctic flight mission will be discussed. Applications of airborne gravimetry to investigate geodetic problems in Antarctica shall be shortly discussed, together with an outlook of AntGG.

Laser-ranging long-baseline differential atom interferometers for space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiow, Sheng-wey; Williams, Jason; Yu, Nan

2015-12-01

High-sensitivity differential atom interferometers (AIs) are promising for precision measurements in science frontiers in space, including gravity-field mapping for Earth science studies and gravitational wave detection. Difficulties associated with implementing long-baseline differential AIs have previously included the need for a high optical power, large differential Doppler shifts, and narrow dynamic range. We propose a configuration of twin AIs connected by a laser-ranging interferometer (LRI-AI) to provide precise information of the displacements between the two AI reference mirrors and also to phase-lock the two independent interferometer lasers over long distances, thereby drastically improving the practical feasibility of long-baseline differential AI measurements. We show that a properly implemented LRI-AI can achieve equivalent functionality to the conventional differential AI measurement configuration.

Gravitational mass of positron from LEP synchrotron losses.

PubMed

Kalaydzhyan, Tigran

2016-07-27

General relativity(GR) is the current description of gravity in modern physics. One of the cornerstones of GR, as well as Newton's theory of gravity, is the weak equivalence principle (WEP), stating that the trajectory of a freely falling test body is independent of its internal structure and composition. WEP is known to be valid for the normal matter with a high precision. However, due to the rarity of antimatter and weakness of the gravitational forces, the WEP has never been confirmed for antimatter. The current direct bounds on the ratio between the gravitational and inertial masses of the antihydrogen do not rule out a repulsive nature for the antimatter gravity. Here we establish an indirect bound of 0.13% on the difference between the gravitational and inertial masses of the positron (antielectron) from the analysis of synchrotron losses at the Large Electron-Positron collider (LEP). This serves as a confirmation of the conventional gravitational properties of antimatter without common assumptions such as, e.g., coupling of gravity to virtual particles, dynamics of distant astrophysical sources and the nature of absolute gravitational potentials.

Gravitational mass of positron from LEP synchrotron losses

PubMed Central

Kalaydzhyan, Tigran

2016-01-01

General relativity(GR) is the current description of gravity in modern physics. One of the cornerstones of GR, as well as Newton’s theory of gravity, is the weak equivalence principle (WEP), stating that the trajectory of a freely falling test body is independent of its internal structure and composition. WEP is known to be valid for the normal matter with a high precision. However, due to the rarity of antimatter and weakness of the gravitational forces, the WEP has never been confirmed for antimatter. The current direct bounds on the ratio between the gravitational and inertial masses of the antihydrogen do not rule out a repulsive nature for the antimatter gravity. Here we establish an indirect bound of 0.13% on the difference between the gravitational and inertial masses of the positron (antielectron) from the analysis of synchrotron losses at the Large Electron-Positron collider (LEP). This serves as a confirmation of the conventional gravitational properties of antimatter without common assumptions such as, e.g., coupling of gravity to virtual particles, dynamics of distant astrophysical sources and the nature of absolute gravitational potentials. PMID:27461548

Estimating aquifer properties using time-lapse, high precision gravity surveys and groundwater modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keating, E.; Cogbill, A. H.; Ferguson, J. F.

2003-12-01

In the past, gravity methods have had limited application for monitoring aquifers, primarily due to the poor drift characteristics of relative gravimeters, which made long-term gravity studies of aquifers prohibitively expensive. Recent developments in portable, very accurate, absolute gravity instruments having essentially zero long-term drift have reawakened interest in using gravity methods for hydrologic monitoring. Such instruments have accuracies of 7 microGals or better and can acquire measurements at the rate of better than one station per hour. Theoretically, temporal changes in gravity can be used to infer storage characteristics and fluxes into and out of the aquifer. The sensitivity of the method to scaling effects, temporal lags between recharge/discharge and changes in storage, and to uncertainties in aquifer structure are poorly understood. In preparation for interpreting a basin-scale, time-lapse gravity data set, we have established a network of gravity stations within the Espanola Basin in northern New Mexico, a semi-arid region which is experiencing rapid population growth and groundwater resource use. We are using an existing basin-scale groundwater flow model to predict changes in mass, given our current level of understanding of inflows, outflows, and aquifer properties. Preliminary model results will be used to examine scaling issues related to the spatial density of the gravity station network and depths to the regional water table. By modeling the gravitational response to water movement in the aquifer, we study the sensitivity of gravity measurements to aquifer storage properties, given other known uncertainties in basin-scale fluxes. Results will be used to evaluate the adequacy of the existing network and to modify its design, if necessary.

Test of Newtonian gravity at short range using pico-precision displacement sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akiyama, Takashi; Hata, Maki; Ninomiya, Kazufumi; Nishio, Hironori; Ogawa, Naruya; Sekiguchi, Yuta; Watanabe, Kentaro; Murata, Jiro

2009-10-01

Recent theoretical models of physics beyond the standard model, including attempts to resolve the hierarchy problem, predict deviations from the Newtonian gravity at short distances below millimeters. Present NEWTON project aims an experimental test of the inverse-square law at the millimeter scale, using a torsion pendulum with a pico-precision displacement sensor, which was originally developed for the micron precision optical alignment system (OASys) for the PHENIX muon tracking chambers at RHIC, using digital image analysis technique. In order to examine the gravitational force at short range scale around micrometers, we have developed a new apparatus NEWTON-III, which can determine the local gravitational acceleration by measuring the motion of the torsion pendulum. In this presentation, the development status and the results of the NEWTON-experiment will be reported.

Geopotential models in the Australian region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kearsley, A. H. W.; Holloway, R. D.

1989-01-01

The ability of three high-order geopotential models (OSU81, GPM2 and OSU86E) to recover the gravity anomaly field (delta g) in the Australian region was tested. The region was divided into 2 x 2 deg blocks, and the mean and rms of the residual gravity (delta g measured - delta g modeled) was found to estimate the fit of the model to the point gravity data. The results showed that OSU81 and GPM2 performed similarly, recovering the delta g with a mean value of less than plus or minus 5 mGal in 63 and 70 percent of the blocks, respectively. However, both these models achieved a fit of worse that was plus or minus 13 mGal in 6 to 7 percent of cases. These were in areas either on or near the coast, or in the Central Australian region, inferring that for a precise geoid slope determination in these regions, a detailed analysis of delta g in region is needed. On the other hand, OSU86E produced a very good result, having a mean fit of less than plus or minus 5 mGal in 80 percent of the blocks, and worse than plus or minus 13 mGal in only 1 percent of cases. The rms values for this model were also improved over the other two models, indicating that for applications requiring highest precision, the preferred model is OSU86E.

Electromagnetic fields of slowly rotating magnetized compact stars in conformal gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turimov, Bobur; Ahmedov, Bobomurat; Abdujabbarov, Ahmadjon; Bambi, Cosimo

2018-06-01

In this paper we investigate the exterior vacuum electromagnetic fields of slow-rotating magnetized compact stars in conformal gravity. Assuming the dipolar magnetic field configuration, we obtain an analytical solution of the Maxwell equations for the magnetic and the electric fields outside a slowly rotating magnetized star in conformal gravity. Furthermore, we study the dipolar electromagnetic radiation and energy losses from a rotating magnetized star in conformal gravity. In order to get constraints on the L parameter of conformal gravity, the theoretical results for the magnetic field of a magnetized star in conformal gravity are combined with the precise observational data of radio pulsar period slowdown, and it is found that the maximum value of the parameter of conformal gravity is less than L ≲9.5 ×105 cm (L /M ≲5 ).

Testing Gravity via Lunar Laser Ranging: Maximizing Data Quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, Thomas

We propose to continue leading-edge observations with the Apache Point Observatory Lunar Laser-ranging Operation (APOLLO), in an effort to subject gravity to the most stringent tests yet. APOLLO has delivered a dramatic improvement in the measurement of the lunar orbit: now at the millimeter level. Yet incomplete models are thus far unable to confirm the accuracy. We therefore seek to build a calibration system to ensure that APOLLO meets its millimeter measurement goal. Gravity--the most evident force of nature--is in fact the weakest of the fundamental forces, and consequently the most poorly tested. Einstein’s general relativity, which is currently our best description of gravity, is fundamentally incompatible with quantum mechanics and is likely to be replaced by a more complete theory in the future. A modified theory would predict small deviations in the solar system that could have profound consequences for our understanding of the Universe as a whole. Lunar laser ranging (LLR), in which short laser pulses launched from a telescope are bounced off of reflectors placed on the Moon by U.S. astronauts and Soviet landers, has for decades produced some of the leading tests of gravity by mapping the shape of the lunar orbit to high precision. These include tests of the strong equivalence principle, the time-rate-ofchange of Newton’s gravitational constant, gravitomagnetism, the inverse-square law, and many others. Among the attributes that contribute to APOLLO’s superior observations, routine ranging to all five lunar reflectors on timescales of minutes dramatically improves our ability to gauge lunar orientation and body distortion. This information produces insights into the interior structure and dynamics of the Moon, allowing a more precise determination of the path for the Moon’s center of mass, lending to tests of fundamental gravity. Simultaneously, higher precision range measurements, together with data from a superconducting gravimeter at the Apache Observatory and from a high-quality Global Positioning System (GPS) station 2.5 km away, will greatly improve our understanding of the instantaneous location of the Observatory with respect to the Earth’s center of mass (needed for the gravitational tests) by exposing subtle Earth dynamics that must be incorporated into the model. In addition to dramatic improvements in the classical gravitational tests listed above, APOLLO will permit exploration of new ideas in physics relating to dark energy, extra dimensions, and violations of Lorentz Invariance. This proposal will have two thrusts: to continue acquiring APOLLO data, thereby probing longer-period terms in the lunar orbit; and to design and construct an absolute calibration system that can either verify APOLLO data accuracy and stability or expose elements in need of attention. APOLLO has been effective at public outreach and education not only by direct involvement with students and underrepresented groups, but also via news articles, magazine articles, radio interviews, and appearances on popular television shows. This level of media attention should continue into the future, given the appealing combination of tests of Einstein's gravity, the legendary lunar landings, and remarkable technology.

High-fidelity gravity modeling applied to spacecraft trajectories and lunar interior analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chappaz, Loic P. R.

As the complexity and boldness of emerging mission proposals increase, and with the rapid evolution of the available computational capabilities, high-accuracy and high-resolution gravity models and the tools to exploit such models are increasingly attractive within the context of spaceflight mechanics, mission design and analysis, and planetary science in general. First, in trajectory design applications, a gravity representation for the bodies of interest is, in general, assumed and exploited to determine the motion of a spacecraft in any given system. The focus is the exploration of trajectories in the vicinity of a system comprised of two small irregular bodies. Within this context, the primary bodies are initially modeled as massive ellipsoids and tools to construct third-body trajectories are developed. However, these dynamical models are idealized representations of the actual dynamical regime and do not account for any perturbing effects. Thus, a robust strategy to maintain a spacecraft near reference third-body trajectories is constructed. Further, it is important to assess the perturbing effect that dominates the dynamics of the spacecraft in such a region as a function of the baseline orbit. Alternatively, the motion of the spacecraft around a given body may be known to extreme precision enabling the derivation of a very high-accuracy gravity field for that body. Such knowledge can subsequently be exploited to gain insight into specific properties of the body. The success of the NASA's GRAIL mission ensures that the highest resolution and most accurate gravity data for the Moon is now available. In the GRAIL investigation, the focus is on the specific task of detecting the presence and extent of subsurface features, such as empty lava tubes beneath the mare surface. In addition to their importance for understanding the emplacement of the mare flood basalts, open lava tubes are of interest as possible habitation sites safe from cosmic radiation and micrometeorite impacts. Tools are developed to best exploit the rich gravity data toward the numerical detection of such small features.

The Great Exoplanet Eclipse: Spitzer Observations of the Benchmark Sub-Saturn-Mass Planet KELT-11b

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colon, Knicole; Beatty, Thomas; Line, Michael; Kreidberg, Laura; Lopez, Eric; Stassun, Keivan; Rodriguez, Joseph; Pepper, Joshua; James, David

2017-10-01

KELT-11b is a unique sub-Saturn-mass planet with a super-Jupiter radius that is in orbit around a bright, metal-rich, sub-giant star. We propose to observe a single eclipse of KELT-11b with Spitzer in IRAC Channel 2, which will allow us to precisely constrain the orbital eccentricity of the planet, study atmospheric circulation in an as yet unexplored regime of planetary surface gravity and temperature, and perform comparative science with other exoplanets in order to explore the correlation between surface gravity and thermal structure. Spitzer is the only active facility capable of providing the high precision, continuous infrared eclipse photometry of KELT-11b that is required to reach these objectives. The Spitzer infrared eclipse combined with near-infrared transmission spectroscopy that we will obtain with WFC3 on the Hubble Space Telescope will ultimately enable a detailed investigation of the atmospheric properties of KELT-11b and will provide a benchmark for planning thermal observations of exoplanets with the James Webb Space Telescope.

A new theory of gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ni, W.

1972-01-01

A new relativistic theory of gravity is presented. This theory agrees with all experiments to date. It is a metric theory, it is Lagrangian-based, and it possesses a preferred frame with conformally-flat space slices. With an appropriate choice of certain adjustable functions and parameters, this theory possesses precisely the same post-Newtonian limit as general relativity.

Parameterized post-Newtonian cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanghai, Viraj A. A.; Clifton, Timothy

2017-03-01

Einstein’s theory of gravity has been extensively tested on solar system scales, and for isolated astrophysical systems, using the perturbative framework known as the parameterized post-Newtonian (PPN) formalism. This framework is designed for use in the weak-field and slow-motion limit of gravity, and can be used to constrain a large class of metric theories of gravity with data collected from the aforementioned systems. Given the potential of future surveys to probe cosmological scales to high precision, it is a topic of much contemporary interest to construct a similar framework to link Einstein’s theory of gravity and its alternatives to observations on cosmological scales. Our approach to this problem is to adapt and extend the existing PPN formalism for use in cosmology. We derive a set of equations that use the same parameters to consistently model both weak fields and cosmology. This allows us to parameterize a large class of modified theories of gravity and dark energy models on cosmological scales, using just four functions of time. These four functions can be directly linked to the background expansion of the universe, first-order cosmological perturbations, and the weak-field limit of the theory. They also reduce to the standard PPN parameters on solar system scales. We illustrate how dark energy models and scalar-tensor and vector-tensor theories of gravity fit into this framework, which we refer to as ‘parameterized post-Newtonian cosmology’ (PPNC).

Synaptic plasticity and gravity: Ultrastructural, biochemical and physico-chemical fundamentals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmann, H.; Slenzka, K.; Körtje, K. H.; Hilbig, R.

On the basis of quantitative disturbances of the swimming behaviour of aquatic vertebrates (``loop-swimming'' in fish and frog larvae) following long-term hyper-g-exposure the question was raised whether or not and to what extent changes in the gravitational vector might influence the CNS at the cellular level. Therefore, by means of histological, histochemical and biochemical analyses the effect of 2-4 x g for 9 days on the gross morphology of the fish brain, and on different neuronal enzymes was investigated. In order to enable a more precise analysis in future-μg-experiments of any gravity-related effects on the neuronal synapses within the gravity-perceptive integration centers differentiated electron-microscopical and electronspectroscopical techniques have been developed to accomplish an ultrastructural localization of calcium, a high-affinity Ca2+-ATPase, creatine kinase and cytochrome oxidase. In hyper-g animals vs. 1-g controls, a reduction of total brain volume (15 %), a decrease in creatine kinase activity (20 %), a local increase in cytochrome oxidase activity, but no differences in Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPase activities were observed. Ultrastructural peculiarities of synaptic contact formation in gravity-related integration centers (Nucleus magnocellularis) were found. These results are discussed on the basis of a direct effect of hyper-gravity not only on the gravity-sensitive neuronal integration centers but possibly also on the physico-chemical properties of the lipid bilayer of neuronal membranes in general.

Research on the impact factors of GRACE precise orbit determination by dynamic method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Nan-nan; Zhou, Xu-hua; Li, Kai; Wu, Bin

2018-07-01

With the successful use of GPS-only-based POD (precise orbit determination), more and more satellites carry onboard GPS receivers to support their orbit accuracy requirements. It provides continuous GPS observations in high precision, and becomes an indispensable way to obtain the orbit of LEO satellites. Precise orbit determination of LEO satellites plays an important role for the application of LEO satellites. Numerous factors should be considered in the POD processing. In this paper, several factors that impact precise orbit determination are analyzed, namely the satellite altitude, the time-variable earth's gravity field, the GPS satellite clock error and accelerometer observation. The GRACE satellites provide ideal platform to study the performance of factors for precise orbit determination using zero-difference GPS data. These factors are quantitatively analyzed on affecting the accuracy of dynamic orbit using GRACE observations from 2005 to 2011 by SHORDE software. The study indicates that: (1) with the altitude of the GRACE satellite is lowered from 480 km to 460 km in seven years, the 3D (three-dimension) position accuracy of GRACE satellite orbit is about 3˜4 cm based on long spans data; (2) the accelerometer data improves the 3D position accuracy of GRACE in about 1 cm; (3) the accuracy of zero-difference dynamic orbit is about 6 cm with the GPS satellite clock error products in 5 min sampling interval and can be raised to 4 cm, if the GPS satellite clock error products with 30 s sampling interval can be adopted. (4) the time-variable part of earth gravity field model improves the 3D position accuracy of GRACE in about 0.5˜1.5 cm. Based on this study, we quantitatively analyze the factors that affect precise orbit determination of LEO satellites. This study plays an important role to improve the accuracy of LEO satellites orbit determination.

Gravity resonance spectroscopy constrains dark energy and dark matter scenarios.

PubMed

Jenke, T; Cronenberg, G; Burgdörfer, J; Chizhova, L A; Geltenbort, P; Ivanov, A N; Lauer, T; Lins, T; Rotter, S; Saul, H; Schmidt, U; Abele, H

2014-04-18

We report on precision resonance spectroscopy measurements of quantum states of ultracold neutrons confined above the surface of a horizontal mirror by the gravity potential of Earth. Resonant transitions between several of the lowest quantum states are observed for the first time. These measurements demonstrate that Newton's inverse square law of gravity is understood at micron distances on an energy scale of 10-14  eV. At this level of precision, we are able to provide constraints on any possible gravitylike interaction. In particular, a dark energy chameleon field is excluded for values of the coupling constant β>5.8×108 at 95% confidence level (C.L.), and an attractive (repulsive) dark matter axionlike spin-mass coupling is excluded for the coupling strength gsgp>3.7×10-16 (5.3×10-16) at a Yukawa length of λ=20  μm (95% C.L.).

Mass Intrusion at Mount St. Helens (WA) From Temporal Gravity Variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battaglia, M.; Lisowski, M.; Dzurisin, D.; Poland, M. P.; Schilling, S. P.; Diefenbach, A. K.; Wynn, J.

2015-12-01

Repeated high-precision gravity measurements made at Mount St. Helens (WA) have revealed systematic temporal variations in the gravity field several years after the end of the 2004-2008 dome-building eruption. Changes in gravity with respect to a stable reference station 36 km NW of the volcano were measured at 10 sites on the volcanic edifice and at 4 sites far afield (10 to 36 km) from the summit in August 2010, August 2012 and August 2014. After simulating and removing the gravity signal associated with changes in mass of the crater glacier, the local hydrothermal aquifer, and vertical deformation, the residual gravity field observed at sites near the volcano's summit significantly increased with respect to the stable reference site during 2010-2012 (maximum change 48 ± 15 mgal). No significant change was measured during 2012-2014. The pattern of gravity increase is radially symmetrical, with a half-width of about 2.5 km and a point of maximum change centered at the 2004-2008 lava dome. Forward modeling of residual gravity data using the same source geometry, depth, and location as that inferred from geodetic data (a spheroidal source centered 7.5 km beneath the 2004-2008 dome) indicates a mass increase rate of the order of 1011 kg/year. For a reasonable magma density (~2250 kg/m3), the volume rate of magma intrusion beneath the summit region inferred from gravity (~ 0.1 km3/yr) greatly exceeds the volume inferred from inversion of geodetic data (0.001 km3/yr between 2008-2011), suggesting that either magma compressibility or other processes are important aspects of magma storage at Mount St. Helens, or that the data argue for a different source.

Gauge/Gravity Duality

ScienceCinema

Polchinski, Joseph

2017-12-22

Gauge theories, which describe the particle interactions, are well understood, while quantum gravity leads to many puzzles. Remarkably, in recent years we have learned that these are actually dual, the same system written in different variables. On the one hand, this provides our most precise description of quantum gravity, resolves some long-standing paradoxes, and points to new principles. On the other, it gives a new perspective on strong interactions, with surprising connections to other areas of physics. I describe these ideas, and discuss current and future directions.

Development of a 0.5m clear aperture Cassegrain type collimator telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ekinci, Mustafa; Selimoǧlu, Özgür

2016-07-01

Collimator is an optical instrument used to evaluate performance of high precision instruments, especially space-born high resolution telescopes. Optical quality of the collimator telescope needs to be better than the instrument to be measured. This requirement leads collimator telescope to be a very precise instrument with high quality mirrors and a stable structure to keep it operational under specified conditions. In order to achieve precision requirements and to ensure repeatability of the mounts for polishing and metrology, opto-mechanical principles are applied to mirror mounts. Finite Element Method is utilized to simulate gravity effects, integration errors and temperature variations. Finite element analyses results of deformed optical surfaces are imported to optical domain by using Zernike polynomials to evaluate the design against specified WFE requirements. Both mirrors are aspheric and made from Zerodur for its stability and near zero CTE, M1 is further light-weighted. Optical quality measurements of the mirrors are achieved by using custom made CGHs on an interferometric test setup. Spider of the Cassegrain collimator telescope has a flexural adjustment mechanism driven by precise micrometers to overcome tilt errors originating from finite stiffness of the structure and integration errors. Collimator telescope is assembled and alignment methods are proposed.

JPL-20180522-GRACFOf-0001-NASAs GRACE FO Satellite Launches Aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-05-22

3-2-1 liftoff of Falcon 9 with GRACE-FO! NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-on, or GRACE-FO, launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on California's Central Coast on May 22, 2018. The twin orbiters shared a ride to space with five Iridium NEXT communications satellites. GRACE-FO will continue a study begun by the original GRACE mission, which proved that water movement can be tracked with high precision by its effect on Earth's gravitational field. GRACE-FO will continue the record of regional variations in gravity, telling us about changes in glaciers, ground water, sea levels and the health of our planet as a whole. For more, visit https://gracefo.jpl.nasa.gov .

The Laser Ranging Experiment of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: Five Years of Operations and Data Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mao, Dandan; McGarry, Jan F.; Mazarico, Erwan; Neumann, Gregory A.; Sun, Xiaoli; Torrence, Mark H.; Zagwodzki, Thomas W.; Rowlands, David D.; Hoffman, Evan D.; Horvath, Julie E.;

Delineating the Rattlesnake Springs, New Mexico Watershed Using Precision Gravity Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doser, D. I.; Boykov, N. D.; Baker, M. R.; Kaip, G. M.; Langford, R. P.

2009-12-01

Rattlesnake Springs serves as the sole domestic water source for Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The recent development of oil and gas leases and agricultural lands surrounding the springs has led to concern about contamination of the fracture controlled aquifer system. We have conducted a series of precision gravity surveys (station spacing 200 to 300 m in a 4 x 4 km area), combined with other geophysical studies and geologic mapping, to delineate possible fracture systems in the gypsum and carbonate bedrock that feed the spring system. Our combined results suggest several pathways for water to enter the springs. A series of WNW-ESE striking features are apparent in our gravity data that appear to align with relict spring valleys we have mapped to the west of the springs. A self potential survey indicates that water is entering the springs at a shallow level from the northwest direction. However, gravity data also indicate a north-south trending fracture system could be providing a pathway for water to enter from the south. This is consistent with drawdown tests conducted in the 1950’s and 1960’s on irrigation wells located to the south of the springs. The north-south fracture system appears related to a basin bounding fault system observed in the regional gravity data.

Height unification using GOCE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rummel, R.

2012-12-01

With the gravity field and steady-state ocean circulation explorer (GOCE) (preferably combined with the gravity field and climate experiment (GRACE)) a new generation of geoid models will become available for use in height determination. These models will be globally consistent, accurate (<3 cm) and with a spatial resolution up to degree and order 200, when expressed in terms of a spherical harmonic expansion. GOCE is a mission of the European Space Agency (ESA). It is the first satellite equipped with a gravitational gradiometer, in the case of GOCE it measures the gradient components Vxx , Vyy, Vzzand Vxz. The GOCE gravitational sensor system comprises also a geodetic global positioning system (GPS)-receiver, three star sensors and ion-thrusters for drag compensation in flight direction. GOCE was launched in March 2009 and will fly till the end of 2013. Several gravity models have been derived from its data, their maximum degree is typically between 240 and 250. In summer 2012 a first re-processing of all level-1b data took place. One of the science objectives of GOCE is the unification of height systems. The existing height offsets among the datum zones can be determined by least-squares adjustment. This requires several precise geodetic reference points available in each height datum zone, physical heights from spirit levelling (plus gravimetry), the GOCE geoid and, in addition, short wavelength geoid refinement from terrestrial gravity anomalies. GOCE allows for important simplifications of the functional and stochastic part of the adjustment model. The future trend will be the direct determination of physical heights (orthometric as well as normal) from precise global navigation satellite system (GNSS)-positioning in combination with a next generation combined satellite-terrestrial high-resolution geoid model.

Electrostatic analogy for symmetron gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogden, Lillie; Brown, Katherine; Mathur, Harsh; Rovelli, Kevin

2017-12-01

The symmetron model is a scalar-tensor theory of gravity with a screening mechanism that suppresses the effect of the symmetron field at high densities characteristic of the Solar System and laboratory scales but allows it to act with gravitational strength at low density on the cosmological scale. We elucidate the screening mechanism by showing that in the quasistatic Newtonian limit there are precise analogies between symmetron gravity and electrostatics for both strong and weak screening. For strong screening we find that large dense bodies behave in a manner analogous to perfect conductors in electrostatics. Based on this analogy we find that the symmetron field exhibits a lightning rod effect wherein the field gradients are enhanced near the ends of pointed or elongated objects. An ellipsoid placed in a uniform symmetron gradient is shown to experience a torque. By symmetry there is no gravitational torque in this case. Hence this effect unmasks the symmetron and might serve as the basis for future laboratory experiments. The symmetron force between a point mass and a large dense body includes a component corresponding to the interaction of the point mass with its image in the larger body. None of these effects have counterparts in the Newtonian limit of Einstein gravity. We discuss the similarities between symmetron gravity and the chameleon model as well as the differences between the two.

Criticality in the slowed-down boiling crisis at zero gravity.

PubMed

Charignon, T; Lloveras, P; Chatain, D; Truskinovsky, L; Vives, E; Beysens, D; Nikolayev, V S

2015-05-01

Boiling crisis is a transition between nucleate and film boiling. It occurs at a threshold value of the heat flux from the heater called CHF (critical heat flux). Usually, boiling crisis studies are hindered by the high CHF and short transition duration (below 1 ms). Here we report on experiments in hydrogen near its liquid-vapor critical point, in which the CHF is low and the dynamics slow enough to be resolved. As under such conditions the surface tension is very small, the experiments are carried out in the reduced gravity to preserve the conventional bubble geometry. Weightlessness is created artificially in two-phase hydrogen by compensating gravity with magnetic forces. We were able to reveal the fractal structure of the contour of the percolating cluster of the dry areas at the heater that precedes the boiling crisis. We provide a direct statistical analysis of dry spot areas that confirms the boiling crisis at zero gravity as a scale-free phenomenon. It was observed that, in agreement with theoretical predictions, saturated boiling CHF tends to zero (within the precision of our thermal control system) in zero gravity, which suggests that the boiling crisis may be observed at any heat flux provided the experiment lasts long enough.

Efficient Modeling of Gravity Fields Caused by Sources with Arbitrary Geometry and Arbitrary Density Distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Leyuan

2018-01-01

We present a brief review of gravity forward algorithms in Cartesian coordinate system, including both space-domain and Fourier-domain approaches, after which we introduce a truly general and efficient algorithm, namely the convolution-type Gauss fast Fourier transform (Conv-Gauss-FFT) algorithm, for 2D and 3D modeling of gravity potential and its derivatives due to sources with arbitrary geometry and arbitrary density distribution which are defined either by discrete or by continuous functions. The Conv-Gauss-FFT algorithm is based on the combined use of a hybrid rectangle-Gaussian grid and the fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm. Since the gravity forward problem in Cartesian coordinate system can be expressed as continuous convolution-type integrals, we first approximate the continuous convolution by a weighted sum of a series of shifted discrete convolutions, and then each shifted discrete convolution, which is essentially a Toeplitz system, is calculated efficiently and accurately by combining circulant embedding with the FFT algorithm. Synthetic and real model tests show that the Conv-Gauss-FFT algorithm can obtain high-precision forward results very efficiently for almost any practical model, and it works especially well for complex 3D models when gravity fields on large 3D regular grids are needed.

Development of Precise Lunar Orbit Propagator and Lunar Polar Orbiter's Lifetime Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Young-Joo; Park, Sang-Young; Kim, Hae-Dong; Sim, Eun-Sup

2010-06-01

To prepare for a Korean lunar orbiter mission, a precise lunar orbit propagator; Yonsei precise lunar orbit propagator (YSPLOP) is developed. In the propagator, accelerations due to the Moon's non-spherical gravity, the point masses of the Earth, Moon, Sun, Mars, Jupiter and also, solar radiation pressures can be included. The developed propagator's performance is validated and propagation errors between YSPOLP and STK/Astrogator are found to have about maximum 4-m, in along-track direction during 30 days (Earth's time) of propagation. Also, it is found that the lifetime of a lunar polar orbiter is strongly affected by the different degrees and orders of the lunar gravity model, by a third body's gravitational attractions (especially the Earth), and by the different orbital inclinations. The reliable lifetime of circular lunar polar orbiter at about 100 km altitude is estimated to have about 160 days (Earth's time). However, to estimate the reasonable lifetime of circular lunar polar orbiter at about 100 km altitude, it is strongly recommended to consider at least 50 × 50 degrees and orders of the lunar gravity field. The results provided in this paper are expected to make further progress in the design fields of Korea's lunar orbiter missions.

Geological criteria and geophysical methods of natural bitumen deposits preparation to the development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uspensky, B. V.; Borovsky, M. Ya; Vafin, R. F.; Valeeva, S. E.; Mudarisova, R. A.

2018-05-01

The article considers the provisions of the ontogenesis of the following factors in the formation of natural bitumen clusters in the Permian deposits of the Melekesskiy region: genetic, geodynamic, structural and hydrogeological. It is shown that tectonically weakened zones and zones of Neogene incisions development are fixed by high-precision gravimetry in the form of intense local minima of gravity. A favorable factor contributing to the "strengthening" of anomalous geophysical effects is the coincidence of the locations of these geological section heterogeneities in the plan. It is recommended at the stage of experimental-industrial operation a complex of geophysical methods for monitoring the processes of natural bitumen deposits development by means of secondary impact on the formation. High-precision magnetic, thermal and electrical prospecting in various modifications are used.

Magma intrusion beneath long valley caldera confirmed by temporal changes in gravity

PubMed

Battaglia; Roberts; Segall

1999-09-24

Precise relative gravity measurements conducted in Long Valley (California) in 1982 and 1998 reveal a decrease in gravity of as much as -107 +/- 6 microgals (1 microgal = 10(-8) meters per square second) centered on the uplifting resurgent dome. A positive residual gravity change of up to 64 +/- 15 microgals was found after correcting for the effects of uplift and water table fluctuations. Assuming a point source of intrusion, the density of the intruding material is 2.7 x 10(3) to 4.1 x 10(3) kilograms per cubic meter at 95 percent confidence. The gravity results require intrusion of silicate magma and exclude in situ thermal expansion or pressurization of the hydrothermal system as the cause of uplift and seismicity.

Magma intrusion beneath Long Valley caldera confirmed by temporal changes in gravity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Battaglia, Maurizio; Roberts, C.; Segall, P.

1999-01-01

Precise relative gravity measurements conducted in Long Valley (California) in 1982 and 1998 reveal a decrease in gravity of as much as -107 ?? 6 microgals (1 microgal = 10-8 meters per square second) centered on the uplifting resurgent dome. A positive residual gravity change of up to 64 ?? 15 microgals was found after correcting for the effects of uplift and water table fluctuations. Assuming a point source of intrusion, the density of the intruding material is 2.7 x 103 to 4.1 x 103 kilograms per cubic meter at 95 percent confidence. The gravity results require intrusion of silicate magma and exclude in situ thermal expansion or pressurization of the hydrothermal system as the cause of uplift and seismicity.

Nepal and Papua Airborne Gravity Surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olesen, A. V.; Forsberg, R.; Kasenda, F.; Einarsson, I.; Manandhar, N.

2011-12-01

Airborne gravimetry offers a fast and economic way to cover vast areas and it allows access to otherwise difficult accessible areas like mountains, jungles and the near coastal zone. It has the potential to deliver high resolution and bias free data that may bridge the spectral gap between global satellite gravity models and the high resolution gravity information embedded in digital terrain models. DTU Space has for more than a decade done airborne gravity surveys in many parts of the world. Most surveys were done with a LaCoste & Romberg S-meter updated for airborne use. This instrument has proven to deliver near bias free data when properly processed. A Chekan AM gravimeter was recently added to the airborne gravity mapping system and will potentially enhance the spatial resolution and the robustness of the system. This paper will focus on results from two recent surveys over Nepal, flown in December 2010, and over Papua (eastern Indonesia), flown in May and June 2011. Both surveys were flown with the new double gravimeter setup and initial assessment of system performance indicates improved spatial resolution compared to the single gravimeter system. Comparison to EGM08 and to the most recent GOCE models highlights the impact of the new airborne gravity data in both cases. A newly computed geoid model for Nepal based on the airborne data allows for a more precise definition of the height of Mt. Everest in a global height system. This geoid model suggests that the height of Mt. Everest should be increased by approximately 1 meter. The paper will also briefly discuss system setup and will highlight a few essential processing steps that ensure that bias problems are minimized and spatial resolution enhanced.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bose, Sownak; Li, Baojiu; He, Jian-hua

We describe and demonstrate the potential of a new and very efficient method for simulating certain classes of modified gravity theories, such as the widely studied f ( R ) gravity models. High resolution simulations for such models are currently very slow due to the highly nonlinear partial differential equation that needs to be solved exactly to predict the modified gravitational force. This nonlinearity is partly inherent, but is also exacerbated by the specific numerical algorithm used, which employs a variable redefinition to prevent numerical instabilities. The standard Newton-Gauss-Seidel iterative method used to tackle this problem has a poor convergencemore » rate. Our new method not only avoids this, but also allows the discretised equation to be written in a form that is analytically solvable. We show that this new method greatly improves the performance and efficiency of f ( R ) simulations. For example, a test simulation with 512{sup 3} particles in a box of size 512 Mpc/ h is now 5 times faster than before, while a Millennium-resolution simulation for f ( R ) gravity is estimated to be more than 20 times faster than with the old method. Our new implementation will be particularly useful for running very high resolution, large-sized simulations which, to date, are only possible for the standard model, and also makes it feasible to run large numbers of lower resolution simulations for covariance analyses. We hope that the method will bring us to a new era for precision cosmological tests of gravity.« less

Chameleon dark energy models with characteristic signatures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gannouji, Radouane; Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Tokyo University of Science, 1-3, Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8601; Moraes, Bruno

2010-12-15

In chameleon dark energy models, local gravity constraints tend to rule out parameters in which observable cosmological signatures can be found. We study viable chameleon potentials consistent with a number of recent observational and experimental bounds. A novel chameleon field potential, motivated by f(R) gravity, is constructed where observable cosmological signatures are present both at the background evolution and in the growth rate of the perturbations. We study the evolution of matter density perturbations on low redshifts for this potential and show that the growth index today {gamma}{sub 0} can have significant dispersion on scales relevant for large scale structures.more » The values of {gamma}{sub 0} can be even smaller than 0.2 with large variations of {gamma} on very low redshifts for the model parameters constrained by local gravity tests. This gives a possibility to clearly distinguish these chameleon models from the {Lambda}-cold-dark-matter ({Lambda}CDM) model in future high-precision observations.« less

Actin is an essential component of plant gravitropic signaling pathways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braun, Markus; Hauslage, Jens; Limbach, Christoph

2003-08-01

A role of the actin cytoskeleton in the different phases of gravitropism in higher plant organs seems obvious, but experimental evidence is still inconclusive and contradictory. In gravitropically tip-growing rhizoids and protonemata, however, it is well documented that actin is an essential component of the tip-growth machinery and is involved either in the cellular mechanisms that lead to gravity sensing and in the processes of the graviresponses that result in the reorientation of the growth direction. All these processes depend on a complexly organized and highly dynamic organization of actin filaments whose diverse functions are coordinated by numerous associated proteins. Actin filaments and myosins mediate the transport of secretory vehicles to the growing tip and precisely control the delivery of cell wall material. In addition, both cell types use a very efficient actomyosin-based system to control and correct the position of their statoliths and to direct sedimenting statoliths to confined graviperception sites at the plasma membrane. The studies presented in this paper provide evidence for the essential role of actin in plant gravity sensing and the gravitropic responses. A unique actin-organizing center exists in the tip of characean rhizoids and protonemata which is associated with and dynamically regulated by a specific set of actin-dynamizing proteins. It is concluded that this highly dynamic apical actin array is an essential prerequisite for gravity sensing and gravity-oriented tip growth.

Gravitational mass of positron from LEP synchrotron losses

DOE PAGES

Kalaydzhyan, Tigran

2016-07-27

General relativity(GR) is the current description of gravity in modern physics. One of the cornerstones of GR, as well as Newton’s theory of gravity, is the weak equivalence principle (WEP), stating that the trajectory of a freely falling test body is independent of its internal structure and composition. WEP is known to be valid for the normal matter with a high precision. However, due to the rarity of antimatter and weakness of the gravitational forces, the WEP has never been confirmed for antimatter. The current direct bounds on the ratio between the gravitational and inertial masses of the antihydrogen domore » not rule out a repulsive nature for the antimatter gravity. Here we establish an indirect bound of 0.13% on the difference between the gravitational and inertial masses of the positron (antielectron) from the analysis of synchrotron losses at the Large Electron-Positron collider (LEP). As a result, this serves as a confirmation of the conventional gravitational properties of antimatter without common assumptions such as, e.g., coupling of gravity to virtual particles, dynamics of distant astrophysical sources and the nature of absolute gravitational potentials.« less

GTOOLS: an Interactive Computer Program to Process Gravity Data for High-Resolution Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battaglia, M.; Poland, M. P.; Kauahikaua, J. P.

2012-12-01

An interactive computer program, GTOOLS, has been developed to process gravity data acquired by the Scintrex CG-5 and LaCoste & Romberg EG, G and D gravity meters. The aim of GTOOLS is to provide a validated methodology for computing relative gravity values in a consistent way accounting for as many environmental factors as possible (e.g., tides, ocean loading, solar constraints, etc.), as well as instrument drift. The program has a modular architecture. Each processing step is implemented in a tool (function) that can be either run independently or within an automated task. The tools allow the user to (a) read the gravity data acquired during field surveys completed using different types of gravity meters; (b) compute Earth tides using an improved version of Longman's (1959) model; (c) compute ocean loading using the HARDISP code by Petit and Luzum (2010) and ocean loading harmonics from the TPXO7.2 ocean tide model; (d) estimate the instrument drift using linear functions as appropriate; and (e) compute the weighted least-square-adjusted gravity values and their errors. The corrections are performed up to microGal ( μGal) precision, in accordance with the specifications of high-resolution surveys. The program has the ability to incorporate calibration factors that allow for surveys done using different gravimeters to be compared. Two additional tools (functions) allow the user to (1) estimate the instrument calibration factor by processing data collected by a gravimeter on a calibration range; (2) plot gravity time-series at a chosen benchmark. The interactive procedures and the program output (jpeg plots and text files) have been designed to ease data handling and archiving, to provide useful information for future data interpretation or modeling, and facilitate comparison of gravity surveys conducted at different times. All formulas have been checked for typographical errors in the original reference. GTOOLS, developed using Matlab, is open source and machine independent. We will demonstrate program use and utility with data from multiple microgravity surveys at Kilauea volcano, Hawai'i.

Precise Orbit Determination for GEOSAT Follow-On Using Satellite Laser Ranging Data and Intermission Altimeter Crossovers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lemoine, Frank G.; Rowlands, David D.; Luthcke, Scott B.; Zelensky, Nikita P.; Chinn, Douglas S.; Pavlis, Despina E.; Marr, Gregory

2001-01-01

The US Navy's GEOSAT Follow-On Spacecraft was launched on February 10, 1998 with the primary objective of the mission to map the oceans using a radar altimeter. Following an extensive set of calibration campaigns in 1999 and 2000, the US Navy formally accepted delivery of the satellite on November 29, 2000. Satellite laser ranging (SLR) and Doppler (Tranet-style) beacons track the spacecraft. Although limited amounts of GPS data were obtained, the primary mode of tracking remains satellite laser ranging. The GFO altimeter measurements are highly precise, with orbit error the largest component in the error budget. We have tuned the non-conservative force model for GFO and the gravity model using SLR, Doppler and altimeter crossover data sampled over one year. Gravity covariance projections to 70x70 show the radial orbit error on GEOSAT was reduced from 2.6 cm in EGM96 to 1.3 cm with the addition of SLR, GFO/GFO and TOPEX/GFO crossover data. Evaluation of the gravity fields using SLR and crossover data support the covariance projections and also show a dramatic reduction in geographically-correlated error for the tuned fields. In this paper, we report on progress in orbit determination for GFO using GFO/GFO and TOPEX/GFO altimeter crossovers. We will discuss improvements in satellite force modeling and orbit determination strategy, which allows reduction in GFO radial orbit error from 10-15 cm to better than 5 cm.

Surface Gravity Data Contribution to the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Geoid Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, X.; Gerhards, C.; Holmes, S. A.; Saleh, J.; Shaw, B.

2015-12-01

The Gravity for the Redefinition of the American Vertical Datum (GRAV-D) project provides updated local gravity field information for the XGEOID15 models. In particular, its airborne gravity data in the area of Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands (PRVI) made substantial improvements (~60%) on the precision of the geoid models at the local GNSS/Leveling bench marks in the target area. Fortunately, PRVI is free of the huge systematic error in the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88). Thus, the airborne contribution was evaluated more realistically. In addition, the airborne data picked up more detailed gravity field information in the medium wavelength band (spherical harmonic degree 200 to 600) that are largely beyond the resolution of the current satellite missions, especially along the nearby ocean trench areas. Under this circumstance (significant airborne contributions in the medium band), local surface gravity data need to be examined more carefully than before during merging with the satellite and airborne information for local geoid improvement, especially considering the well-known systematic problems in the NGS historical gravity holdings (Saleh et al 2013 JoG). Initial tests showed that it is very important to maintain high consistency between the surface data sets and the airborne enhanced reference model. In addition, a new aggregation method (Gerhards 2014, Inverse Problems) will also be tested to optimally combine the local surface data with the reference model. The data cleaning and combining procedures in the target area will be summarized here as reference for future applications.

Geophysical observations of Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, 1. temporal gravity variations related to the 29 November, 1975, M = 7.2 earthquake and associated summit collapse

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jachens, R.C.; Eaton, G.P.

1980-01-01

Repeated high-precision gravity measurements made near the summit of Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, have revealed systematic temporal variations in the gravity field associated with a major deflation of the volcano that followed the 29 November, 1975, earthquake and eruption. Changes in the gravity field with respect to a stable reference station on the south flank of neighboring Mauna Loa volcano were measured at 18 sites in the summit region of Kilauea and at 4 sites far removed from its summit. The original survey, conducted 10-23 November, 1975, was repeated during a two-week period after the earthquake. The results indicate that sometime between the first survey and the latter part of the second survey the gravity field at sites near the summit increased with respect to that at sites far removed from the summit. The pattern of gravity increase is essentially radially symmetrical, with a half-width slightly less than 3 km, about the point of maximum change 1.5 km southeast of Halemaumau pit crater. Gravity changes at sites near the summit correlate closely with elevation decreases that occurred sometime between leveling surveys conducted in late September 1975 and early January 1976. The systematic relation between gravity and elevation change (-1.71 ?? 0.05 (s.e.) ??gal/cm) shows that deflation was accompanied by a loss of mass from beneath the summit region. Mass balance calculations indicate that for all reasonable magma densities, the volume of magma withdrawn from beneath the summit region exceeded the volume of summit collapse. Analysis suggests that magma drained from at least two distinct areas south of Kilauea caldera that coincide roughly with two reservoir areas active during inflation before the 1967-1968 Kilauea eruption. ?? 1980.

A Transportable Gravity Gradiometer Based on Atom Interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yu, Nan; Thompson, Robert J.; Kellogg, James R.; Aveline, David C.; Maleki, Lute; Kohel, James M.

2010-01-01

A transportable atom interferometer-based gravity gradiometer has been developed at JPL to carry out measurements of Earth's gravity field at ever finer spatial resolutions, and to facilitate high-resolution monitoring of temporal variations in the gravity field from ground- and flight-based platforms. Existing satellite-based gravity missions such as CHAMP and GRACE measure the gravity field via precise monitoring of the motion of the satellites; i.e. the satellites themselves function as test masses. JPL's quantum gravity gradiometer employs a quantum phase measurement technique, similar to that employed in atomic clocks, made possible by recent advances in laser cooling and manipulation of atoms. This measurement technique is based on atomwave interferometry, and individual laser-cooled atoms are used as drag-free test masses. The quantum gravity gradiometer employs two identical atom interferometers as precision accelerometers to measure the difference in gravitational acceleration between two points (Figure 1). By using the same lasers for the manipulation of atoms in both interferometers, the accelerometers have a common reference frame and non-inertial accelerations are effectively rejected as common mode noise in the differential measurement of the gravity gradient. As a result, the dual atom interferometer-based gravity gradiometer allows gravity measurements on a moving platform, while achieving the same long-term stability of the best atomic clocks. In the laboratory-based prototype (Figure 2), the cesium atoms used in each atom interferometer are initially collected and cooled in two separate magneto-optic traps (MOTs). Each MOT, consisting of three orthogonal pairs of counter-propagating laser beams centered on a quadrupole magnetic field, collects up to 10(exp 9) atoms. These atoms are then launched vertically as in an atom fountain by switching off the magnetic field and introducing a slight frequency shift between pairs of lasers to create a moving rest frame for the trapped atoms. While still in this moving-frame molasses, the laser frequencies are further detuned from the atomic resonance (while maintaining this relative frequency shift) to cool the atom cloud's temperature to 2 K or below, corresponding to an rms velocity of less than 2 cm/s. After launch, the cold atoms undergo further state and velocity selection to prepare for atom interferometry. The atom interferometers are then realized using laser-induced stimulated Raman transitions to perform the necessary manipulations of each atom, and the resulting interferometer phase is measured using laser-induced fluorescence for state-normalized detection. More than 20 laser beams with independent controls of frequency, phase, and intensity are required for this measurement sequence. This instrument can facilitate the study of Earth's gravitational field from surface and air vehicles, as well as from space by allowing gravity mapping from a low-cost, single spacecraft mission. In addition, the operation of atom interferometer-based instruments in space offers greater sensitivity than is possible in terrestrial instruments due to the much longer interrogation times available in the microgravity environment. A space-based quantum gravity gradiometer has the potential to achieve sensitivities similar to the GRACE mission at long spatial wavelengths, and will also have resolution similar to GOCE for measurement at shorter length scales.

Urinalysis: The Automated Versus Manual Techniques; Is It Time To Change?.

PubMed

Ahmed, Asmaa Ismail; Baz, Heba; Lotfy, Sarah

2016-01-01

Urinalysis is the third major test in clinical laboratory. Manual technique imprecision urges the need for a rapid reliable automated test. We evaluated the H800-FUSIOO automatic urine sediment analyzer and compared it to the manual urinalysis technique to determine if it may be a competitive substitute in laboratories of central hospitals. 1000 urine samples were examined by the two methods in parallel. Agreement, precision, carryover, drift, sensitivity, specificity, and practicability criteria were tested. Agreement ranged from excellent to good for all urine semi-quantitative components (K > 0.4, p = 0.000), except for granular casts (K = 0.317, p = 0.000). Specific gravity results correlated well between the two methods (r = 0.884, p = 0.000). RBCS and WBCs showed moderate correlation (r = 0.42, p = 0.000) and (r = 0.44, p = 0.000), respectively. The auto-analyzer's within-run precision was > 75% for all semi-quantitative components except for proteins (50% precision). This finding in addition to the granular casts poor agreement indicate the necessity of operator interference at the critical cutoff values. As regards quantitative contents, RBCs showed a mean of 69.8 +/- 3.95, C.V. = 5.7, WBCs showed a mean of 38.9 +/- 1.9, C.V. = 4.9). Specific gravity, pH, microalbumin, and creatinine also showed good precision results with C.Vs of 0.000, 2.6, 9.1, and 0.00 respectively. In the between run precision, positive control showed good precision (C.V. = 2.9), while negative control's C.V. was strikingly high (C.V. = 127). Carryover and drift studies were satisfactory. Manual examination of inter-observer results showed major discrepancies (< 60% similar readings), while intra-observer's results correlated well with each other (r = 0.99, p = 0.000). Automation of urinalysis decreases observer-associated variation and offers prompt competitive results when standardized for screening away from the borderline cutoffs.

Potential fields & satellite missions: what they tell us about the Earth's core?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandea, M.; Panet, I.; Lesur, V.; de Viron, O.; Diament, M.; Le Mouël, J.

2012-12-01

Since the advent of satellite potential field missions, the search to find information they can carry about the Earth's core has been motivated both by an interest in understanding the structure of dynamics of the Earth's interior and by the possibility of applying new space data analysis. While it is agreed upon that the magnetic field measurements from space bring interesting information on the rapid variations of the core magnetic field and flows associated with, the question turns to whether the core process can have a signature in the space gravity data. Here, we tackle this question, in the light of the recent data from the GRACE mission, that reach an unprecedented precision. Our study is based on eight years of high-resolution, high-accuracy gravity and magnetic satellite data, provided by the GRACE and CHAMP satellite missions. From the GRACE CNES/GRGS geoid solutions, we have emphasized the long-term variability by using a specific post-processing technique. From the CHAMP magnetic data we have computed models for the core magnetic field and its temporal variations, and the flow at the top of the core. A correlation analysis between the gravity and magnetic gridded series indicates that the inter-annual changes in the core magnetic field - under a region from the Atlantic to Indian Oceans - coincide with similar changes in the gravity field. These results should be considered as a constituent when planning new Earth's observation space missions and future innovations relevant to both gravity (after GRACE Follow-On) and magnetic (after Swarm) missions.

The Equivalence of Precession Phenomena in Metric Theories of Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krisher, Timothy P.

1996-01-01

The requirement of general covariance imparts to metric theories of gravity, such as general relativity, important structural features. A precise mathematical form results, ensuring that computation of observable physical effects in the theory gives the same answers independently of the chosen system of coordinates. This coordinate independence property, in turn, can lead to an equivalence of apparently different physical effects.

Guidance and Control of a Man-Portable Precision Munition Concept

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

challenges posed by characteristics of spin-stabilized flight dynamics such as limit cycles, center -of- gravity swerve, instability, and practical...Control Line-of-sight rate and closing velocity estimates are used to form proportional navigation commands in classical guidance schemes...Accelerometers and gyroscopes often supply additional necessary feedback. The accelerometers ensure that the airframe is maneuvering the center of gravity

A new theory of gravity.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ni, W.-T.

1973-01-01

A new relativistic theory of gravity is presented. This theory agrees with all experiments to date. It is a metric theory; it is Lagrangian-based; and it possesses a preferred frame with conformally flat space slices. With an appropriate choice of certain adjustable functions and parameters and of the cosmological model, this theory possesses precisely the same post-Newtonian limit as general relativity.

The Effects of Lever Arm (Instrument Offset) Error on GRAV-D Airborne Gravity Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, J. A.; Youngman, M.; Damiani, T.

2017-12-01

High quality airborne gravity collection with a 2-axis, stabilized platform gravity instrument, such as with a Micro-g LaCoste Turnkey Airborne Gravity System (TAGS), is dependent on the aircraft's ability to maintain "straight and level" flight. However, during flight there is constant rotation about the aircraft's center of gravity. Standard practice is to install the scientific equipment close to the aircraft's estimated center of gravity to minimize the relative rotations with aircraft motion. However, there remain small offsets between the instruments. These distance offsets, the lever arm, are used to define the rigid-body, spatial relationship between the IMU, GPS antenna, and airborne gravimeter within the aircraft body frame. The Gravity for the Redefinition of the American Vertical Datum (GRAV-D) project, which is collecting airborne gravity data across the U.S., uses a commercial software package for coupled IMU-GNSS aircraft positioning. This software incorporates a lever arm correction to calculate a precise position for the airborne gravimeter. The positioning software must do a coordinate transformation to relate each epoch of the coupled GNSS-IMU derived position to the position of the gravimeter within the constantly-rotating aircraft. This transformation requires three inputs: accurate IMU-measured aircraft rotations, GNSS positions, and lever arm distances between instruments. Previous studies show that correcting for the lever arm distances improves gravity results, but no sensitivity tests have been done to investigate how error in the lever arm distances affects the final airborne gravity products. This research investigates the effects of lever arm measurement error on airborne gravity data. GRAV-D lever arms are nominally measured to the cm-level using surveying equipment. "Truth" data sets will be created by processing GRAV-D flight lines with both relatively small lever arms and large lever arms. Then negative and positive incremental errors will be introduced independently in the x, y, and z directions during GPS-IMU processing. Finally, the post-processed gravity data obtained using the erroneous lever arms will be compared to the post-processed truth sets to identify relationships between error in the lever arm measurement and the final gravity product.

Characteristics of Marine Gravity Anomaly Reference Maps and Accuracy Analysis of Gravity Matching-Aided Navigation.

PubMed

Wang, Hubiao; Wu, Lin; Chai, Hua; Xiao, Yaofei; Hsu, Houtse; Wang, Yong

2017-08-10

The variation of a marine gravity anomaly reference map is one of the important factors that affect the location accuracy of INS/Gravity integrated navigation systems in underwater navigation. In this study, based on marine gravity anomaly reference maps, new characteristic parameters of the gravity anomaly were constructed. Those characteristic values were calculated for 13 zones (105°-145° E, 0°-40° N) in the Western Pacific area, and simulation experiments of gravity matching-aided navigation were run. The influence of gravity variations on the accuracy of gravity matching-aided navigation was analyzed, and location accuracy of gravity matching in different zones was determined. Studies indicate that the new parameters may better characterize the marine gravity anomaly. Given the precision of current gravimeters and the resolution and accuracy of reference maps, the location accuracy of gravity matching in China's Western Pacific area is ~1.0-4.0 nautical miles (n miles). In particular, accuracy in regions around the South China Sea and Sulu Sea was the highest, better than 1.5 n miles. The gravity characteristic parameters identified herein and characteristic values calculated in various zones provide a reference for the selection of navigation area and planning of sailing routes under conditions requiring certain navigational accuracy.

Characteristics of Marine Gravity Anomaly Reference Maps and Accuracy Analysis of Gravity Matching-Aided Navigation

PubMed Central

Wang, Hubiao; Chai, Hua; Xiao, Yaofei; Hsu, Houtse; Wang, Yong

2017-01-01

The variation of a marine gravity anomaly reference map is one of the important factors that affect the location accuracy of INS/Gravity integrated navigation systems in underwater navigation. In this study, based on marine gravity anomaly reference maps, new characteristic parameters of the gravity anomaly were constructed. Those characteristic values were calculated for 13 zones (105°–145° E, 0°–40° N) in the Western Pacific area, and simulation experiments of gravity matching-aided navigation were run. The influence of gravity variations on the accuracy of gravity matching-aided navigation was analyzed, and location accuracy of gravity matching in different zones was determined. Studies indicate that the new parameters may better characterize the marine gravity anomaly. Given the precision of current gravimeters and the resolution and accuracy of reference maps, the location accuracy of gravity matching in China’s Western Pacific area is ~1.0–4.0 nautical miles (n miles). In particular, accuracy in regions around the South China Sea and Sulu Sea was the highest, better than 1.5 n miles. The gravity characteristic parameters identified herein and characteristic values calculated in various zones provide a reference for the selection of navigation area and planning of sailing routes under conditions requiring certain navigational accuracy. PMID:28796158

Investigating Gravity Anomalies Associated with Underground Nuclear Explosions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rowe, C. A.; Miller, E.; Musa, D.; Schultz-Fellenz, E. S.; Sussman, A. J.; Swanson, E.

2016-12-01

Detection of subsurface effects from underground nuclear explosions (UNEs) is an important aspect of the overall characterization of a site and UNE signatures, which is central to the mission of the National Nuclear Security Admistration's Office of Proliferation Detection, Defense Nuclear Non-Prolifeation Research and Development, Underground Nuclear Explosion Signatures Experiment (UNESE). We are conducting an experiment at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) that includes the acquisition of ground-based gravity data to contribute to a multi-disciplinary characterization of two UNEs located on Pahute Mesa. For one of the UNEs, the working point for the detonation was in zeolitic ash-flow tuff 600 m below the surface. For the other UNE, the detonation working point was also at a depth 600m below the surface and was located in flow breccias and lavas. No evidence of chimney collapse has been manifested for either of these UNEs, hence a cavity may still in place and may produce a detectable gravity anomaly. Each of the gravity surveys consist of 150 sites which were precisely located using a Trimble 5700 GPS receiver for lateral precision of 2 cm and vertical control of 3 cm. The readings were arranged in radial lines from Surface Ground Zero (SGZ), with spacing 10-20 m near the center, and increasing intervals for the distal portions of the lines, which extended to as much as 200 m from SGZ. Gravity were collected using a LaCoste-Romberg model G gravity meter at one location and a Scintrex G-5 at the other. We present a preliminary look at the gravity data in conjunction with forward modeling of the anticipated anomaly given a suite of possible post-explosion cavity and chimney features.

Impact of tracking loop settings of the Swarm GPS receiver on gravity field recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahle, C.; Arnold, D.; Jäggi, A.

2017-06-01

The Swarm mission consists of three identical satellites equipped with GPS receivers and orbiting in near-polar low Earth orbits. Thus, they can be used to determine the Earth's gravity field by means of high-low satellite-to-satellite tracking (hl-SST). However, first results by several groups have revealed systematic errors both in precise science orbits and resulting gravity field solutions which are caused by ionospheric disturbances affecting the quality of Swarm GPS observations. Looking at gravity field solutions, the errors lead to systematic artefacts located in two bands north and south of the geomagnetic equator. In order to reduce these artefacts, erroneous GPS observations can be identified and rejected before orbit and gravity field processing, but this may also lead to slight degradations of orbit and low degree gravity field coefficient quality. Since the problems were believed to be receiver-specific, the GPS tracking loop bandwidths onboard Swarm have been widened several times starting in May 2015. The influence of these tracking loop updates on Swarm orbits and, particularly, gravity field solutions is investigated in this work. The main findings are that the first updates increasing the bandwidth from 0.25 Hz to 0.5 Hz help to significantly improve the quality of Swarm gravity fields and that the improvements are even larger than those achieved by GPS data rejection. It is also shown that these improvements are indeed due to an improved quality of GPS observations around the geomagnetic equator, and not due to missing observations in these regions. As the ionospheric activity is rather low in the most recent months, the effect of the tracking loop updates in summer 2016 cannot be properly assessed yet. Nevertheless, the quality of Swarm gravity field solutions has already improved after the first updates which is especially beneficial in view of filling the upcoming gap between the GRACE and GRACE Follow-on missions with hl-SST gravity products.

Gamma astrometric measurement experiment -science and implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gai, Mario; Vecchiato, Alberto; Lattanzi, Mario G.; Ligori, Sebastiano; Loreggia, Davide; Fineschi, Silvano

GAME (Gamma Astrometric Measurement Experiment) is a mission concept taking advantage of astronomical techniques for high precision measurements of interest to Fundamental Physics, and in particular the γ parameter of the Parameterized Post-Newtonian formulation of gravi-tation theories modifying the General Relativity. A space based telescope, looking close to the Solar limb thanks to coronagraphic techniques, may implement astrometric measurements sim-ilar to those performed in the solar eclipse of 1919, when Dyson, Eddington and collaborators measured for the first time the gravitational bending of light. Simulations show that the final accuracy of GAME can reach the 10-7 level. GAME will be a decisive experiment for the understanding of gravity physics, cosmology and the Universe evolution. The observations leading to Dark Matter (e.g. galaxy rotation curves) and Dark Energy (accelerated expansion of the Universe) might be explained with a modified version of General Relativity, e.g. in which the curvature invariant R is no longer constant as in Einstein's equations, i.e. the f (R) gravity theories. A 10-7 level determination of γ will provide stringent constraints on acceptable theories. Also, high precision astrometry makes accessible other appealing measurements, e.g. the light deflection induced by the quadrupole moment of giant planets, like Jupiter or Saturn, and, by high precision determination of the orbits of Mercury and high elongation asteroids, the PPN parameter β. GAME may also carry out measurements on selected astrophysical targets, e.g. nearby, bright stars known to host companions with minimum masses in the planetary/brown dwarf regime, and orbital radii in the 3-7 AU range, which are observed by no other present or planned campaigns. GAME, also thanks to high-cadence, high-precision photometry on transit-ing exoplanet systems, will thus improve on our understanding of the actual mass distribution and multiplicity of sub-stellar companions. The GAME measurement principle is based on the differential astrometric signature on the stellar positions. Calibration is implemented by observation of stellar fields affected by neg-ligible deflection. The instrument concept is based on a dual field, multiple aperture Fizeau interferometer, observing simultaneously sky regions close to the Solar limb. Coronagraphic solutions are embedded in the astrometric telescope design, to achieve a rejection factor of the Sun disk and stray light of ˜ 10-9 . An array of apertures implemented by pupil masking on an underlying telescope with primary diameter below one meter, with long focal length, fulfills the mission specifications by providing individual photo-center precision better than 1 milli-arcsecond for source magnitude 15 or brighter.

Testing general relativity and alternative theories of gravity with space-based atomic clocks and atom interferometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bondarescu, Ruxandra; Schärer, Andreas; Jetzer, Philippe; Angélil, Raymond; Saha, Prasenjit; Lundgren, Andrew

2015-05-01

The successful miniaturisation of extremely accurate atomic clocks and atom interferometers invites prospects for satellite missions to perform precision experiments. We discuss the effects predicted by general relativity and alternative theories of gravity that can be detected by a clock, which orbits the Earth. Our experiment relies on the precise tracking of the spacecraft using its observed tick-rate. The spacecraft's reconstructed four-dimensional trajectory will reveal the nature of gravitational perturbations in Earth's gravitational field, potentially differentiating between different theories of gravity. This mission can measure multiple relativistic effects all during the course of a single experiment, and constrain the Parametrized Post-Newtonian Parameters around the Earth. A satellite carrying a clock of fractional timing inaccuracy of Δ f / f ˜ 10-16 in an elliptic orbit around the Earth would constrain the PPN parameters |β - 1|, |γ - 1| ≲ 10-6. We also briefly review potential constraints by atom interferometers on scalar tensor theories and in particular on Chameleon and dilaton models.

The New Zealand gravimetric quasigeoid model 2017 that incorporates nationwide airborne gravimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCubbine, J. C.; Amos, M. J.; Tontini, F. C.; Smith, E.; Winefied, R.; Stagpoole, V.; Featherstone, W. E.

2017-12-01

A one arc-minute resolution gravimetric quasigeoid model has been computed for New Zealand, covering the region 25°S -60°S and 160°E -170°W . It was calculated by Wong and Gore modified Stokes integration using the remove-compute-restore technique with the EIGEN-6C4 global gravity model as the reference field. The gridded gravity data used for the computation consisted of 40,677 land gravity observations, satellite altimetry-derived marine gravity anomalies, historical shipborne marine gravity observations and, importantly, approximately one million new airborne gravity observations. The airborne data were collected with the specific intention of reinforcing the shortcomings of the existing data in areas of rough topography inaccessible to land gravimetry and in coastal areas where shipborne gravimetry cannot be collected and altimeter-derived gravity anomalies are generally poor. The new quasigeoid has a nominal precision of ± 48 mm on comparison with GPS-levelling data, which is approximately 14 mm less than its predecessor NZGeoid09.

Improvements in absolute seismometer sensitivity calibration using local earth gravity measurements

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anthony, Robert E.; Ringler, Adam; Wilson, David

2018-01-01

The ability to determine both absolute and relative seismic amplitudes is fundamentally limited by the accuracy and precision with which scientists are able to calibrate seismometer sensitivities and characterize their response. Currently, across the Global Seismic Network (GSN), errors in midband sensitivity exceed 3% at the 95% confidence interval and are the least‐constrained response parameter in seismic recording systems. We explore a new methodology utilizing precise absolute Earth gravity measurements to determine the midband sensitivity of seismic instruments. We first determine the absolute sensitivity of Kinemetrics EpiSensor accelerometers to 0.06% at the 99% confidence interval by inverting them in a known gravity field at the Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory (ASL). After the accelerometer is calibrated, we install it in its normal configuration next to broadband seismometers and subject the sensors to identical ground motions to perform relative calibrations of the broadband sensors. Using this technique, we are able to determine the absolute midband sensitivity of the vertical components of Nanometrics Trillium Compact seismometers to within 0.11% and Streckeisen STS‐2 seismometers to within 0.14% at the 99% confidence interval. The technique enables absolute calibrations from first principles that are traceable to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) measurements while providing nearly an order of magnitude more precision than step‐table calibrations.

Definition and Proposed Realization of the International Height Reference System (IHRS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ihde, Johannes; Sánchez, Laura; Barzaghi, Riccardo; Drewes, Hermann; Foerste, Christoph; Gruber, Thomas; Liebsch, Gunter; Marti, Urs; Pail, Roland; Sideris, Michael

2017-05-01

Studying, understanding and modelling global change require geodetic reference frames with an order of accuracy higher than the magnitude of the effects to be actually studied and with high consistency and reliability worldwide. The International Association of Geodesy, taking care of providing a precise geodetic infrastructure for monitoring the Earth system, promotes the implementation of an integrated global geodetic reference frame that provides a reliable frame for consistent analysis and modelling of global phenomena and processes affecting the Earth's gravity field, the Earth's surface geometry and the Earth's rotation. The definition, realization, maintenance and wide utilization of the International Terrestrial Reference System guarantee a globally unified geometric reference frame with an accuracy at the millimetre level. An equivalent high-precision global physical reference frame that supports the reliable description of changes in the Earth's gravity field (such as sea level variations, mass displacements, processes associated with geophysical fluids) is missing. This paper addresses the theoretical foundations supporting the implementation of such a physical reference surface in terms of an International Height Reference System and provides guidance for the coming activities required for the practical and sustainable realization of this system. Based on conceptual approaches of physical geodesy, the requirements for a unified global height reference system are derived. In accordance with the practice, its realization as the International Height Reference Frame is designed. Further steps for the implementation are also proposed.

Accounting for time- and space-varying changes in the gravity field to improve the network adjustment of relative-gravity data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kennedy, Jeffrey R.; Ferre, Ty P.A.

2015-01-01

The relative gravimeter is the primary terrestrial instrument for measuring spatially and temporally varying gravitational fields. The background noise of the instrument—that is, non-linear drift and random tares—typically requires some form of least-squares network adjustment to integrate data collected during a campaign that may take several days to weeks. Here, we present an approach to remove the change in the observed relative-gravity differences caused by hydrologic or other transient processes during a single campaign, so that the adjusted gravity values can be referenced to a single epoch. The conceptual approach is an example of coupled hydrogeophysical inversion, by which a hydrologic model is used to inform and constrain the geophysical forward model. The hydrologic model simulates the spatial variation of the rate of change of gravity as either a linear function of distance from an infiltration source, or using a 3-D numerical groundwater model. The linear function can be included in and solved for as part of the network adjustment. Alternatively, the groundwater model is used to predict the change of gravity at each station through time, from which the accumulated gravity change is calculated and removed from the data prior to the network adjustment. Data from a field experiment conducted at an artificial-recharge facility are used to verify our approach. Maximum gravity change due to hydrology (observed using a superconducting gravimeter) during the relative-gravity field campaigns was up to 2.6 μGal d−1, each campaign was between 4 and 6 d and one month elapsed between campaigns. The maximum absolute difference in the estimated gravity change between two campaigns, two months apart, using the standard network adjustment method and the new approach, was 5.5 μGal. The maximum gravity change between the same two campaigns was 148 μGal, and spatial variation in gravity change revealed zones of preferential infiltration and areas of relatively high groundwater storage. The accommodation for spatially varying gravity change would be most important for long-duration campaigns, campaigns with very rapid changes in gravity and (or) campaigns where especially precise observed relative-gravity differences are used in the network adjustment.

Saving Space and Time: The Tractor That Einstein Built

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

In 1984, NASA initiated the Gravity Probe B (GP-B) program to test two unverified predictions of Albert Einstein s theory of general relativity, hypotheses about the ways space, time, light, and gravity relate to each other. To test these predictions, the Space Agency and researchers at Stanford University developed an experiment that would check, with extreme precision, tiny changes in the spin direction of four gyroscopes contained in an Earth satellite orbiting at a 400-mile altitude directly over the Earth s poles. When the program first began, the researchers assessed using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to control the attitude of the GP-B spacecraft accurately. At that time, the best GPS receivers could only provide accuracy to nearly 1 meter, but the GP-B spacecraft required a system 100 times more accurate. To address this concern, researchers at Stanford designed high-performance, attitude-determining hardware that used GPS signals, perfecting a high-precision form of GPS called Carrier-Phase Differential GPS that could provide continuous real-time position, velocity, time, and attitude sensor information for all axes of a vehicle. The researchers came to the realization that controlling the GP-B spacecraft with this new system was essentially no different than controlling an airplane. Their thinking took a new direction: If this technology proved successful, the airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were ready commercial markets. They set out to test the new technology, the "Integrity Beacon Landing System," using it to automatically land a commercial Boeing 737 over 100 times successfully through Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS technology. The thinking of the researchers shifted again, from automatically landing aircraft, to automating precision farming and construction equipment.

Bed topography of Jakobshavn Isbræ, Greenland from high-resolution gravity data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

An, L.; Rignot, E. J.; Morlighem, M.; Paden, J. D.; Holland, D. M.

2015-12-01

Jakobshavn Isbræ (JKS) is one of the largest marine terminating outlet glaciers in Greenland, feeding a fjord about 800 m deep in the west coast. JKS sped up more than twofold since 2002 and contributed nearly 1 mm of global sea level rise during the period from 2000 to 2011. Holland et al. (2008) posit that these changes coincided with a change in ocean conditions beneath the former ice tongue, yet little is known about the depth of the glacier at its grounding line and upstream of the grounding line and the sea floor depth of the fjord is not well known either. Here, we present a new approach to infer the glacier bed topography, ice thickness and sea floor bathymetry near the grounding line of JKS using high-resolution airborne gravity data from AirGRAV. AirGRAV data were collected in August 2012 from a helicopter platform. The data combined with radio echo sounding data, discrete point soundings in the fjord and the mass conservation approach on land ice. AirGRAV acquired a 500m spacing grid of free-air gravity data at 50 knots with sub-milligal accuracy, i.e. much higher than NASA Operation IceBridge (OIB)'s 5.2km resolution at 290 knots. We use a 3D inversion of the gravity data combining our observations and a forward modeling of the surrounding gravity field, and constrained at the boundary by radar echo soundings and point bathymetry. We reconstruct seamless bed topography at the grounding line that matches interior data and the sea floor bathymetry. The results reveal the true depth at the elbow of the terminal valley and the bed reversal in the proximity of the current grounding line. The analysis provides guidelines for future gravity survey of narrow fjords in terms of spatial resolution and gravity precision. The results also demonstrate the practicality of using high resolution gravity survey to resolve bed topography near glacier snouts, in places where radar sounding has been significantly challenged in the past. The inversion results are critical to re-interpret the recent evolution of JKS and reduce uncertainties in projecting its future contribution to sea level. This work was conducted at UCI and at Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory under a contract with the Gordon and Betty More Foundation and with NASA's Cryospheric Science Program.

Optimally combined regional geoid models for the realization of height systems in developing countries - ORG4heights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lieb, Verena; Schmidt, Michael; Willberg, Martin; Pail, Roland

2017-04-01

Precise height systems require high-resolution and high-quality gravity data. However, such data sets are sparse especially in developing or newly industrializing countries. Thus, we initiated the DFG-project "ORG4heights" for the formulation of a general scientific concept how to (1) optimally combine all available data sets and (2) estimate realistic errors. The resulting regional gravity field models then deliver the fundamental basis for (3) establishing physical national height systems. The innovative key aspects of the project incorporate the development of a method which links (low- up to mid-resolution) gravity satellite mission data and (high- down to low-quality) terrestrial data. Hereby, an optimal combination of the data utilizing their highest measure of information including uncertainty quantification and analyzing systematic omission errors is pursued. Regional gravity field modeling via Multi-Resolution Representation (MRR) and Least Squares Collocation (LSC) are studied in detail and compared based on their theoretical fundamentals. From the findings, MRR shall be further developed towards implementing a pyramid algorithm. Within the project, we investigate comprehensive case studies in Saudi Arabia and South America, i. e. regions with varying topography, by means of simulated data with heterogeneous distribution, resolution, quality and altitude. GPS and tide gauge records serve as complementary input or validation data. The resulting products include error propagation, internal and external validation. A generalized concept then is derived in order to establish physical height systems in developing countries. The recommendations may serve as guidelines for sciences and administration. We present the ideas and strategies of the project, which combines methodical development and practical applications with high socio-economic impact.

Absolute Gravity Datum in the Age of Cold Atom Gravimeters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Childers, V. A.; Eckl, M. C.

2014-12-01

The international gravity datum is defined today by the International Gravity Standardization Net of 1971 (IGSN-71). The data supporting this network was measured in the 1950s and 60s using pendulum and spring-based gravimeter ties (plus some new ballistic absolute meters) to replace the prior protocol of referencing all gravity values to the earlier Potsdam value. Since this time, gravimeter technology has advanced significantly with the development and refinement of the FG-5 (the current standard of the industry) and again with the soon-to-be-available cold atom interferometric absolute gravimeters. This latest development is anticipated to provide improvement in the range of two orders of magnitude as compared to the measurement accuracy of technology utilized to develop ISGN-71. In this presentation, we will explore how the IGSN-71 might best be "modernized" given today's requirements and available instruments and resources. The National Geodetic Survey (NGS), along with other relevant US Government agencies, is concerned about establishing gravity control to establish and maintain high order geodetic networks as part of the nation's essential infrastructure. The need to modernize the nation's geodetic infrastructure was highlighted in "Precise Geodetic Infrastructure, National Requirements for a Shared Resource" National Academy of Science, 2010. The NGS mission, as dictated by Congress, is to establish and maintain the National Spatial Reference System, which includes gravity measurements. Absolute gravimeters measure the total gravity field directly and do not involve ties to other measurements. Periodic "intercomparisons" of multiple absolute gravimeters at reference gravity sites are used to constrain the behavior of the instruments to ensure that each would yield reasonably similar measurements of the same location (i.e. yield a sufficiently consistent datum when measured in disparate locales). New atomic interferometric gravimeters promise a significant increase in accuracy. Our presentation will also explore the impact of such an instrument on our theory of how to constrain the gravity datum and on how to ensure stability, repeatability, and reproducibility across different absolute gravimeter systems.

Titan gravity investigation with the Oceanus mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tortora, Paolo; Zannoni, Marco; Nimmo, Francis; Mazarico, Erwan; Iess, Luciano; Sotin, Christophe; Hayes, Alexander; Malaska, Michael

2017-04-01

Oceanus is a proposed mission for NASA's New Frontiers 4 Announcement of Opportunity to study Saturn's largest moon Titan. One of the main goals of Oceanus is to examine crustal properties and determine the potential interaction of organics with the subsurface ocean, with implications for potential habitability of Titan. To this end, Oceanus could potentially characterize the thickness of the external icy shell and determine the extent of convection in the shell. The product (average ice rigidity) x (ice shell thickness) can be retrieved from the Love numbers k2 and h2, which describe Titan's gravity and shape response to Saturn's tidal field during its orbital motion around the planet, using a combined analysis of gravity and topography but also measuring Titan's physical librations from gravity data and the on-board camera surface landmarks. The gravity science experiment is crucial to accomplish the mission goals, because precise orbit determination of the spacecraft provides a direct measure of Titan's static gravitational field, the real and imaginary parts of the Love number k2, and its rotational state (obliquity and amplitude of physical librations in longitude). Moreover, a precise spacecraft orbit reconstruction throughout the entire mission is necessary to process radar altimetry data and accurately measure Titan's h2 through crossover analysis. We present the expected accuracy in the estimation of the scientific parameters of interest, obtained through numerical simulations of the orbit determination of the Oceanus spacecraft during its 2-year mission around Titan. The main observable quantities used in the analysis are two-way Doppler data obtained from the frequency shift of a highly stable microwave carrier between the spacecraft and the stations of NASA's Deep Space Network. White Gaussian noise was added to the simulated data, with a realistic standard deviation obtained from an accurate noise budget derived from the experience with Cassini Ka-band Doppler data. A covariance analysis was carried out using a multi-arc approach, comparing different observational and modeling strategies, in particular for the non-gravitational perturbations. Our results show that Oceanus will allow estimating the real and imaginary parts of Titan's k2 to an accuracy of 0.0001, the gravity field to at least degree 12 with SNR of 10, and also provide spacecraft orbit reconstruction with a radial uncertainty better than 0.5 meter during the mission.

Figuring large optics at the sub-nanometer level: compensation for coating and gravity distortions.

PubMed

Gensemer, Stephen; Gross, Mark

2015-11-30

Large, precision optics can now be manufactured with surface figures specified at the sub-nanometer level. However, coatings and gravity deform large optics, and there are limits to what can be corrected by clever compensation. Instead, deformations caused by stress from optical mounts and deposited coatings must be incorporated into the optical design. We demonstrate compensation of coating stress on a 370mm substrate to λ/200 by a process of coating and annealing. We also model the same process and identify the leading effects that must be anticipated in fabrication of optics for future gravitational wave detectors and other applications of large, precisely figured optics, and identify the limitations inherent in using coatings to compensate for these deformations.

Hardware development for Gravity Probe-B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bardas, D.; Cheung, W. S.; Gill, D.; Hacker, R.; Keiser, G. M.

1986-01-01

Gravity Probe-B (GP-B), also known as the Stanford Relativity Gyroscope Experiment, will test two fundamental predictions of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity by precise measurement of the precessions of nearly perfect gyroscopes in earth orbit. This endeavor embodies state-of-the-art technologies in many fields, including gyroscope fabrication and readout, cryogenics, superconductivity, magnetic shielding, precision optics and alignment methods, and satellite control systems. These technologies are necessary to enable measurement of the predicted precession rates to the milliarcsecond/year level, and to reduce to 'near zero' all non-General Relativistic torques on the gyroscopes. This paper provides a brief overview of the experiment followed by descriptions of several specific hardware items with highlights on progress to date and plans for future development and tests.

Grace-Fo satellites

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-09

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-on (GRACE-FO) mission is a partnership between NASA and the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). GRACE-FO is a successor to the original GRACE mission, which began orbiting Earth on March 17, 2002. GRACE-FO will carry on the extremely successful work of its predecessor while testing a new technology designed to dramatically improve the already remarkable precision of its measurement system. The GRACE missions measure variations in gravity over Earth's surface, producing a new map of the gravity field every 30 days. Thus, GRACE shows how the planet's gravity differs not only from one location to another, but also from one period of time to another. Airbus Defence and Space (Friedrichshafen/Germany) is the industrial prime contractor to build the satellites.

Implementation of high precision optical and radiometric LRO tracking data in the orbit determination to supplement the baseline S-band tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, D.; Torrence, M. H.; Mazarico, E.; Neumann, G. A.; Smith, D. E.; Zuber, M. T.

2016-12-01

LRO has been in a polar lunar orbit for 7 year since it was launched in June 2009. Seven instruments are onboard LRO to perform a global and detailed geophysical, geological and geochemical mapping of the Moon, some of which have very high spatial resolution. To take full advantage of the high resolution LRO datasets from these instruments, the spacecraft orbit must be reconstructed precisely. The baseline LRO tracking was the NASA's White Sands station in New Mexico and a commercial network, the Universal Space Network (USN), providing up to 20 hours per day of almost continuous S-band radio frequency link to LRO. The USN stations produce S-band range data with a 0.4 m precision and Doppler data with a 0.8 mm/s precision. Using the S-band tracking data together with the high-resolution gravity field model from the GRAIL mission, definitive LRO orbit solutions are obtained with an accuracy of 10 m in total position and 0.5 m radially. Confirmed by the 0.50-m high-resolution NAC images from the LROC team, these orbits well represent the LRO orbit "truth". In addition to the S-band data, one-way Laser Ranging (LR) to LRO provides a unique LRO optical tracking dataset over 5 years, from June 2009 to September 2014. Ten international satellite laser ranging stations contributed over 4000 hours LR data with the 0.05 - 0.10 m normal point precision. Another set of high precision LRO tracking data is provided by the Deep Space Network (DSN), which produces radiometric tracking data more precise than the USN S-band data. In the last two years of the LRO mission, the temporal coverage of the USN data has decreased significantly. We show that LR and DSN data can be a good supplement to the baseline tracking data for the orbit reconstruction.

Predicted Sensitivity for Tests of Short-range Gravity with a Novel Parallel-plate Torsion Pendulum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richards, Matthew; Baxley, Brandon; Hoyle, C. D.; Leopardi, Holly; Shook, David

2011-11-01

The parallel-plate torsion pendulum apparatus at Humboldt State University is designed to test the Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP) and the gravitational inverse-square law (ISL) of General Relativity at unprecedented levels in the sub-millimeter regime. Some versions of String Theory predict additional dimensions that might affect the gravitational inverse-square law (ISL) at sub-millimeter levels. Some models also predict the existence of unobserved subatomic particles, which if exist, could cause a violation in the WEP at short distances. Short-range tests of gravity and the WEP are also instrumental in investigating possible proposed mechanisms that attempt to explain the accelerated expansion of the universe, generally attributed to Dark Energy. The weakness of the gravitational force makes measurement very difficult at small scales. Testing such a minimal force requires highly isolated experimental systems and precise measurement and control instrumentation. Moreover, a dedicated test of the WEP has not been performed below the millimeter scale. This talk will discuss the improved sensitivity that we expect to achieve in short-range gravity tests with respect to previous efforts that employ different experimental configurations.

Trajectory Design Employing Convex Optimization for Landing on Irregularly Shaped Asteroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinson, Robin M.; Lu, Ping

2016-01-01

Mission proposals that land spacecraft on asteroids are becoming increasingly popular. However, in order to have a successful mission the spacecraft must reliably and softly land at the intended landing site with pinpoint precision. The problem under investigation is how to design a propellant optimal powered descent trajectory that can be quickly computed onboard the spacecraft, without interaction from the ground control. The propellant optimal control problem in this work is to determine the optimal finite thrust vector to land the spacecraft at a specified location, in the presence of a highly nonlinear gravity field, subject to various mission and operational constraints. The proposed solution uses convex optimization, a gravity model with higher fidelity than Newtonian, and an iterative solution process for a fixed final time problem. In addition, a second optimization method is wrapped around the convex optimization problem to determine the optimal flight time that yields the lowest propellant usage over all flight times. Gravity models designed for irregularly shaped asteroids are investigated. Success of the algorithm is demonstrated by designing powered descent trajectories for the elongated binary asteroid Castalia.

Time-Variable Gravity from Space: Quarter Century of Observations, Mysteries, and Prospects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chao, Benjamin F.

2003-01-01

Any large mass transport in the Earth system produces changes in the gravity field. Via the space geodetic technique of satellite-laser ranging in the last quarter century, the Earth's dynamic oblateness J2 (the lowest-degree harmonic component of the gravity field) has been observed to undergo a slight decrease -- until around 1998, when it switched quite suddenly to an increase trend which has continued to date. The secular decrease in J2 has long been attributed primarily to the post-glacial rebound in the mantle; the present increase signifies an even larger change in global mass distribution whose J2 effect overshadows that of the post-glacial rebound, at least over interannual timescales. Intriguing evidences have been found in the ocean water distribution, especially in the extratropical Pacific basins, that may be responsible for this J2 change. New techniques based on satellite-to-satellite tracking will yield greatly improved observations for time-variable gravity, with much higher precision and spatial resolution (i.e., much higher harmonic degrees). The most important example is the GRACE mission launched in March 2002, following the success of the CHAMP mission. In addition, although less precise than GRACE, the GPS/Meteorology constellation mission COSMIC, with 6 mini-satellites to be launched in late 2005, is expected to provide continued and complementary time-variable gravity observations. Such observations are becoming a new and powerful tool for remote sensing of geophysical fluid processes that involve larger-scale mass transports.

Gravity field, shape, and moment of inertia of Titan.

PubMed

Iess, Luciano; Rappaport, Nicole J; Jacobson, Robert A; Racioppa, Paolo; Stevenson, David J; Tortora, Paolo; Armstrong, John W; Asmar, Sami W

2010-03-12

Precise radio tracking of the spacecraft Cassini has provided a determination of Titan's mass and gravity harmonics to degree 3. The quadrupole field is consistent with a hydrostatically relaxed body shaped by tidal and rotational effects. The inferred moment of inertia factor is about 0.34, implying incomplete differentiation, either in the sense of imperfect separation of rock from ice or a core in which a large amount of water remains chemically bound in silicates. The equilibrium figure is a triaxial ellipsoid whose semi-axes a, b, and c differ by 410 meters (a-c) and 103 meters (b-c). The nonhydrostatic geoid height variations (up to 19 meters) are small compared to the observed topographic anomalies of hundreds of meters, suggesting a high degree of compensation appropriate to a body that has warm ice at depth.

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehman, D. H.; Hoffman, T. L.; Havens, G. G.

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission, launched in September 2011, successfully completed its Primary Science Mission in June 2012 and Extended Mission in December 2012. Competitively selected under a NASA Announcement of Opportunity in December 2007, GRAIL is a Discovery Program mission subject to a mandatory project cost cap. The purpose of the mission is to precisely map the gravitational field of the Moon to reveal its internal structure from crust to core, determine its thermal evolution, and extend this knowledge to other planets. The mission used twin spacecraft flying in tandem to provide the gravity map. The GRAIL Flight System, consisting of the spacecraft and payload, was developed based on significant heritage from previous missions such as an experimental U.S. Air Force satellite, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) mission, and the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission. The Mission Operations System (MOS) was based on high-heritage multimission operations developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Lockheed Martin. Both the Flight System and MOS were adapted to meet the unique challenges posed by the GRAIL mission design. This paper summarizes the implementation challenges and accomplishments of getting GRAIL ready for launch. It also discusses the in-flight challenges and experiences of operating two spacecraft, and mission results.

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lehman, David H.; Hoffman, Tom L.; Havens, Glen G.

2013-01-01

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission, launched in September 2011, successfully completed its Primary Science Mission in June 2012 and is currently in Extended Mission operations. Competitively selected under a NASA Announcement of Opportunity in December 2007, GRAIL is a Discovery Program mission subject to a mandatory project cost cap. The purpose of the mission is to precisely map the gravitational field of the Moon to reveal its internal structure from crust to core, determine its thermal evolution, and extend this knowledge to other planets. The mission uses twin spacecraft flying in tandem to provide the gravity map. The GRAIL Flight System, consisting of the spacecraft and payload, was developed based on significant heritage from previous missions such an experimental U.S. Air Force satellite, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) mission, and the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission. The Mission Operations System (MOS) was based on high-heritage multimission operations developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Lockheed Martin. Both the Flight System and MOS were adapted to meet the unique challenges posed by the GRAIL mission design. This paper summarizes the implementation challenges and accomplishments of getting GRAIL ready for launch. It also discusses the in-flight challenges and experiences of operating two spacecraft, and mission results.

Development of the lunar gravity field model GrazLGM300b in the framework of project GRAZIL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krauss, Sandro; Klinger, Beate; Wirnsberger, Harald; Baur, Oliver; Mayer-Gürr, Torsten

2015-04-01

The objective of project GRAZIL is to compile a high-accurate gravity field model of the Moon based on measurements provided by the Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission. In order to reach this goal we perform dynamic precise orbit determination from radio science observations (Doppler range-rates) in combination with the analysis of inter-satellite ranging observations. We present an updated version of the lunar gravity field models GrazLGM200a (Klinger et al. 2014; doi: 10.1016/j.pss.2013.12.001) and GrazLGM300a (prepared for the 2014 AGU Fall Meeting) derived from inter-satellite Ka-band ranging (KBR) observations collected by GRAIL during the primary mission phase (March 1 to May 29, 2012). We exploit the KBR data by an integral equation approach using short orbital arcs. The basic idea behind this technique is to reformulate Newton's equation of motion as a boundary value problem. In this contribution particular attention is paid to processing details associated with the error structure of the observations and the incorporation of non-gravitational accelerations (with emphasis on solar radiation pressure, lunar albedo and self-shadowing). We validate our results against recent GRAIL models computed at NASA-GSFC and NASA-JPL.

A portable magneto-optical trap with prospects for atom interferometry in civil engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinton, A.; Perea-Ortiz, M.; Winch, J.; Briggs, J.; Freer, S.; Moustoukas, D.; Powell-Gill, S.; Squire, C.; Lamb, A.; Rammeloo, C.; Stray, B.; Voulazeris, G.; Zhu, L.; Kaushik, A.; Lien, Y.-H.; Niggebaum, A.; Rodgers, A.; Stabrawa, A.; Boddice, D.; Plant, S. R.; Tuckwell, G. W.; Bongs, K.; Metje, N.; Holynski, M.

2017-06-01

The high precision and scalable technology offered by atom interferometry has the opportunity to profoundly affect gravity surveys, enabling the detection of features of either smaller size or greater depth. While such systems are already starting to enter into the commercial market, significant reductions are required in order to reach the size, weight and power of conventional devices. In this article, the potential for atom interferometry based gravimetry is assessed, suggesting that the key opportunity resides within the development of gravity gradiometry sensors to enable drastic improvements in measurement time. To push forward in realizing more compact systems, techniques have been pursued to realize a highly portable magneto-optical trap system, which represents the core package of an atom interferometry system. This can create clouds of 107 atoms within a system package of 20 l and 10 kg, consuming 80 W of power. This article is part of the themed issue 'Quantum technology for the 21st century'.

A portable magneto-optical trap with prospects for atom interferometry in civil engineering

PubMed Central

Perea-Ortiz, M.; Winch, J.; Briggs, J.; Freer, S.; Moustoukas, D.; Powell-Gill, S.; Squire, C.; Lamb, A.; Rammeloo, C.; Stray, B.; Voulazeris, G.; Zhu, L.; Kaushik, A.; Lien, Y.-H.; Niggebaum, A.; Rodgers, A.; Stabrawa, A.; Boddice, D.; Plant, S. R.; Tuckwell, G. W.; Bongs, K.; Metje, N.; Holynski, M.

2017-01-01

The high precision and scalable technology offered by atom interferometry has the opportunity to profoundly affect gravity surveys, enabling the detection of features of either smaller size or greater depth. While such systems are already starting to enter into the commercial market, significant reductions are required in order to reach the size, weight and power of conventional devices. In this article, the potential for atom interferometry based gravimetry is assessed, suggesting that the key opportunity resides within the development of gravity gradiometry sensors to enable drastic improvements in measurement time. To push forward in realizing more compact systems, techniques have been pursued to realize a highly portable magneto-optical trap system, which represents the core package of an atom interferometry system. This can create clouds of 107 atoms within a system package of 20 l and 10 kg, consuming 80 W of power. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Quantum technology for the 21st century’. PMID:28652493

A portable magneto-optical trap with prospects for atom interferometry in civil engineering.

PubMed

Hinton, A; Perea-Ortiz, M; Winch, J; Briggs, J; Freer, S; Moustoukas, D; Powell-Gill, S; Squire, C; Lamb, A; Rammeloo, C; Stray, B; Voulazeris, G; Zhu, L; Kaushik, A; Lien, Y-H; Niggebaum, A; Rodgers, A; Stabrawa, A; Boddice, D; Plant, S R; Tuckwell, G W; Bongs, K; Metje, N; Holynski, M

2017-08-06

The high precision and scalable technology offered by atom interferometry has the opportunity to profoundly affect gravity surveys, enabling the detection of features of either smaller size or greater depth. While such systems are already starting to enter into the commercial market, significant reductions are required in order to reach the size, weight and power of conventional devices. In this article, the potential for atom interferometry based gravimetry is assessed, suggesting that the key opportunity resides within the development of gravity gradiometry sensors to enable drastic improvements in measurement time. To push forward in realizing more compact systems, techniques have been pursued to realize a highly portable magneto-optical trap system, which represents the core package of an atom interferometry system. This can create clouds of 10 7 atoms within a system package of 20 l and 10 kg, consuming 80 W of power.This article is part of the themed issue 'Quantum technology for the 21st century'. © 2017 The Author(s).

A Century of Stability of Avannarleq and Kujalleq Glaciers, West Greenland, Explained Using High-Resolution Airborne Gravity and Other Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

An, L.; Rignot, E.; Mouginot, J.; Millan, R.

2018-04-01

The evolution of Greenland glaciers in a warming climate depends on their depth below sea level, flow speed, surface melt, and ocean-induced undercutting at the calving front. We present an innovative mapping of bed topography in the frontal regions of Sermeq Avannarleq and Kujalleq, two major glaciers flowing into the ice-choked Torssukatak Fjord, central west Greenland. The mapping combines a mass conservation algorithm inland, multibeam echo sounding data in the fjord, and high-resolution airborne gravity data at the ice-ocean transition where other approaches have traditionally failed. We obtain a reliable, precision (±40 m) solution for bed topography across the ice-ocean boundary. The results reveal a 700 m deep fjord that abruptly ends on a 100-300 m deep sill along the calving fronts. The shallow sills explain the presence of stranded icebergs, the resilience of the glaciers to ocean-induced undercutting by warm Atlantic water, and their remarkable stability over the past century.

OBSERVATIONAL SIGNATURES OF CONVECTIVELY DRIVEN WAVES IN MASSIVE STARS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aerts, C.; Rogers, T. M.

We demonstrate observational evidence for the occurrence of convectively driven internal gravity waves (IGWs) in young massive O-type stars observed with high-precision CoRoT space photometry. This evidence results from a comparison between velocity spectra based on two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of IGWs in a differentially rotating massive star and the observed spectra. We also show that the velocity spectra caused by IGWs may lead to detectable line-profile variability and explain the occurrence of macroturbulence in the observed line profiles of OB stars. Our findings provide predictions that can readily be tested by including a sample of bright, slowly and rapidly rotatingmore » OB-type stars in the scientific program of the K2 mission accompanied by high-precision spectroscopy and their confrontation with multi-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of IGWs for various masses and ages.« less

The Gravity Probe B Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kolodziejczak, Jeffrey

2008-01-01

This presentation briefly describes the Gravity Probe B (GP-B) Experiment which is designed to measure parts of Einstein's general theory of relativity by monitoring gyroscope orientation relative to a distant guide star. To measure the miniscule angles predicted by Einstein's theory, it was necessary to build near-perfect gyroscopes that were approximately 50 million times more precise than the best navigational gyroscopes. A telescope mounted along the central axis of the dewar and spacecraft provided the experiment's pointing reference to a guide star. The telescope's image divide precisely split the star's beam into x-axis and y-axis components whose brightness could be compared. GP-B's 650-gallon dewar, kept the science instrument inside the probe at a cryogenic temperature for 17.3 months and also provided the thruster propellant for precision attitude and translation control. Built around the dewar, the GP-B spacecraft was a total-integrated system, comprising both the space vehicle and payload, dedicated as a single entity to experimentally testing predictions of Einstein's theory.

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, a balloon gently lifts the solar array panel to be installed on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-11-04

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, a balloon gently lifts the solar array panel to be installed on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, the Gravity Probe B spacecraft is seen with all four solar array panels installed. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-11-04

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, the Gravity Probe B spacecraft is seen with all four solar array panels installed. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - A worker in the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base adjust the supports on a solar array panel to be lifted and installed on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-11-03

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - A worker in the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base adjust the supports on a solar array panel to be lifted and installed on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, the Gravity Probe B spacecraft is seen with two solar array panels installed. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-11-04

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, the Gravity Probe B spacecraft is seen with two solar array panels installed. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, Dr. Francis Everitt, principal investigator, and Brad Parkinson, co-principal investigator, both from Stanford University, hold one of the small gyroscopes used in the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. The GP-B towers behind them. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-11-10

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, Dr. Francis Everitt, principal investigator, and Brad Parkinson, co-principal investigator, both from Stanford University, hold one of the small gyroscopes used in the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. The GP-B towers behind them. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, a worker checks the installation of a solar array panel onto the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-11-04

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, a worker checks the installation of a solar array panel onto the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - Workers in the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base prepare for the installation of solar array panel 3 on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-11-03

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - Workers in the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base prepare for the installation of solar array panel 3 on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - Workers in the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base prepare to rotate the framework containing one of four solar panels to be installed on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-11-03

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - Workers in the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base prepare to rotate the framework containing one of four solar panels to be installed on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - Workers in the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base work on a solar array panel to be installed on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-11-03

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - Workers in the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base work on a solar array panel to be installed on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, workers prepare to attach the top of a solar array panel onto the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-11-04

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, workers prepare to attach the top of a solar array panel onto the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - Workers in the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base attach a solar array panel on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-11-03

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - Workers in the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base attach a solar array panel on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - Workers in the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base attach supports to a solar array panel to be lifted and installed on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-11-03

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - Workers in the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base attach supports to a solar array panel to be lifted and installed on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

Inversion of marine gravity anomalies over southeastern China seas from multi-satellite altimeter vertical deflections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shengjun; Sandwell, David T.; Jin, Taoyong; Li, Dawei

2017-02-01

The accuracy and resolution of marine gravity field derived from satellite altimetry mainly depends on the range precision and dense spatial distribution. This paper aims at modeling a regional marine gravity field with improved accuracy and higher resolution (1‧ × 1‧) over Southeastern China Seas using additional data from CryoSat-2 as well as new data from AltiKa. Three approaches are used to enhance the precision level of satellite-derived gravity anomalies. Firstly we evaluate a suite of published retracking algorithms and find the two-step retracker is optimal for open ocean waveforms. Secondly, we evaluate the filtering and resampling procedure used to reduce the full 20 or 40 Hz data to a lower rate having lower noise. We adopt a uniform low-pass filter for all altimeter missions and resample at 5 Hz and then perform a second editing based on sea surface slope estimates from previous models. Thirdly, we selected WHU12 model to update the corrections provided in geophysical data record. We finally calculated the 1‧ × 1‧ marine gravity field model by using EGM2008 model as reference field during the remove/restore procedure. The root mean squares of the discrepancies between the new result and DTU10, DTU13, V23.1, EGM2008 are within the range of 1.8- 3.9 mGal, while the verification with respect to shipboard gravity data shows that the accuracy of the new result reached a comparable level with DTU13 and was slightly superior to V23.1, DTU10 and EGM2008 models. Moreover, the new result has a 2 mGal better accuracy over open seas than coastal areas with shallow water depth.

The Laser Astrometric Test of Relativity (LATOR) Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turyshev, Slava G.; Shao, Michael; Nordtvedt, Kenneth, Jr.

2003-01-01

This paper discusses new fundamental physics experiment that will test relativistic gravity at the accuracy better than the effects of the second order in the gravitational field strength, proportional to G(sup 2). The Laser Astrometric Test Of Relativity (LATOR) mission uses laser interferometry between two micro-spacecraft whose lines of sight pass close by the Sun to accurately measure deflection of light in the solar gravity. The key element of the experimental design is a redundant geometry optical truss provided by a long-baseline (100 m) multi-channel stellar optical interferometer placed on the International Space Station (ISS). The spatial interferometer is used for measuring the angles between the two spacecraft and for orbit determination purposes. In Euclidean geometry, determination of a triangle s three sides determines any angle therein; with gravity changing the optical lengths of sides passing close by the Sun and deflecting the light, the Euclidean relationships are overthrown. The geometric redundancy enables LATOR to measure the departure from Euclidean geometry caused by the solar gravity field to a very high accuracy. LATOR will not only improve the value of the parameterized post-Newtonian (PPN) gamma to unprecedented levels of accuracy of 1 part in 10(exp 8), it will also reach ability to measure effects of the next post-Newtonian order (c(sup -4)) of light deflection resulting from gravity s intrinsic non-linearity. The solar quadrupole moment parameter, J(sub 2), will be measured with high precision, as well as a variety of other relativistic effects including Lense-Thirring precession. LATOR will lead to very robust advances in the tests of Fundamental physics: this mission could discover a violation or extension of general relativity, or reveal the presence of an additional long range interaction in the physical law. There are no analogs to the LATOR experiment; it is unique and is a natural culmination of solar system gravity experiments.

New observational constraints on f ( T ) gravity from cosmic chronometers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nunes, Rafael C.; Pan, Supriya; Saridakis, Emmanuel N., E-mail: nunes@ecm.ub.edu, E-mail: span@iiserkol.ac.in, E-mail: Emmanuel_Saridakis@baylor.edu

2016-08-01

We use the local value of the Hubble constant recently measured with 2.4% precision, as well as the latest compilation of cosmic chronometers data, together with standard probes such as Supernovae Type Ia and Baryon Acoustic Oscillation distance measurements, in order to impose constraints on the viable and most used f ( T ) gravity models, where T is the torsion scalar in teleparallel gravity. In particular, we consider three f ( T ) models with two parameters, out of which one is independent, and we quantify their deviation from ΛCDM cosmology through a sole parameter. Our analysis reveals thatmore » for one of the models a small but non-zero deviation from ΛCDM cosmology is slightly favored, while for the other models the best fit is very close to ΛCDM scenario. Clearly, f ( T ) gravity is consistent with observations, and it can serve as a candidate for modified gravity.« less

Orbit determination and gravity field recovery from Doppler tracking data to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maier, Andrea; Baur, Oliver

2016-03-01

We present results for Precise Orbit Determination (POD) of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) based on two-way Doppler range-rates over a time span of ~13 months (January 3, 2011 to February 9, 2012). Different orbital arc lengths and various sets of empirical parameters were tested to seek optimal parametrization. An overlap analysis covering three months of Doppler data shows that the most precise orbits are obtained using an arc length of 2.5 days and estimating arc-wise constant empirical accelerations in along track direction. The overlap analysis over the entire investigated time span of 13 months indicates an orbital precision of 13.79 m, 14.17 m, and 1.28 m in along track, cross track, and radial direction, respectively, with 21.32 m in total position. We compare our orbits to the official science orbits released by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The differences amount to 9.50 m, 6.98 m, and 1.50 m in along track, cross track, and radial direction, respectively, as well as 12.71 m in total position. Based on the reconstructed LRO orbits, we estimated lunar gravity field coefficients up to spherical harmonic degree and order 60. The results are compared to gravity field solutions derived from data collected by other lunar missions.

First light for GRAVITY: Phase referencing optical interferometry for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gravity Collaboration; Abuter, R.; Accardo, M.; Amorim, A.; Anugu, N.; Ávila, G.; Azouaoui, N.; Benisty, M.; Berger, J. P.; Blind, N.; Bonnet, H.; Bourget, P.; Brandner, W.; Brast, R.; Buron, A.; Burtscher, L.; Cassaing, F.; Chapron, F.; Choquet, É.; Clénet, Y.; Collin, C.; Coudé Du Foresto, V.; de Wit, W.; de Zeeuw, P. T.; Deen, C.; Delplancke-Ströbele, F.; Dembet, R.; Derie, F.; Dexter, J.; Duvert, G.; Ebert, M.; Eckart, A.; Eisenhauer, F.; Esselborn, M.; Fédou, P.; Finger, G.; Garcia, P.; Garcia Dabo, C. E.; Garcia Lopez, R.; Gendron, E.; Genzel, R.; Gillessen, S.; Gonte, F.; Gordo, P.; Grould, M.; Grözinger, U.; Guieu, S.; Haguenauer, P.; Hans, O.; Haubois, X.; Haug, M.; Haussmann, F.; Henning, Th.; Hippler, S.; Horrobin, M.; Huber, A.; Hubert, Z.; Hubin, N.; Hummel, C. A.; Jakob, G.; Janssen, A.; Jochum, L.; Jocou, L.; Kaufer, A.; Kellner, S.; Kendrew, S.; Kern, L.; Kervella, P.; Kiekebusch, M.; Klein, R.; Kok, Y.; Kolb, J.; Kulas, M.; Lacour, S.; Lapeyrère, V.; Lazareff, B.; Le Bouquin, J.-B.; Lèna, P.; Lenzen, R.; Lévêque, S.; Lippa, M.; Magnard, Y.; Mehrgan, L.; Mellein, M.; Mérand, A.; Moreno-Ventas, J.; Moulin, T.; Müller, E.; Müller, F.; Neumann, U.; Oberti, S.; Ott, T.; Pallanca, L.; Panduro, J.; Pasquini, L.; Paumard, T.; Percheron, I.; Perraut, K.; Perrin, G.; Pflüger, A.; Pfuhl, O.; Phan Duc, T.; Plewa, P. M.; Popovic, D.; Rabien, S.; Ramírez, A.; Ramos, J.; Rau, C.; Riquelme, M.; Rohloff, R.-R.; Rousset, G.; Sanchez-Bermudez, J.; Scheithauer, S.; Schöller, M.; Schuhler, N.; Spyromilio, J.; Straubmeier, C.; Sturm, E.; Suarez, M.; Tristram, K. R. W.; Ventura, N.; Vincent, F.; Waisberg, I.; Wank, I.; Weber, J.; Wieprecht, E.; Wiest, M.; Wiezorrek, E.; Wittkowski, M.; Woillez, J.; Wolff, B.; Yazici, S.; Ziegler, D.; Zins, G.

2017-06-01

GRAVITY is a new instrument to coherently combine the light of the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope Interferometer to form a telescope with an equivalent 130 m diameter angular resolution and a collecting area of 200 m2. The instrument comprises fiber fed integrated optics beam combination, high resolution spectroscopy, built-in beam analysis and control, near-infrared wavefront sensing, phase-tracking, dual-beam operation, and laser metrology. GRAVITY opens up to optical/infrared interferometry the techniques of phase referenced imaging and narrow angle astrometry, in many aspects following the concepts of radio interferometry. This article gives an overview of GRAVITY and reports on the performance and the first astronomical observations during commissioning in 2015/16. We demonstrate phase-tracking on stars as faint as mK ≈ 10 mag, phase-referenced interferometry of objects fainter than mK ≈ 15 mag with a limiting magnitude of mK ≈ 17 mag, minute long coherent integrations, a visibility accuracy of better than 0.25%, and spectro-differential phase and closure phase accuracy better than 0.5°, corresponding to a differential astrometric precision of better than ten microarcseconds (μas). The dual-beam astrometry, measuring the phase difference of two objects with laser metrology, is still under commissioning. First observations show residuals as low as 50 μas when following objects over several months. We illustrate the instrument performance with the observations of archetypical objects for the different instrument modes. Examples include the Galactic center supermassive black hole and its fast orbiting star S2 for phase referenced dual-beam observations and infrared wavefront sensing, the high mass X-ray binary BP Cru and the active galactic nucleus of PDS 456 for a few μas spectro-differential astrometry, the T Tauri star S CrA for a spectro-differential visibility analysis, ξ Tel and 24 Cap for high accuracy visibility observations, and η Car for interferometric imaging with GRAVITY.

Analysis of a jet stream induced gravity wave associated with an observed stratospheric ice cloud over Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buss, S.; Hertzog, A.; Hostettler, C.; Bui, T. B.; Lüthi, D.; Wernli, H.

2004-08-01

A polar stratospheric ice cloud (PSC type II) was observed by airborne lidar above Greenland on 14 January 2000. It was the unique observation of an ice cloud over Greenland during the SOLVE/THESEO 2000 campaign. Mesoscale simulations with the hydrostatic HRM model are presented which, in contrast to global analyses, are capable to produce a vertically propagating gravity wave that induces the low temperatures at the level of the PSC afforded for the ice formation. The simulated minimum temperature is ~8 K below the driving analyses and ~4.5 K below the frost point, exactly coinciding with the location of the observed ice cloud. Despite the high elevations of the Greenland orography the simulated gravity wave is not a mountain wave. Analyses of the horizontal wind divergence, of the background wind profiles, of backward gravity wave ray-tracing trajectories, of HRM experiments with reduced Greenland topography and of several diagnostics near the tropopause level provide evidence that the wave is emitted from an intense, rapidly evolving, anticyclonically curved jet stream. The precise physical process responsible for the wave emission could not be identified definitely, but geostrophic adjustment and shear instability are likely candidates.

In order to evaluate the potential frequency of such non-orographic polar stratospheric cloud events, the non-linear balance equation diagnostic is performed for the winter 1999/2000. It indicates that ice-PSCs are only occasionally generated by gravity waves emanating from spontaneous adjustment.

Effective Inertial Frame in an Atom Interferometric Test of the Equivalence Principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Overstreet, Chris; Asenbaum, Peter; Kovachy, Tim; Notermans, Remy; Hogan, Jason M.; Kasevich, Mark A.

2018-05-01

In an ideal test of the equivalence principle, the test masses fall in a common inertial frame. A real experiment is affected by gravity gradients, which introduce systematic errors by coupling to initial kinematic differences between the test masses. Here we demonstrate a method that reduces the sensitivity of a dual-species atom interferometer to initial kinematics by using a frequency shift of the mirror pulse to create an effective inertial frame for both atomic species. Using this method, we suppress the gravity-gradient-induced dependence of the differential phase on initial kinematic differences by 2 orders of magnitude and precisely measure these differences. We realize a relative precision of Δ g /g ≈6 ×10-11 per shot, which improves on the best previous result for a dual-species atom interferometer by more than 3 orders of magnitude. By reducing gravity gradient systematic errors to one part in 1 013 , these results pave the way for an atomic test of the equivalence principle at an accuracy comparable with state-of-the-art classical tests.

Investigating Jupiter's Deep Flow Structure using the Juno Magnetic and Gravity Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duer, K.; Galanti, E.; Cao, H.; Kaspi, Y.

2017-12-01

Jupiter's flow below its cloud-level is still largely unknown. The gravity measurements from Juno provide now an initial insight into the depth of the flow via the relation between the gravity field and the flow field. Furthermore, additional constraints could be put on the flow if the expected Juno magnetic measurements are also used. Specifically, the gravity and magnetic measurements can be combined to allow a more robust estimate of the deep flow structure. However, a complexity comes from the fact that both the radial profile of the flow, and it's connection to the induced magnetic field, might vary with latitude. In this study we propose a method for using the expected Juno's high-precision measurements of both the magnetic and gravity fields, together with latitude dependent models that relate the measurements to the structure of the internal flow. We simulate possible measurements by setting-up specific deep wind profiles and forward calculate the resulting anomalies in both the magnetic and gravity fields. We allow these profiles to include also latitude dependency. The relation of the flow field to the gravity field is based on thermal wind balance, and it's relation to the magnetic field is via a mean-field electrodynamics balance. The latter includes an alpha-effect, describing the mean magnetic effect of turbulent rotating convection, which might also vary with latitude. Using an adjoint based optimization process, we examine the ability of the combined magnetic-gravity model to decipher the flow structure under the different potential Juno measurements. We investigate the effect of different latitude dependencies on the derived solutions and their associated uncertainties. The novelty of this study is the combination of two independent Juno measurements for the calculation of a latitudinal dependent interior flow profile. This method might lead to a better constraint of Jupiter's flow structure.

Magma Intrusion at Mount St. Helens, Washington, from Temporal Gravity Variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battaglia, Maurizio; Lisowski, Mike; Dzursin, Dan; Poland, Mike; Schilling, Steve; Diefenbach, Angie; Wynn, Jeff

2017-04-01

Mount St. Helens is a stratovolcano in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, best known for its explosive eruption in May 1980 - deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in US history. Volcanic activity renewed in September 2004 with a dome forming eruption that lasted until 2008. This eruption was surprising because the preceding four years had seen the fewest earthquakes and no significant deformation since the 1980-86 eruption ended. After the dome forming eruption ended in July 2008, the volcano seismic activity and deformation went back to background values. Time-dependent gravimetric measurements can detect subsurface processes long before magma flow leads to earthquakes or other eruption precursors. A high-precision gravity monitoring network (referenced to a base station 36 km NW of the volcano) was set up at Mount St Helens in 2010. Measurements were made at 12 sites on the volcano (at altitudes between 1200 and 2350 m a.s.l.) and 4 sites far afield during the summers of 2010, 2012, and 2014. The repeated gravity measurements revealed an increase in gravity between 2010 and 2014. Positive residual gravity anomalies remained after accounting for changes in surface height, in the Crater Glacier, and in the shallow hydrothermal aquifer. The pattern of residual gravity changes, with a maximum of 57±12 μGal from 2010 to 2014, is radially symmetric and centered on the 2004-08 lava dome. Inversion of the residual gravity signal points to a source 2.5-4 km beneath the crater floor (i.e., in the magma conduit that fed eruptions in 1980-86 and 2004-08). We attribute the gravity increase to re-inflation of the magma plumbing system following the 2004-8 eruption. Recent seismic activity (e.g., the seismic swarm of March 2016) has been interpreted as a response to the slow recharging of the volcano magma chamber.

GRACE-FO Spacecraft Artist Rendering

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-05-04

This artist's rendering shows the twin spacecraft of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission, a partnership between NASA and the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). GRACE-FO is a successor to the original GRACE mission, which began orbiting Earth on March 17, 2002. GRACE-FO will carry on the extremely successful work of its predecessor while testing a new technology designed to dramatically improve the already remarkable precision of its measurement system. The GRACE missions measure variations in gravity over Earth's surface, producing a new map of the gravity field every 30 days. Thus, GRACE shows how the planet's gravity differs not only from one location to another, but also from one period of time to another. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21607

Note: Directly measuring the direct digital synthesizer frequency chirp-rate for an atom interferometer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tao, Juan-Juan; Zhou, Min-Kang, E-mail: zkhu@hust.edu.cn, E-mail: zmk@hust.edu.cn; Zhang, Qiao-Zhen

2015-09-15

During gravity measurements with Raman type atom interferometry, the frequency of the laser used to drive Raman transition is scanned by chirping the frequency of a direct digital synthesizer (DDS), and the local gravity is determined by precisely measuring the chip rate α of DDS. We present an effective method that can directly evaluate the frequency chirp rate stability of our DDS. By mixing a pair of synchronous linear sweeping signals, the chirp rate fluctuation is precisely measured with a frequency counter. The measurement result shows that the relative α instability can reach 5.7 × 10{sup −11} in 1 s,more » which is neglectable in a 10{sup −9} g level atom interferometry gravimeter.« less

Improving absolute gravity estimates by the L p -norm approximation of the ballistic trajectory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagornyi, V. D.; Svitlov, S.; Araya, A.

2016-04-01

Iteratively re-weighted least squares (IRLS) were used to simulate the L p -norm approximation of the ballistic trajectory in absolute gravimeters. Two iterations of the IRLS delivered sufficient accuracy of the approximation without a significant bias. The simulations were performed on different samplings and perturbations of the trajectory. For the platykurtic distributions of the perturbations, the L p -approximation with 3  <  p  <  4 was found to yield several times more precise gravity estimates compared to the standard least-squares. The simulation results were confirmed by processing real gravity observations performed at the excessive noise conditions.

Superconducting gravity gradiometer and a test of inverse square law

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moody, M. V.; Paik, Ho Jung

1989-01-01

The equivalence principle prohibits the distinction of gravity from acceleration by a local measurement. However, by making a differential measurement of acceleration over a baseline, platform accelerations can be cancelled and gravity gradients detected. In an in-line superconducting gravity gradiometer, this differencing is accomplished with two spring-mass accelerometers in which the proof masses are confined to motion in a single degree of freedom and are coupled together by superconducting circuits. Platform motions appear as common mode accelerations and are cancelled by adjusting the ratio of two persistent currents in the sensing circuit. The sensing circuit is connected to a commercial SQUID amplifier to sense changes in the persistent currents generated by differential accelerations, i.e., gravity gradients. A three-axis gravity gradiometer is formed by mounting six accelerometers on the faces of a precision cube, with the accelerometers on opposite faces of the cube forming one of three in-line gradiometers. A dedicated satellite mission for mapping the earth's gravity field is an important one. Additional scientific goals are a test of the inverse square law to a part in 10(exp 10) at 100 km, and a test of the Lense-Thirring effect by detecting the relativistic gravity magnetic terms in the gravity gradient tensor for the earth.

Shining light on modifications of gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brax, Philippe; Burrage, Clare; Davis, Anne-Christine

2012-10-01

Many modifications of gravity introduce new scalar degrees of freedom, and in such theories matter fields typically couple to an effective metric that depends on both the true metric of spacetime and on the scalar field and its derivatives. Scalar field contributions to the effective metric can be classified as conformal and disformal. Disformal terms introduce gradient couplings between scalar fields and the energy momentum tensor of other matter fields, and cannot be constrained by fifth force experiments because the effects of these terms are trivial around static non-relativistic sources. The use of high-precision, low-energy photon experiments to search for conformally coupled scalar fields, called axion-like particles, is well known. In this article we show that these experiments are also constraining for disformal scalar field theories, and are particularly important because of the difficulty of constraining these couplings with other laboratory experiments.

Opto-mechanical design and gravity-deformation analysis on optical telescope in laser communication system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Sen; Du, Jindan; Song, Yiwei; Gao, Tianyu; Zhang, Daqing; Wang, Yongzhi

2017-11-01

In space laser communication, optical antennas are one of the main components and the precision of optical antennas is very high. In this paper, it is based on the R-C telescope and it is carried out that the design and simulation of optical lens and supporting truss, according to the parameters of the systems. And a finite element method (FEM) was used to analyze the deformation of the optical lens. Finally, the Zernike polynomial was introduced to fit the primary mirror with a diameter of 250mm. The objective of this study is to determine whether the wave-front aberration of the primary mirror can meet the imaging quality. The results show that the deterioration of the imaging quality caused by the gravity deformation of primary and secondary mirrors. At the same time, the optical deviation of optical antenna increase with the diameter of the pupil.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bose, Benjamin; Koyama, Kazuya, E-mail: benjamin.bose@port.ac.uk, E-mail: kazuya.koyama@port.ac.uk

We develop a code to produce the power spectrum in redshift space based on standard perturbation theory (SPT) at 1-loop order. The code can be applied to a wide range of modified gravity and dark energy models using a recently proposed numerical method by A.Taruya to find the SPT kernels. This includes Horndeski's theory with a general potential, which accommodates both chameleon and Vainshtein screening mechanisms and provides a non-linear extension of the effective theory of dark energy up to the third order. Focus is on a recent non-linear model of the redshift space power spectrum which has been shownmore » to model the anisotropy very well at relevant scales for the SPT framework, as well as capturing relevant non-linear effects typical of modified gravity theories. We provide consistency checks of the code against established results and elucidate its application within the light of upcoming high precision RSD data.« less

The Confrontation between General Relativity and Experiment.

PubMed

Will, Clifford M

2014-01-01

The status of experimental tests of general relativity and of theoretical frameworks for analyzing them is reviewed and updated. Einstein's equivalence principle (EEP) is well supported by experiments such as the Eötvös experiment, tests of local Lorentz invariance and clock experiments. Ongoing tests of EEP and of the inverse square law are searching for new interactions arising from unification or quantum gravity. Tests of general relativity at the post-Newtonian level have reached high precision, including the light deflection, the Shapiro time delay, the perihelion advance of Mercury, the Nordtvedt effect in lunar motion, and frame-dragging. Gravitational wave damping has been detected in an amount that agrees with general relativity to better than half a percent using the Hulse-Taylor binary pulsar, and a growing family of other binary pulsar systems is yielding new tests, especially of strong-field effects. Current and future tests of relativity will center on strong gravity and gravitational waves.

Unification of Intercontinental Height Systems based on the Fixed Geodetic Boundary Value Problem - A Case Study in Spherical Approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grombein, T.; Seitz, K.; Heck, B.

2013-12-01

In general, national height reference systems are related to individual vertical datums defined by specific tide gauges. The discrepancy of these vertical datums causes height system biases that range in an order of 1-2 m at a global scale. Continental height systems can be connected by spirit leveling and gravity measurements along the leveling lines as performed for the definition of the European Vertical Reference Frame. In order to unify intercontinental height systems, an indirect connection is needed. For this purpose, global geopotential models derived from recent satellite missions like GOCE provide an important contribution. However, to achieve a highly-precise solution, a combination with local terrestrial gravity data is indispensable. Such combinations result in the solution of a Geodetic Boundary Value Problem (GBVP). In contrast to previous studies, mostly related to the traditional (scalar) free GBVP, the present paper discusses the use of the fixed GBVP for height system unification, where gravity disturbances instead of gravity anomalies are applied as boundary values. The basic idea of our approach is a conversion of measured gravity anomalies to gravity disturbances, where unknown datum parameters occur that can be associated with height system biases. In this way, the fixed GBVP can be extended by datum parameters for each datum zone. By evaluating the GBVP at GNSS/leveling benchmarks, the unknown datum parameters can be estimated in a least squares adjustment. Beside the developed theory, we present numerical results of a case study based on the spherical fixed GBVP and boundary values simulated by the use of the global geopotential model EGM2008. In a further step, the impact of approximations like linearization as well as topographic and ellipsoidal effects is taken into account by suitable reduction and correction terms.

Strategy and Airpower

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

myopia often leads otherwise competent observers to under­ estimate significantly the new technology’s potential. Two business examples stand out: in...direction. With precision of effect combined with precision of impact, bloodless war becomes a reality . To this point, we have tried to make the...against virtually all of the centers of gravity directly related to strategic objectives, regardless of their loca­ tion. Because it can bring many

An SINS/GNSS Ground Vehicle Gravimetry Test Based on SGA-WZ02.

PubMed

Yu, Ruihang; Cai, Shaokun; Wu, Meiping; Cao, Juliang; Zhang, Kaidong

2015-09-16

In March 2015, a ground vehicle gravimetry test was implemented in eastern Changsha to assess the repeatability and accuracy of ground vehicle SINS/GNSS gravimeter-SGA-WZ02. The gravity system developed by NUDT consisted of a Strapdown Inertial Navigation System (SINS), a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) remote station on test vehicle, a GNSS static master station on the ground, and a data logging subsystem. A south-north profile of 35 km along the highway in eastern Changsha was chosen and four repeated available measure lines were obtained. The average speed of a vehicle is 40 km/h. To assess the external ground gravity disturbances, precise ground gravity data was built by CG-5 precise gravimeter as the reference. Under relative smooth conditions, internal accuracy among repeated lines shows an average agreement at the level of 1.86 mGal for half wavelengths about 1.1 km, and 1.22 mGal for 1.7 km. The root-mean-square (RMS) of difference between calculated gravity data and reference data is about 2.27 mGal/1.1 km, and 1.74 mGal/1.7 km. Not all of the noises caused by vehicle itself and experiments environments were eliminated in the primary results. By means of selecting reasonable filters and improving the GNSS observation conditions, further developments in ground vehicle gravimetry are promising.

27 CFR 30.41 - Bulk spirits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 600 milligrams per 100 milliliters shall be ascertained by: (a) Use of a precision hydrometer and... wine gallons per pound, or (b) Use of a specific gravity hydrometer, in accordance with the provisions...

Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) Revised Eros Orbit Phase Trajectory Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Helfrich, J; Miller, J. K.; Antreasian, P. G.; Carranza, E.; Williams, B. G.; Dunham, D. W.; Farquhar, R. W.; McAdams, J. V.

1999-01-01

Trajectory design of the orbit phase of the NEAR mission involves a new process that departs significantly from those procedures used in previous missions. In most cases, a precise spacecraft ephemeris is designed well in advance of arrival at the target body. For NEAR, the uncertainty in the dynamic environment around Eros does not allow the luxury of a precise spacecraft trajectory to be defined in advance. The principal cause of this uncertainty is the limited knowledge oi' the gravity field a,-id rotational state of Eros. As a result, the concept for the NEAR trajectory design is to define a number of rules for satisfying spacecraft, mission, and science constraints, and then apply these rules to various assumptions for the model of Eros. Nominal, high, and low Eros mass models are used for testing the trajectory design strategy and to bracket the ranges of parameter variations that are expected upon arrival at the asteroid. The final design is completed after arrival at Eros and determination of the actual gravity field and rotational state. As a result of the unplanned termination of the deep space rendezvous maneuver on December 20, 1998, the NEAR spacecraft passed within 3830 km of Eros on December 23, 1998. This flyby provided a brief glimpse of Eros, and allowed for a more accurate model of the rotational parameters and gravity field uncertainty. Furthermore, after the termination of the deep space rendezvous burn, contact with the spacecraft was lost and the NEAR spacecraft lost attitude control. During the subsequent gyrations of the spacecraft, hydrazine thruster firings were used to regain attitude control. This unplanned thruster activity used Much of the fuel margin allocated for the orbit phase. Consequently, minimizing fuel consumption is now even more important.

Prototyping and testing of mechanical components for the GRAVITY spectrometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiest, Michael; Fischer, Sebastian; Thiel, Markus; Haug, Marcus; Rohloff, Ralf-Rainer; Straubmeier, Christian; Araujo-Hauck, Constanza; Yazici, Senol; Eisenhauer, Frank; Perrin, Guy; Brandner, Wolfgang; Perraut, Karine; Amorim, Antonio; Schöller, Markus; Eckart, Andreas

2010-07-01

GRAVITY is a 2nd generation VLTI Instrument which operates on 6 interferometric baselines by using all 4 UTs. It will offer narrow angle astrometry in the infrared K-band with an accuracy of 10 ìas. The University of Cologne is part of the international GRAVITY consortium and responsible for the design and manufacturing of the two spectrometers. One is optimized for observing the science object, providing three different spectral resolutions and optional polarimetry, the other is optimized for a fast fringe tracking at a spectral resolution of R=22 with optional polarimetry. In order to achieve the necessary image quality, the current mechanical design foresees 5 motorized functions, 2 linear motions and 3 filter wheels. Additionally the latest optical design proposal includes 20 degrees of freedom for manual adjustments distributed over the different optical elements. Both spectrometers require precise linear and rotational movements on micrometer or arcsecond scales. These movements will be realized using custom linear stages based on compliant joints. These stages will be driven by actuators based on a Phytron/Harmonic Drive combination. For dimensioning and in order to qualify the reliability of these mechanisms, it is necessary to evaluate the mechanisms on the base of several prototypes. Due to the cryogenic environment the wheel mechanisms will be driven by Phytron stepper motors, too. A ratchet mechanism, which is currently in the beginning of his design phase, will deliver the required precision to the filter wheels. This contribution will give a first impression how the next mechanical prototypes will look like. Besides, advantages of purchasing and integrating a distance sensor and a resolver are reported. Both are supposed to work under cryogenic conditions and should achieve high resolutions for the measuring of movements inside the test cryostat.

Horndeski extension of the minimal theory of quasidilaton massive gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Felice, Antonio; Mukohyama, Shinji; Oliosi, Michele

2017-11-01

The minimal theory of quasidilaton massive gravity allows for a stable self-accelerating de Sitter solution in a wide range of parameters. On the other hand, in order for the theory to be compatible with local gravity tests, the fifth force due to the quasidilaton scalar needs to be screened at local scales. The present paper thus extends the theory by inclusion of a cubic Horndeski term in a way that (i) respects the quasidilaton global symmetry, that (ii) maintains the physical degrees of freedom in the theory being 3, that (iii) can accommodate the Vainshtein screening mechanism, and that (iv) still allows for a stable self-accelerating de Sitter solution. After adding the Horndeski term (and a k -essence type nonlinear kinetic term as well) to the precursor action, we switch to the Hamiltonian language and find a complete set of independent constraints. We then construct the minimal theory with 3 physical degrees of freedom by carefully adding a pair of constraints to the total Hamiltonian of the precursor theory. Switching back to the Lagrangian language, we study cosmological solutions and their stability in the minimal theory. In particular, we show that a self-accelerating de Sitter solution is stable for a wide range of parameters. Furthermore, as in the minimal theory of massive gravity, the propagation speed of the massive gravitational waves in the high momentum limit precisely agrees with the speed of light.

Gravity changes, soil moisture and data assimilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, J.; Grayson, R.; Rodell, M.; Ellet, K.

2003-04-01

Remote sensing holds promise for near-surface soil moisture and snow mapping, but current techniques do not directly resolve the deeper soil moisture or groundwater. The benefits that would arise from improved monitoring of variations in terrestrial water storage are numerous. The year 2002 saw the launch of NASA's Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites, which are mapping the Earth's gravity field at such a high level of precision that we expect to be able to infer changes in terrestrial water storage (soil moisture, groundwater, snow, ice, lake, river and vegetation). The project described here has three distinct yet inter-linked components that all leverage off the same ground-based monitoring and land surface modelling framework. These components are: (i) field validation of a relationship between soil moisture and changes in the Earth's gravity field, from ground- and satellite-based measurements of changes in gravity; (ii) development of a modelling framework for the assimilation of gravity data to constrain land surface model predictions of soil moisture content (such a framework enables the downscaling and disaggregation of low spatial (500 km) and temporal (monthly) resolution measurements of gravity change to finer spatial and temporal resolutions); and (iii) further refining the downscaling and disaggregation of space-borne gravity measurements by making use of other remotely sensed information, such as the higher spatial (25 km) and temporal (daily) resolution remotely sensed near-surface soil moisture measurements from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR) instruments on Aqua and ADEOS II. The important field work required by this project will be in the Murrumbidgee Catchment, Australia, where an extensive soil moisture monitoring program by the University of Melbourne is already in place. We will further enhance the current monitoring network by the addition of groundwater wells and additional soil moisture sites. Ground-based gravity measurements will also be made on a monthly basis at each monitoring site. There will be two levels of modelling and monitoring; regional across the entire Murrumbidgee Catchment (100,000 km2), and local across a small sub-catchment (150 km2).

Gravity and thermoregulation: metabolic changes and circadian rhythms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, E. L.; Fuller, C. A.

2000-01-01

Gravity appears to alter thermoregulation through changes in both the regulated level of body temperature and the rhythmic organization of temperature regulation. Gravity has been hypothesized to have an associated metabolic cost. Increased resting energy expenditure and dietary intake have been observed in animals during centrifuge experiments at hypergravity. Thus far, only animals have shown a corresponding reduction in metabolism in microgravity. Altered heat loss has been proposed as a response to altered gravitational environments, but remains documented only as changes in skin temperature. Changes in circadian timing, including the body temperature rhythm, have been shown in both hypergravity and microgravity, and probably contribute to alterations in sleep and performance. Changes in body temperature regulation may result from circadian disturbance, from the direct or indirect actions of gravity on the regulated temperature, or from changes in thermoregulatory effectors (heat production and heat loss) due to altered gravitational load and convective changes. To date, however, we have little data on the underlying thermoregulatory changes in altered gravity, and thus the precise mechanisms by which gravity alters temperature regulation remain largely unknown.

Mapping experiment with space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, S. S. C.

1986-01-01

Mapping of the Earth from space stations can be approached in two areas. One is to collect gravity data for defining topographic datum using Earth's gravity field in terms of spherical harmonics. The other is to search and explore techniques of mapping topography using either optical or radar images with or without reference to ground central points. Without ground control points, an integrated camera system can be designed. With ground control points, the position of the space station (camera station) can be precisely determined at any instant. Therefore, terrestrial topography can be precisely mapped either by conventional photogrammetric methods or by current digital technology of image correlation. For the mapping experiment, it is proposed to establish four ground points either in North America or Africa (including the Sahara desert). If this experiment should be successfully accomplished, it may also be applied to the defense charting systems.

Gravity Probe B spacecraft description

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, Norman R.; Burns, Kevin; Katz, Russell; Kirschenbaum, Jon; Mason, Gary; Shehata, Shawky

2015-11-01

The Gravity Probe B spacecraft, developed, integrated, and tested by Lockheed Missiles & Space Company and later Lockheed Martin Corporation, consisted of structures, mechanisms, command and data handling, attitude and translation control, electrical power, thermal control, flight software, and communications. When integrated with the payload elements, the integrated system became the space vehicle. Key requirements shaping the design of the spacecraft were: (1) the tight mission timeline (17 months, 9 days of on-orbit operation), (2) precise attitude and translational control, (3) thermal protection of science hardware, (4) minimizing aerodynamic, magnetic, and eddy current effects, and (5) the need to provide a robust, low risk spacecraft. The spacecraft met all mission requirements, as demonstrated by dewar lifetime meeting specification, positive power and thermal margins, precision attitude control and drag-free performance, reliable communications, and the collection of more than 97% of the available science data.

Recent gravity monitoring of ETS transient deformation in the northern Cascadia Subduction Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henton, J. A.; Dragert, H.; Lambert, A.; Nykolaishen, L.; Liard, J.; Courtier, N.

2012-12-01

High-precision gravity observations are sensitive to vertical motion of the observation site as well as mass redistribution and can be used to investigate the physical processes involved in Episodic Tremor and Slip (ETS). For the 2011 ETS event in the northern portion of the Cascadia Subduction Zone, absolute gravity (AG) observations and continuous gravity monitoring with an earth tide (ET) gravimeter were carried out at the Pacific Geoscience Centre (PGC) in order to augment the GPS and borehole strainmeter (BSM) data used in constraining models of slip on the subduction plate interface. Unfortunately, the surface displacements and strains for the August 2011 slow slip event were significantly less for southern Vancouver Island than those recorded for previous events making this particular ETS episode less than ideal for the search for attendant gravity signals. Nonetheless, preliminary AG results for the 2011 ETS event show a subtle (≤ 1μGal) negative transient gravity signal but its origin is not clear. This residual gravity change, after accounting for the gravity offset predicted from the observed height change, may reflect a migration of fluids and/or a change in mean density. No significant vertical change is observed in the GPS data. Based on previous events, this is expected since PGC lies close to the hinge-line for vertical deformation for regional ETS. We attempt to improve the resolution of the GPS results by including results from NRCan's PPP software in our analyses. Data from the 3 co-located BSM's operated by the Plate Boundary Observatory show discrepancies that indicate interfering signals of likely non-tectonic origin. Preliminary data from the ET gravimeter appear to be dominated by non-linear instrumental drift that is often observed at the outset of continuous operation at a new location. To improve the resolution of the gravity signal, future monitoring of ETS events will be supplemented at PGC by continuous gravity measurements with a superconducting gravimeter. For the 2012 ETS event in northern Cascadia, AG observations are also planned for Port Renfrew, British Columbia. The Port Renfrew region is targeted since it has typically had large (~7mm) vertical displacements and strains during past ETS episodes. Analysis of the multiple-epoch series of AG observations at Port Renfrew during the 2010 ETS event indicate a gravity decrease larger than expected for observed GPS height change associated with thrust faulting.

Comparison between the Juno Earth flyby magnetic measurements and the magnetometer package on the IRIS solar observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merayo, J. M.; Connerney, J. E.; Joergensen, J. L.; Dougherty, B.

2013-12-01

In October 2013 the NASA's Juno New Frontier spacecraft will perform an Earth Flyby Gravity Assist. During this flyby, Juno will reach an altitude of about 600 km and the magnetometer experiment will measure the magnetic field with very high precision. In June 2013 the NASA's IRIS solar observatory was successfully launched. IRIS uses a very fine guiding telescope in order to maintain a high pointing accuracy, assisted by a very high accuracy star tracker and a science grade vector magnetometer. IRIS was placed into a Sun-synchronous orbit at about 600 km altitude by a Pegasus rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. This platform will also allow to performing measurements of the Earth's magnetic field with very high precision, since it carries similar instrumentation as on the Swarm satellites (star trackers and magnetometer). The data recorded by the Juno magnetic experiment and the IRIS magnetometer will bring a very exciting opportunity for comparing the two experiments as well as for determining current structures during the flyby.

Torus Approach in Gravity Field Determination from Simulated GOCE Gravity Gradients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Huanling; Wen, Hanjiang; Xu, Xinyu; Zhu, Guangbin

2016-08-01

In Torus approach, observations are projected to the nominal orbits with constant radius and inclination, lumped coefficients provides a linear relationship between observations and spherical harmonic coefficients. Based on the relationship, two-dimensional FFT and block-diagonal least-squares adjustment are used to recover Earth's gravity field model. The Earth's gravity field model complete to degree and order 200 is recovered using simulated satellite gravity gradients on a torus grid, and the degree median error is smaller than 10-18, which shows the effectiveness of Torus approach. EGM2008 is employed as a reference model and the gravity field model is resolved using the simulated observations without noise given on GOCE orbits of 61 days. The error from reduction and interpolation can be mitigated by iterations. Due to polar gap, the precision of low-order coefficients is lower. Without considering these coefficients the maximum geoid degree error and cumulative error are 0.022mm and 0.099mm, respectively. The Earth's gravity field model is also recovered from simulated observations with white noise 5mE/Hz1/2, which is compared to that from direct method. In conclusion, it is demonstrated that Torus approach is a valid method for processing massive amount of GOCE gravity gradients.

Speed of Gravity Measured for First Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2003-01-01

Taking advantage of a rare cosmic alignment, scientists have made the first measurement of the speed at which the force of gravity propagates, giving a numerical value to one of the last unmeasured fundamental constants of physics. "Newton thought that gravity's force was instantaneous. Einstein assumed that it moved at the speed of light, but until now, no one had measured it," said Sergei Kopeikin, a physicist at the University of Missouri-Columbia. VLA Image of Jupiter VLA Image of Jupiter CREDIT: NRAO/AUI/NSF "We have determined that gravity's propagation speed is equal to the speed of light within an accuracy of 20 percent," said Ed Fomalont, an astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Charlottesville, VA. The scientists presented their findings to the American Astronomical Society's meeting in Seattle, WA. The landmark measurement is important to physicists working on unified field theories that attempt to combine particle physics with Einstein's general theory of relativity and electromagnetic theory. "Our measurement puts some strong limits on the theories that propose extra dimensions, such as superstring theory and brane theories," Kopeikin said. "Knowing the speed of gravity can provide an important test of the existence and compactness of these extra dimensions," he added. Superstring theory proposes that the fundamental particles of nature are not pointlike, but rather incredibly small loops or strings, whose properties are determined by different modes of vibration. Branes (a word derived from membranes) are multidimensional surfaces, and some current physical theories propose space-time branes embedded to five dimensions. The scientists used the National Science Foundation's Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), a continent-wide radio-telescope system, along with the 100-meter radio telescope in Effelsberg, Germany, to make an extremely precise observation when the planet Jupiter passed nearly in front of a bright quasar on September 8, 2002. The observation recorded a very slight "bending" of the radio waves coming from the background quasar by the gravitational effect of Jupiter. The bending resulted in a small change in the quasar's apparent position in the sky. "Because Jupiter is moving around the Sun, the precise amount of the bending depends slightly on the speed at which gravity propagates from Jupiter," Kopeikin said. Jupiter, the largest planet in the Solar System, only passes closely enough to the path of radio waves from a suitably bright quasar about once a decade for such a measurement to be made, the scientists said. The once-in-a-decade celestial alignment was the last in a chain of events that made measuring the speed of gravity possible. The others included a chance meeting of the two scientists in 1996, a breakthrough in theoretical physics and the development of specialized techniques that enabled the extremely precise measurement to be made. Quasar J0842+1835 Quasar J0842+1835, VLBA Image CREDIT: NRAO/AUI/NSF "No one had tried to measure the speed of gravity before because most physicists had assumed that the only way to do so was to detect gravitational waves," Kopeikin recalled. However, in 1999, Kopeikin extended Einstein's theory to include the gravitational effects of a moving body on light and radio waves. The effects depended on the speed of gravity. He realized that if Jupiter moved nearly in front of a star or radio source, he could test his theory. Kopeikin studied the predicted orbit of Jupiter for the next 30 years and discovered that the giant planet would pass closely enough in front of the quasar J0842+1835 in 2002. However, he quickly realized that the effect on the quasar's apparent position in the sky attributable to the speed of gravity would be so small that the only observational technique capable of measuring it was Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), the technique embodied in the VLBA. Kopeikin then contacted Fomalont, a leading expert in VLBI and an experienced VLBA observer. "I immediately realized the importance of an experiment that could make the first measurement of a fundamental constant of nature," Fomalont said. "I decided that we had to give this our best shot," he added. To get the required level of precision, the two scientists added the Effelsberg telescope to their observation. The wider the separation between two radio-telescope antennas, the greater is the resolving power, or ability to see fine detail, achievable. The VLBA includes antennas on Hawaii, the continental United States, and St. Croix in the Caribbean. An antenna on the other side of the Atlantic added even more resolving power. "We had to make a measurement with about three times more accuracy than anyone had ever done, but we knew, in principle, that it could be done," Fomalont said. The scientists tested and refined their techniques in "dry runs," then waited for Jupiter to make its pass in front of the quasar. The wait included considerable nail-biting. Equipment failure, bad weather, or an electromagnetic storm on Jupiter itself could have sabotaged the observation. However, luck held out and the scientists' observations at a radio frequency of 8 GigaHertz produced enough good data to make their measurement. They achieved a precision equal to the width of a human hair seen from 250 miles away. "Our main goal was to rule out an infinite speed for gravity, and we did even better. We now know that the speed of gravity is probably equal to the speed of light, and we can confidently exclude any speed for gravity that is over twice that of light," Fomalont said. Most scientists, Kopeikin said, will be relieved that the speed of gravity is consistent with the speed of light. "I believe this experiment sheds new light on fundamentals of general relativity and represents the first of many more studies and observations of gravitation which are currently possible because of the enormously high precision of VLBI. We have a lot more to learn about this intriguing cosmic force and its relationship to the other forces in nature," Kopeikin said. This is not the first time that Jupiter has played a part in producing a measurement of a fundamental physical constant. In 1675, Olaf Roemer, a Danish astronomer working at the Paris Observatory, made the first reasonably accurate determination of the speed of light by observing eclipses of one of Jupiter's moons. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Action and entanglement in gravity and field theory.

PubMed

Neiman, Yasha

2013-12-27

In nongravitational quantum field theory, the entanglement entropy across a surface depends on the short-distance regularization. Quantum gravity should not require such regularization, and it has been conjectured that the entanglement entropy there is always given by the black hole entropy formula evaluated on the entangling surface. We show that these statements have precise classical counterparts at the level of the action. Specifically, we point out that the action can have a nonadditive imaginary part. In gravity, the latter is fixed by the black hole entropy formula, while in nongravitating theories it is arbitrary. From these classical facts, the entanglement entropy conjecture follows by heuristically applying the relation between actions and wave functions.

Quantum-gravity predictions for the fine-structure constant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eichhorn, Astrid; Held, Aaron; Wetterich, Christof

2018-07-01

Asymptotically safe quantum fluctuations of gravity can uniquely determine the value of the gauge coupling for a large class of grand unified models. In turn, this makes the electromagnetic fine-structure constant calculable. The balance of gravity and matter fluctuations results in a fixed point for the running of the gauge coupling. It is approached as the momentum scale is lowered in the transplanckian regime, leading to a uniquely predicted value of the gauge coupling at the Planck scale. The precise value of the predicted fine-structure constant depends on the matter content of the grand unified model. It is proportional to the gravitational fluctuation effects for which computational uncertainties remain to be settled.

VLTI/GRAVITY observations of the young star βPictoris

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Defrère, D.

2017-12-01

The nearby young star β Pictoris is surrounded by the archetypal debris disc, which provides a unique window on the formation and early evolution of terrestrial planets. While the outer disc has been extensively studied since its discovery in 1984, very little is currently known about the inner planetary system (<4AU). Recently, accurate squared visibilities obtained with VLTI/PIONIER revealed the presence of resolved circumstellar emission with an integrated brightness amounting to approximately 1.4% of the stellar brightness in H band. However, it is not clear whether this excess emission originates from thermal emission, reflected light from hot dust grains located in the innermost regions of the planetary system, or is simply due to forward scattering by dust grains located further away (but still within the PIONIER field-of-view, i.e., close to the line of sight). In this paper, we present medium-resolution K-band observations of βPic obtained with VLTI/GRAVITY during science verification. The goals of these observations are to better constrain the temperature of the grains (and hence their location and chemical composition) and to showcase the high-precision capabilities of GRAVITY at detecting faint, close-in circumstellar emission.

Earth's gravity field to the eighteenth degree and geocentric coordinates for 104 stations from satellite and terrestrial data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaposchkin, E. M.

1973-01-01

Geodetic parameters describing the earth's gravity field and the positions of satellite-tracking stations in a geocentric reference frame were computed. These parameters were estimated by means of a combination of five different types of data: routine and simultaneous satellite observations, observations of deep-space probes, measurements of terrestrial gravity, and surface-triangulation data. The combination gives better parameters than does any subset of data types. The dynamic solution used precision-reduced Baker-Nunn observations and laser range data of 25 satellites. Data from the 49-station National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration BC-4 network, the 19-station Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Baker-Nunn network, and independent camera stations were employed in the geometrical solution. Data from the tracking of deep-space probes were converted to relative longitudes and distances to the earth's axis of rotation of the tracking stations. Surface-gravity data in the form of 550-km squares were derived from 19,328 1 deg X 1 deg mean gravity anomalies.

The determination of the orbit of the Japanese satellite Ajisai and the GEM-T1 and GEM-T2 gravity field models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanchez, Braulio V.

1990-01-01

The Japanese Experimental Geodetic Satellite Ajisai was launched on August 12, 1986. In response to the TOPEX-POSEIDON mission requirements, the GSFC Space Geodesy Branch and its associates are producing improved models of the Earth's gravitational field. With the launch of Ajisai, precise laser data is now available which can be used to test many current gravity models. The testing of the various gravity field models show improvements of more than 70 percent in the orbital fits when using GEM-T1 and GEM-T2 relative to results obtained with the earlier GEM-10B model. The GEM-T2 orbital fits are at the 13-cm level (RMS). The results of the tests with the various versions of the GEM-T1 model indicate that the addition of satellite altimetry and surface gravity anomalies as additional data types should improve future gravity field models.

Gravity and Macro-Model Tuning for the Geosat Follow-on Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lemoine, Frank G.; Rowlands, David D.; Marr, Gregory C.; Zelensky, Nikita P.; Luthcke, Scott B.; Cox, Christopher M.

1999-01-01

The US Navy's GEOSAT Follow-On (GFO) spacecraft was launched on February 10, 1998 and the primary objective of the mission was to map the oceans using a radar altimeter. The spacecraft tracking complement consisted of GPS receivers, a laser retroreflector and Doppler beacons. Since the GPS receivers have not yet returned reliable data, the only means of providing high-quality precise orbits has been though satellite laser ranging (SLR). The spacecraft has been tracked by the international satellite laser ranging network since April 22, 1998, and an average of 7.4 passes per day have been obtained from US and participating foreign stations. Since the predicted radial orbit error due to the gravity field is two to three cm, the largest contributor to the high SLR residuals (7-10 cm RMS for five day arcs) is the mismodelling of the non-conservative forces, not withstanding the development of a three-dimensional eight-panel model and an analytical attitude model for the GFO spacecraft. The SLR residuals show a clear correlation with beta-prime (solar elevation) angle, peaking in mid-August 1998 when the beta-prime angle reached -80 to -90 degrees. In this paper we discuss the tuning of the non-conservative force model, for GFO and report the subsequent addition of the GFO tracking data to the Earth gravity model solutions.

Optical atomic phase reference and timing.

PubMed

Hollberg, L; Cornell, E H; Abdelrahmann, A

2017-08-06

Atomic clocks based on laser-cooled atoms have made tremendous advances in both accuracy and stability. However, advanced clocks have not found their way into widespread use because there has been little need for such high performance in real-world/commercial applications. The drive in the commercial world favours smaller, lower-power, more robust compact atomic clocks that function well in real-world non-laboratory environments. Although the high-performance atomic frequency references are useful to test Einstein's special relativity more precisely, there are not compelling scientific arguments to expect a breakdown in special relativity. On the other hand, the dynamics of gravity, evidenced by the recent spectacular results in experimental detection of gravity waves by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, shows dramatically that there is new physics to be seen and understood in space-time science. Those systems require strain measurements at less than or equal to 10 -20 As we discuss here, cold atom optical frequency references are still many orders of magnitude away from the frequency stability that should be achievable with narrow-linewidth quantum transitions and large numbers of very cold atoms, and they may be able to achieve levels of phase stability, Δ Φ / Φ total  ≤ 10 -20 , that could make an important impact in gravity wave science.This article is part of the themed issue 'Quantum technology for the 21st century'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Superconducting gravimeter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodkind, J. M.

1982-01-01

The superconducting gravimeter was developed and applied to field measurements. The stability of the instrument yielded the highest precision measurements of the Earth tides ever attained. It revealed unprecedented details about the effect of the atmosphere on gravity. Secular variations in gravity and the stability of the instruments were measured by comparing records from co-located instruments. These efforts have resulted in substantial reductions in the noise level at very low frequencies so that the peak differences between two instruments at the same location can be reduced to 0.1 micron gal.

Geoid determination in the coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, HongZhi

Coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico are important for many reasons. This part of the United States provides vital coastal habitats for many marine species; the area has seen-ever increasing human settlement along the coast, ever increasing infrastructure for marine transportation of the nation's imports and exports through Gulf ports, and ever increasing recreational users of coastal resources. These important uses associated with the Gulf coast are subject to dynamic environmental and physical changes including: coastal erosion (Gulf-wide rates of 25 square miles per year), tropical storm surges, coastal subsidence, and global sea level rise. Coastal land subsidence is a major component of relative sea level rise along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. These dynamic coastal changes should be evident in changes to the geoid along the coast. The geoid is the equipotential gravity surface of the earth, which the best fits the global mean sea level. The geoid is not only been seen as the most natural shape of the Earth, but also it serves as the reference surface for most of the height systems. By using satellites (GRACE mission) scientists have been able to measure the large scale geoid for the Earth. A small scale geoid model is required to monitor local events such as flooding, for example, flooding created by storm surges from hurricanes such as Katrina (2005), Rita (2005), and Ike (2008). The overall purpose of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of the local coastal geoid. The more precise geoid will enable to improve coastal flooding predictions, and will enable more cost effective and accurate measurement of coastal topography using global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). The main objective of this study is to devise mathematical models and computational methods to achieve the best possible precision for evaluation of the geoid in the coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico. More specifically, the numerical objectives of this study are 1) to obtain a continuous map of gravity anomalies and a continuous map of gravity by using spatial interpolation methods and to evaluate errors; 2) to solve the Laplace boundary value problem and evaluate errors; 3) to evaluate precision of the local geoid by using geospatial statistical tools and numerical techniques. This dissertation investigates modeling of the geoid, especially the gravimetric equipotential surface that approximates mean sea level, in the coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico as well as errors in the geoid determination. The document begins with Chapter 1 which introduces the study of this dissertation. Different models of kriging are used to determine the precision of the geoid based on the free-air gravity anomalies data supplied by United States Naval Research Laboratory and the airborne gravity data provided by the U.S. National Geodetic Survey, which can be found in Chapters 2 and 3. Research in Chapters 2 shows that more precise evaluation of errors in gravity anomalies can be achieved by using different models of kriging. Results from Chapters 2 and 3 show that ordinary kriging with the stable semivariogram model provide better predictions. Research results from Chapter 3 provide estimation of maximum possible errors in the calculation of the geoid undulation. The dissertation also investigates behavior of gravity equipotential surfaces around coastal lines and its impact on the geoid evaluation. Chapters 4 and 5 are about evaluation of errors in the Dirichlet problem for calculation of gravity potential with uncertain boundary and boundary values has been achieved by solving the Laplace equation by means of separation of variables. Research has provided a theoretical model in Chapter 4 to estimate very small changes in gravimetric potential relative to the coast. Maximum possible error in the solution of Direchlet problem is determined in Chapter 5. Maximum possible error depends on the errors of boundary values and the precision of the boundary itself. Chapter 6 describes a novel approach to sea level rise modeling. Factor analysis is used to analyze local and global sea level rise and relationships between changing sea levels, currents, and the shape of the Earth. Results of factor analysis from Chapter 6 show that the elevation of sea level relates to the geoid and ocean circulation. Chapter 7 describes the relationship between the geoid and wetlands modeling. Research in Chapter 7 shows that the predicted continuous elevation map obtained through the ordinary stable kriging was sufficiently precise and fairly reliable. Chapter 7 is an exploratory chapter, and the ideas of this chapter will help the future research.

Europe's Preparation For GOCE Gravity Field Recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suenkel, H.; Suenkel, H.

2001-12-01

The European Space Agency ESA is preparing for its first dedicated gravity field mission GOCE (Gravity Field and Steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer) with a proposed launch in fall 2005. The mission's goal is the mapping of the Earth's static gravity field with very high resolution and utmost accuracy on a global scale. GOCE is a drag-free mission, flown in a circular and sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude between 240 and 250 km. Each of the two operational phases will last for 6 months. GOCE is based on a sensor fusion concept combining high-low satellite-to-satellite tracking (SST) and satellite gravity gradiometry (SGG). The transformation of the GOCE sensor data into a scientific product of utmost quality and reliability requires a well-coordinated effort of experts in satellite geodesy, applied mathematics and computer science. Several research groups in Europe do have this expertise and decided to form the "European GOCE Gravity Consortium (EGG-C)". The EGG-C activities are subdivided into tasks such as standard and product definition, data base and data dissemination, precise orbit determination, global gravity field model solutions and regional solutions, solution validation, communication and documentation, and the interfacing to level 3 product scientific users. The central issue of GOCE data processing is, of course, the determination of the global gravity field model using three independent mathematical-numerical techniques which had been designed and pre-developed in the course of several scientific preparatory studies of ESA: 1. The direct solution which is a least squares adjustment technique based on a pre-conditioned conjugated gradient method (PCGM). The method is capable of efficiently transforming the calibrated and validated SST and SGG observations directly or via lumped coefficients into harmonic coefficients of the gravitational potential. 2. The time-wise approach considers both SST and SGG data as a time series. For an idealized repeat mission such a time series can be very efficiently transformed into lumped coefficients using fast Fourier techniques. For a realistic mission scenario this transformation has to be extended by an iteration process. 3. The space-wise approach which, after having transformed the original observations onto a spatial geographical grid, transforms the pseudo-observations into harmonic coefficients using a fast collocation technique. A successful mission presupposed, GOCE will finally deliver the Earth's gravity field with a resolution of about 70 km half wavelength and a global geoid with an accuracy of about 1 cm.

Ultracold Anions for High-Precision Antihydrogen Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerchiari, G.; Kellerbauer, A.; Safronova, M. S.; Safronova, U. I.; Yzombard, P.

2018-03-01

Experiments with antihydrogen (H ¯) for a study of matter-antimatter symmetry and antimatter gravity require ultracold H ¯ to reach ultimate precision. A promising path towards antiatoms much colder than a few kelvin involves the precooling of antiprotons by laser-cooled anions. Because of the weak binding of the valence electron in anions—dominated by polarization and correlation effects—only few candidate systems with suitable transitions exist. We report on a combination of experimental and theoretical studies to fully determine the relevant binding energies, transition rates, and branching ratios of the most promising candidate La- . Using combined transverse and collinear laser spectroscopy, we determined the resonant frequency of the laser cooling transition to be ν =96.592 713 (91 ) THz and its transition rate to be A =4.90 (50 )×104 s-1 . Using a novel high-precision theoretical treatment of La- we calculated yet unmeasured energy levels, transition rates, branching ratios, and lifetimes to complement experimental information on the laser cooling cycle of La- . The new data establish the suitability of La- for laser cooling and show that the cooling transition is significantly stronger than suggested by a previous theoretical study.

Ultracold Anions for High-Precision Antihydrogen Experiments.

PubMed

Cerchiari, G; Kellerbauer, A; Safronova, M S; Safronova, U I; Yzombard, P

2018-03-30

Experiments with antihydrogen (H[over ¯]) for a study of matter-antimatter symmetry and antimatter gravity require ultracold H[over ¯] to reach ultimate precision. A promising path towards antiatoms much colder than a few kelvin involves the precooling of antiprotons by laser-cooled anions. Because of the weak binding of the valence electron in anions-dominated by polarization and correlation effects-only few candidate systems with suitable transitions exist. We report on a combination of experimental and theoretical studies to fully determine the relevant binding energies, transition rates, and branching ratios of the most promising candidate La^{-}. Using combined transverse and collinear laser spectroscopy, we determined the resonant frequency of the laser cooling transition to be ν=96.592 713(91)  THz and its transition rate to be A=4.90(50)×10^{4}  s^{-1}. Using a novel high-precision theoretical treatment of La^{-} we calculated yet unmeasured energy levels, transition rates, branching ratios, and lifetimes to complement experimental information on the laser cooling cycle of La^{-}. The new data establish the suitability of La^{-} for laser cooling and show that the cooling transition is significantly stronger than suggested by a previous theoretical study.

Radio science investigations with Mars Observer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tyler, G. L.; Balmino, Georges; Hinson, David P.; Sjogren, William L.; Smith, David E.; Woo, Richard; Asmar, Sami W.; Connally, Michael J.; Hamilton, Carole L.; Simpson, Richard A.

1992-01-01

Mars Observer radio science investigations focus on two major areas of study: the gravity field and the atmosphere of Mars. Measurement accuracies expressed as an equivalent spacecraft velocity are expected to be of the order of 100 microns/s (for both types of investigations) from use of an improved radio transponder for two-way spacecraft tracking and a highly stable on-board oscillator for atmospheric occultation measurements. Planned gravity investigations include a combination of classical and modern elements. A spherical harmonic (or equivalent) field model of degree and order in the range 30-50 will be obtained, while interpretation will be in terms of internal stress and density models for the planet, using the topography to be obtained from the Mars Observer laser altimeter. Atmospheric investigations will emphasize precision measurement of the thermal structure and dynamics in the polar regions, which are regularly accessible as a result of the highly inclined orbit. Studies based on the measurements will include polar processes, cycling of the atmosphere between the poles, traveling baroclinic disturbances, small-scale waves and turbulence, the planetary boundary layer, and (possibly) the variability and altitude of the ionosphere.

Gravity and the geoid in the Nepal Himalaya

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bilham, Roger

1992-01-01

Materials within the Himalaya are rising due to convergence between India and Asia. If the rate of erosion is comparable to the rate of uplift the mean surface elevation will remain constant. Any slight imbalance in these two processes will lead to growth or attrition of the Himalaya. The process of uplift of materials within the Himalaya coupled with surface erosion is similar to the advance of a glacier into a region of melting. If the melting rate exceeds the rate of downhill motion of the glacier then the terminus of the glacier will receed up-valley despite the downhill motion of the bulk of the glacier. Thus although buried rocks, minerals and surface control points in the Himalaya are undoubtably rising, the growth or collapse of the Himalaya depends on the erosion rate which is invisible to geodetic measurements. Erosion rates are currently estimated from suspended sediment loads in rivers in the Himalaya. These typically underestimate the real erosion rate since bed-load is not measured during times of heavy flood, and it is difficult to integrate widely varying suspended load measurements over many years. An alternative way to measure erosion rate is to measure the rate of change of gravity in a region of uplift. If a control point moves vertically it should be accompanied by a reduction in gravity as the point moves away from the Earth's center of mass. There is a difference in the change of gravity between uplift with and without erosion corresponding to the difference between the free-air gradient and the gradient in the acceleration due to gravity caused by a corresponding thickness of rock. Essentially gravity should change precisely in accord with a change in elevation of the point in a free-air gradient if erosion equals uplift rate. We were funded by NASA to undertake a measurement of absolute gravity simultaneously with measurements of GPS height within the Himalaya. Since both absolute gravity and time are known in an absolute sense to 1 part in 10(exp 10) it is possible to estimate gravity with a precision of 0.1 mu gal. Known systematic errors reduce the measurement to an absolute uncertainty of 6 mu gal. The free air gradient at the point of measurement is typically about 3 mu gals/cm. At Simikot where our experiment was conducted we determined a vertical gravity gradient of 4.4 mu gals/cm.

Lessons from the GP-B Experience for Future Fundamental Physics Missions in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kolodziejczak, Jeffery

2006-01-01

Gravity Probe B launched in April 2004 and completed its science data collection in September 2005, with the objective of sub-milliarcsec measurement of two General Relativistic effects on the spin axis orientation of orbiting gyroscopes. Much of the technology required by GP-B has potential application in future missions intended to make precision measurements. The philosophical approach and experiment design principles developed for GP-B are equally adaptable to these mission concepts. This talk will discuss GP-B's experimental approach and the technological and philosophical lessons learned that apply to future experiments in fundamental physics. Measurement of fundamental constants to high precision, probes of short-range forces, searches for equivalence principle violations, and detection of gravitational waves are examples of concepts and missions that will benefit kern GP-B's experience.

Convection in Cool Stars, as Seen Through Kepler's Eyes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bastien, Fabienne A.

2015-01-01

Stellar surface processes represent a fundamental limit to the detection of extrasolar planets with the currently most heavily-used techniques. As such, considerable effort has gone into trying to mitigate the impact of these processes on planet detection, with most studies focusing on magnetic spots. Meanwhile, high-precision photometric planet surveys like CoRoT and Kepler have unveiled a wide variety of stellar variability at previously inaccessible levels. We demonstrate that these newly revealed variations are not solely magnetically driven but also trace surface convection through light curve ``flicker.'' We show that ``flicker'' not only yields a simple measurement of surface gravity with a precision of ˜0.1 dex, but it may also improve our knowledge of planet properties, enhance radial velocity planet detection and discovery, and provide new insights into stellar evolution.

Combining GOCE and in-situ gravity data for precise gravity field determination and geophysical applications around the Japanese Antarctic station, Syowa, in Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuda, Y.; Nogi, Y.; Matsuzaki, K.

2012-12-01

Syowa is the Japanese Antarctic wintering station in Lützow-Holm Bay, East Antarctica. The area around the station is considered to be a key for investigating the formation of Gondwana, because reconstruction models suggest a junction of the continents locates in the area. It is also important from a glaciological point of view, because there locates the Shirase Glacier, one of the major glaciers in Antarctica, near the station. Therefore the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE) has been conducting in-situ gravity measurements in the area for a long period. The data sets accumulated are land gravity data since 1967, surface ship data since 1985, and airborne gravity data in 2006. However these in-situ gravity data usually suffered from the effects of instrumental drifts and lack of reference points, their accuracies are decreasing toward the longer wavelength more than several tens km. In particular in Antarctica where very few gravity reference points are available, the long wavelength accuracy and/or consistency among the data sets are quite limited. GOCE (Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer) satellite launched in March 2009 by ESA (European Space Agency) aims at improving static gravity fields, in particular at short wavelengths. In addition to its low-altitude orbit (250km), the sensitive gravity gradiometer installed is expected to reveal 1 mgal gravity anomalies at the spatial resolution of 100km (half wavelength). Actually recently released GOCE EGMs (Earth Gravity Models) have improved the accuracy of the static gravity filed tremendously. These EGMs are expected to serve as the long wavelength references for the in-situ gravity data. Thus, firstly, we aims at determining an improved gravity fields around Syowa by combining the JARE gravity data and the recent EGMs. And then, using the gravity anomalies, we determine the subsurface density structures. We also evaluated the impacts of the EGMs for estimating the density structures.

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, workers stand by as the balloon at right is released to lift the solar array panel into position for installation on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-11-04

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, workers stand by as the balloon at right is released to lift the solar array panel into position for installation on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earth’s rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

Probing Black Holes With Gravitational Radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cornish, Neil J.

2006-09-01

Gravitational radiation can provide unique insights into the dynamics and evolution of black holes. Gravitational waveforms encode detailed information about the spacetime geometry, much as the sounds made by a musical instrument reflect the geometry of the instrument. The LISA gravitational wave observatory will be able to record black holes colliding out to the edge of the visible Universe, with an expected event rate of tens to thousands per year. LISA has unmatched capabilities for studying the role of black holes in galactic evolution, in particular, by studying the mergers of seed black holes at very high redshift, z > 5. Merger events at lower redshift will be detected at extremely high signal-to-noise, allowing for precision tests of the black hole paradigm. Below z=1 LISA will be able to record stellar remnants falling into supermassive black holes. These extreme mass ratio inspiral events will yield insights into the dynamics of galactic cusps, and the brighter events will provide incredibly precise tests of strong field, dynamical gravity.

Tip-localized actin polymerization and remodeling, reflected by the localization of ADF, profilin and villin, are fundamental for gravity-sensing and polar growth in characean rhizoids.

PubMed

Braun, Markus; Hauslage, Jens; Czogalla, Aleksander; Limbach, Christoph

2004-07-01

Polar organization and gravity-oriented, polarized growth of characean rhizoids are dependent on the actin cytoskeleton. In this report, we demonstrate that the prominent center of the Spitzenkörper serves as the apical actin polymerization site in the extending tip. After cytochalasin D-induced disruption of the actin cytoskeleton, the regeneration of actin microfilaments (MFs) starts with the reappearance of a flat, brightly fluorescing actin array in the outermost tip. The actin array rounds up, produces actin MFs that radiate in all directions and is then relocated into its original central position in the center of the Spitzenkörper. The emerging actin MFs rearrange and cross-link to form the delicate, subapical meshwork, which then controls the statolith positioning, re-establishes the tip-high calcium gradient and mediates the reorganization of the Spitzenkörper with its central ER aggregate and the accumulation of secretory vesicles. Tip growth and gravitropic sensing, which includes control of statolith positioning and gravity-induced sedimentation, are not resumed until the original polar actin organization is completely restored. Immunolocalization of the actin-binding proteins, actin-depolymerizing factor (ADF) and profilin, which both accumulate in the center of the Spitzenkörper, indicates high actin turnover and gives additional support for the actin-polymerizing function of this central, apical area. Association of villin immunofluorescence with two populations of thick undulating actin cables with uniform polarity underlying rotational cytoplasmic streaming in the basal region suggests that villin is the major actin-bundling protein in rhizoids. Our results provide evidence that the precise coordination of apical actin polymerization and dynamic remodeling of actin MFs by actin-binding proteins play a fundamental role in cell polarization, gravity sensing and gravity-oriented polarized growth of characean rhizoids.

The effect of electrostatic and gravity force on offset wire inside tube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, S. H.; Hazineh, D.; Wang, C.

2018-04-01

In a straw-tube detector, a wire that is offset with respect to the tube axis experiences a Coulomb force when high voltage is applied between the anode wire and the tube. This force results in a shifting of the wire and straw, in addition to the gravitational sag, and is a function of the tube and wire radius, initial offset, high voltage, tension and length. The presence of such effects is well known, but the precise magnitude of the shift for the anode wires under conditions of detector operation have not been previously documented with measurable confidence. In this work, we provide the first systematic measurements for the wire shift in straw-tube detectors due to gravity and the electrostatic force using an x-ray scanner developed for the Mu2e experiment. The data are compared to the solutions of the differential equations governing the system, and we find a good match between the two. The solutions can predict the final wire and straw positions from the initial positions measured without the high voltage, and the final wire and straw positions can then be used as an input to the track reconstruction software to improve the track position resolution.

Detection of magnetic fields in chemically peculiar stars observed with the K2 space mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buysschaert, B.; Neiner, C.; Martin, A. J.; Aerts, C.; Bowman, D. M.; Oksala, M. E.; Van Reeth, T.

2018-05-01

We report the results of an observational study aimed at searching for magnetic pulsating hot stars suitable for magneto-asteroseismology. A sample of sixteen chemically peculiar stars was selected and analysed using both high-resolution spectropolarimetry with ESPaDOnS and K2 high-precision space photometry. For all stars, we derive the effective temperature, surface gravity, rotational and non-rotational line broadening from our spectropolarimetric data. High-quality K2 light curves were obtained for thirteen of the sixteen stars and revealed rotational modulation, providing accurate rotation periods. Two stars show evidence for roAp pulsations, and one star shows signatures of internal gravity waves or unresolved g-mode pulsations. We confirm the presence of a large-scale magnetic field for eleven of the studied stars, of which nine are first detections. Further, we report one marginal detection and four non-detections. Two of the stars with a non-detected magnetic field show rotational modulation due to surface abundance inhomogeneities in the K2 light curve, and we confirm that the other two are chemically peculiar. Thus, these five stars likely host a weak (undetected) large-scale magnetic field.

The gravitomagnetic interaction and its relationship to other relativistic gravitational effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nordtvedt, Kenneth

1991-01-01

To better understand the relationship between the expected precession rates of an orbiting gyroscope (GP-B) and other observable consequences in the solar system of relativistic, post-Newtonian gravity, a phenomenological model was developed of post-Newtonian gravity which presupposes the very minimum possible concerning the nature and foundations of the gravitational interaction. Solar system observations, chiefly interplanetary ranging, fix all the parameters in the phenomenological model to various levels of precision. This permits prediction of gyroscope precession rates to better than 10 pct. accuracy. A number of new precession terms are calculated which would exist if gravity were not a metric field phenomenon, but this would clash with other empirical observations of post-Newtonian effects in gravity. It is shown that gravitomagnetism, the post-Newtonian gravitational corrections to the interactions between moving matter, plays a ubiquitous role in determining a wide variety of gravitational effects, including the precession of orbiting gyroscopes.

The New Era of Precision Cosmology: Testing Gravity at Large Scales

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prescod-Weinstein, Chanda

2011-01-01

Cosmic acceleration may be the biggest phenomenological mystery in cosmology today. Various explanations for its cause have been proposed, including the cosmological constant, dark energy and modified gravities. Structure formation provides a strong test of any cosmic acceleration model because a successful dark energy model must not inhibit the development of observed large-scale structures. Traditional approaches to studies of structure formation in the presence of dark energy ore modified gravity implement the Press & Schechter formalism (PGF). However, does the PGF apply in all cosmologies? The search is on for a better understanding of universality in the PGF In this talk, I explore the potential for universality and talk about what dark matter haloes may be able to tell us about cosmology. I will also discuss the implications of this and new cosmological experiments for better understanding our theory of gravity.

Assessing the likely value of gravity and drawdown measurements to constrain estimates of hydraulic conductivity and specific yield during unconfined aquifer testing

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blainey, Joan B.; Ferré, Ty P.A.; Cordova, Jeffrey T.

2007-01-01

Pumping of an unconfined aquifer can cause local desaturation detectable with high‐resolution gravimetry. A previous study showed that signal‐to‐noise ratios could be predicted for gravity measurements based on a hydrologic model. We show that although changes should be detectable with gravimeters, estimations of hydraulic conductivity and specific yield based on gravity data alone are likely to be unacceptably inaccurate and imprecise. In contrast, a transect of low‐quality drawdown data alone resulted in accurate estimates of hydraulic conductivity and inaccurate and imprecise estimates of specific yield. Combined use of drawdown and gravity data, or use of high‐quality drawdown data alone, resulted in unbiased and precise estimates of both parameters. This study is an example of the value of a staged assessment regarding the likely significance of a new measurement method or monitoring scenario before collecting field data.

Secular gravity variation at Svalbard (Norway) from ground observations and GRACE satellite data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mémin, A.; Rogister, Y.; Hinderer, J.; Omang, O. C.; Luck, B.

2011-03-01

The Svalbard archipelago, Norway, is affected by both the present-day ice melting (PDIM) and Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) subsequent to the Last Pleistocene deglaciation. The induced deformation of the Earth is observed by using different techniques. At the Geodetic Observatory in Ny-Ålesund, precise positioning measurements have been collected since 1991, a superconducting gravimeter (SG) has been installed in 1999, and six campaigns of absolute gravity (AG) measurements were performed between 1998 and 2007. Moreover, the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission provides the time variation of the Earth gravity field since 2002. The goal of this paper is to estimate the present rate of ice melting by combining geodetic observations of the gravity variation and uplift rate with geophysical modelling of both the GIA and Earth's response to the PDIM. We estimate the secular gravity variation by superimposing the SG series with the six AG measurements. We collect published estimates of the vertical velocity based on GPS and VLBI data. We analyse the GRACE solutions provided by three groups (CSR, GFZ, GRGS). The crux of the problem lies in the separation of the contributions from the GIA and PDIM to the Earth's deformation. To account for the GIA, we compute the response of viscoelastic Earth models having different radial structures of mantle viscosity to the deglaciation histories included in the models ICE-3G or ICE-5G. To account for the effect of PDIM, we compute the deformation of an elastic Earth model for six models of ice-melting extension and rates. Errors in the gravity variation and vertical velocity are estimated by taking into account the measurement uncertainties and the variability of the GRACE solutions and GIA and PDIM models. The ground observations agree with models that involve a current ice loss of 25 km3 water equivalent yr-1 over Svalbard, whereas the space observations give a value in the interval [5, 18] km3 water equivalent yr-1. A better modelling of the PDIM, which would include the precise topography of the glaciers and altitude-dependency of ice melting, is necessary to decrease the discrepancy between the two estimates.

DORIS-based point mascons for the long term stability of precise orbit solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerri, L.; Lemoine, J. M.; Mercier, F.; Zelensky, N. P.; Lemoine, F. G.

2013-08-01

In recent years non-tidal Time Varying Gravity (TVG) has emerged as the most important contributor in the error budget of Precision Orbit Determination (POD) solutions for altimeter satellites' orbits. The Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission has provided POD analysts with static and time-varying gravity models that are very accurate over the 2002-2012 time interval, but whose linear rates cannot be safely extrapolated before and after the GRACE lifespan. One such model based on a combination of data from GRACE and Lageos from 2002-2010, is used in the dynamic POD solutions developed for the Geophysical Data Records (GDRs) of the Jason series of altimeter missions and the equivalent products from lower altitude missions such as Envisat, Cryosat-2, and HY-2A. In order to accommodate long-term time-variable gravity variations not included in the background geopotential model, we assess the feasibility of using DORIS data to observe local mass variations using point mascons. In particular, we show that the point-mascon approach can stabilize the geographically correlated orbit errors which are of fundamental interest for the analysis of regional Mean Sea Level trends based on altimeter data, and can therefore provide an interim solution in the event of GRACE data loss. The time series of point-mass solutions for Greenland and Antarctica show good agreement with independent series derived from GRACE data, indicating a mass loss at rate of 210 Gt/year and 110 Gt/year respectively.

GNSS orbit determination by precise modeling of non-gravitational forces acting on satellite's body

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wielgosz, Agata; Kalarus, Maciej; Liwosz, Tomasz

2016-04-01

Satellites orbiting around Earth are affected by gravitational forces and non-gravitational perturbations (NGP). While the perturbations caused by gravitational forces, which are due to central body gravity (including high-precision geopotential field) and its changes (due to secular variations and tides), solar bodies attraction and relativistic effects are well-modeled, the perturbations caused by the non-gravitational forces are the most limiting factor in Precise Orbit Determination (POD). In this work we focused on very precise non-gravitational force modeling for medium Earth orbit satellites by applying the various models of solar radiation pressure including changes in solar irradiance and Earth/Moon shadow transition, Earth albedo and thermal radiation. For computing influence of aforementioned forces on spacecraft the analytical box-wing satellite model was applied. Smaller effects like antenna thrust or spacecraft thermal radiation were also included. In the process of orbit determination we compared the orbit with analytically computed NGP with the standard procedure in which CODE model is fitted for NGP recovery. We considered satellites from several systems and on different orbits and for different periods: when the satellite is all the time in full sunlight and when transits the umbra and penumbra regions.

Gravity Probe B: Testing Einstein with Gyroscopes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Geveden, Rex D.; May, Todd

2003-01-01

Some 40 years in the making, NASA' s historic Gravity Probe B (GP-B) mission is scheduled to launch aboard a Delta II in 2003. GP-B will test two extraordinary predictions from Einstein's General Relativity: geodetic precession and the Lense-Thirring effect (frame-dragging). Employing tiny, ultra-precise gyroscopes, GP-B features a measurement accuracy of 0.5 milli-arc-seconds per year. The extraordinary measurement precision is made possible by a host of breakthrough technologies, including electro-statically suspended, super-conducting quartz gyroscopes; virtual elimination of magnetic flux; a solid quartz star tracking telescope; helium microthrusters for drag-free control of the spacecraft; and a 2400 liter superfluid helium dewar. This paper will provide an overview of the science, key technologies, flight hardware, integration and test, and flight operations of the GP-B space vehicle. It will also examine some of the technical management challenges of a large-scale, technology-driven, Principal Investigator-led mission.

Gravity Probe B: Testing Einstein with Gyroscopes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Geveden, Rex D.; May, Todd

2003-01-01

Some 40 years in the making, NASA s historic Gravity Probe B (GP-B) mission is scheduled to launch aboard a Delta I1 in 2003. GP-B will test two extraordinary predictions from Einstein s General Relativity: geodetic precession and the Lense-Thirring effect (frame-dragging). Employing tiny, ultra-precise gyroscopes, GP-B features a measurement accuracy of 0.5 milli-arc-seconds per year. The extraordinary measurement precision is made possible by a host of breakthrough technologies, including electro-statically suspended, super-conducting quartz gyroscopes; virtual elimination of magnetic flux; a solid quartz star- tracking telescope; helium microthrusters for drag-free control of the spacecraft; and a 2400 liter superfluid helium dewar. This paper will provide an overview of the science, key technologies, flight hardware, integration and test, and flight operations of the GP-B space vehicle. It will also examine some of the technical management challenges of a large-scale, technology-driven, Principal Investigator-led mission.

Precise and efficient evaluation of gravimetric quantities at arbitrarily scattered points in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, Kamen G.; Pavlis, Nikolaos K.; Petrushev, Pencho

2017-12-01

Gravimetric quantities are commonly represented in terms of high degree surface or solid spherical harmonics. After EGM2008, such expansions routinely extend to spherical harmonic degree 2190, which makes the computation of gravimetric quantities at a large number of arbitrarily scattered points in space using harmonic synthesis, a very computationally demanding process. We present here the development of an algorithm and its associated software for the efficient and precise evaluation of gravimetric quantities, represented in high degree solid spherical harmonics, at arbitrarily scattered points in the space exterior to the surface of the Earth. The new algorithm is based on representation of the quantities of interest in solid ellipsoidal harmonics and application of the tensor product trigonometric needlets. A FORTRAN implementation of this algorithm has been developed and extensively tested. The capabilities of the code are demonstrated using as examples the disturbing potential T, height anomaly ζ , gravity anomaly Δ g , gravity disturbance δ g , north-south deflection of the vertical ξ , east-west deflection of the vertical η , and the second radial derivative T_{rr} of the disturbing potential. After a pre-computational step that takes between 1 and 2 h per quantity, the current version of the software is capable of computing on a standard PC each of these quantities in the range from the surface of the Earth up to 544 km above that surface at speeds between 20,000 and 40,000 point evaluations per second, depending on the gravimetric quantity being evaluated, while the relative error does not exceed 10^{-6} and the memory (RAM) use is 9.3 GB.

Innovative Technique for Noise Reduction in Spacecraft Doppler Tracking for Planetary Interior Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Notaro, V.; Armstrong, J. W.; Asmar, S.; Di Ruscio, A.; Iess, L.; Mariani, M., Jr.

2017-12-01

Precise measurements of spacecraft range rate, enabled by two-way microwave links, are used in radio science experiments for planetary geodesy including the determination of planetary gravitational fields for the purpose of modeling the interior structure. The final accuracies in the estimated gravity harmonic coefficients depend almost linearly on the Doppler noise in the link. We ran simulations to evaluate the accuracy improvement attainable in the estimation of the gravity harmonic coefficients of Venus (with a representative orbiter) and Mercury (with the BepiColombo spacecraft), using our proposed innovative noise-cancellation technique. We showed how the use of an additional, smaller and stiffer, receiving-only antenna could reduce the leading noise sources in a Ka-band two-way link such as tropospheric and antenna mechanical noises. This is achieved through a suitable linear combination (LC) of Doppler observables collected at the two antennas at different times. In our simulations, we considered a two-way link either from NASA's DSS 25 antenna in California or from ESA's DSA-3 antenna in Malargüe (Argentina). Moreover, we selected the 12-m Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX) in Chile as the three-way antenna and developed its tropospheric noise model using available atmospheric data and mechanical stability specifications. For an 8-hour Venus orbiter tracking pass in Chajnantor's winter/night conditions, the accuracy of the simulated LC Doppler observable at 10-s integration time is 6 mm/s, to be compared to 23 mm/s for the two-way link. For BepiColombo, we obtained 16.5 mm/s and 35 mm/s, respectively for the LC and two-way links. The benefits are even larger at longer time scales. Numerical simulations indicate that such noise reduction would provide significant improvements in the determination of Venus's and Mercury's gravity field coefficients. If implemented, this noise-reducing technique will be valuable for planetary geodesy missions, where the accuracy in the estimation of high-order gravity harmonic coefficients is limited by tropospheric and antenna mechanical noises that are difficult to reduce at short integration times. Benefits are however expected in all precision radio science experiments with deep space probes.

Basic research and data analysis for the earth and ocean physics applications program and for the National Geodetic Satellite Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

Data analysis and supporting research in connection with the following objectives are discussed: (1) provide a precise and accurate geometric description of the earth's surface, (2) provide a precise and accurate mathematical description of the earth's gravitational field, and (3) determine time variations of the geometry of the ocean surface, the solid earth, the gravity field and other geophysical parameters.

Proceedings of the Annual Precise Time and Time Interval (PTTI) Planning Meeting (6th). Held at U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, December 3-5, 1974

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-01-01

General agreement seems to be developing that the geophysical system should be defined in terms of a large number of points...34A Laser-Interferometer System for the Absolute Determination of the Acceleration due to Gravity," In Proc. Int. Conf. on Precision Measurement...MO %. The ratio of the plasmaspheric to the total time-delays due to free

Internal Flows in Free Drops (IFFD)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trinh, E. H.; Sadhal, Satwindar S.; Thomas, D. A.; Crouch, R. K.

1998-01-01

Within the framework of an Earth-based research task investigating the internal flows within freely levitated drops, a low-gravity technology development experiment has been designed and carried out within the NASA Glovebox facility during the STS-83 and STS-94 Shuttle flights (MSL-1 mission). The goal was narrowly defined as the assessment of the capabilities of a resonant single-axis ultrasonic levitator to stably position free drops in the Shuttle environment with a precision required for the detailed measurement of internal flows. The results of this entirely crew-operated investigation indicate that the approach is fundamentally sound, but also that the ultimate stability of the positioning is highly dependent on the residual acceleration characteristic of the Spacecraft, and to a certain extent, on the initial drop deployment of the drop. The principal results are: the measured dependence of the residual drop rotation and equilibrium drop shape on the ultrasonic power level, the experimental evaluation of the typical drop translational stability in a realistic low-gravity environment, and the semi-quantitative evaluation of background internal flows within quasi-isothermal drops. Based on these results, we conclude that the successful design of a full-scale Microgravity experiment is possible, and would allow accurate the measurement of thermocapillary flows within transparent drops. The need has been demonstrated, however, for the capability for accurately deploying the drop, for a quiescent environment, and for precise mechanical adjustments of the levitator.

THE HAWAII INFRARED PARALLAX PROGRAM. II. YOUNG ULTRACOOL FIELD DWARFS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Michael C.; Dupuy, Trent J.; Allers, Katelyn N., E-mail: mliu@ifa.hawaii.edu

We present a large, uniform analysis of young (≈10–150 Myr) ultracool dwarfs, based on new high-precision infrared (IR) parallaxes for 68 objects. We find that low-gravity (vl-g) late-M and L dwarfs form a continuous sequence in IR color–magnitude diagrams, separate from the field population and from current theoretical models. These vl-g objects also appear distinct from young substellar (brown dwarf and exoplanet) companions, suggesting that the two populations may have a different range of physical properties. In contrast, at the L/T transition, young, old, and spectrally peculiar objects all span a relatively narrow range in near-IR absolute magnitudes. At a given spectralmore » type, the IR absolute magnitudes of young objects can be offset from ordinary field dwarfs, with the largest offsets occurring in the Y and J bands for late-M dwarfs (brighter than the field) and mid-/late-L dwarfs (fainter than the field). Overall, low-gravity (vl-g) objects have the most uniform photometric behavior, while intermediate gravity (int-g) objects are more diverse, suggesting a third governing parameter beyond spectral type and gravity class. We examine the moving group membership for all young ultracool dwarfs with parallaxes, changing the status of 23 objects (including 8 previously identified planetary-mass candidates) and fortifying the status of another 28 objects. We use our resulting age-calibrated sample to establish empirical young isochrones and show a declining frequency of vl-g objects relative to int-g objects with increasing age. Notable individual objects in our sample include high-velocity (≳100 km s{sup −1}) int-g objects, very red late-L dwarfs with high surface gravities, candidate disk-bearing members of the MBM20 cloud and β  Pic moving group, and very young distant interlopers. Finally, we provide a comprehensive summary of the absolute magnitudes and spectral classifications of young ultracool dwarfs, using a combined sample of 102 objects found in the field and as substellar companions to young stars.« less

Atom Interferometry

ScienceCinema

Kasevich, Mark

2017-12-22

Atom de Broglie wave interferometry has emerged as a tool capable of addressing a diverse set of questions in gravitational and condensed matter physics, and as an enabling technology for advanced sensors in geodesy and navigation. This talk will review basic principles, then discuss recent applications and future directions. Scientific applications to be discussed include measurement of G (Newton’s constant), tests of the Equivalence Principle and post-Newtonian gravity, and study of the Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition in layered superfluids. Technology applications include development of precision gryoscopes and gravity gradiometers. The talk will conclude with speculative remarks looking to the future: Can atom interference methods be sued to detect gravity waves? Can non-classical (entangled/squeezed state) atom sources lead to meaningful sensor performance improvements?

Atom Interferometry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kasevich, Mark

2008-05-07

Atom de Broglie wave interferometry has emerged as a tool capable of addressing a diverse set of questions in gravitational and condensed matter physics, and as an enabling technology for advanced sensors in geodesy and navigation. This talk will review basic principles, then discuss recent applications and future directions. Scientific applications to be discussed include measurement of G (Newton’s constant), tests of the Equivalence Principle and post-Newtonian gravity, and study of the Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition in layered superfluids. Technology applications include development of precision gryoscopes and gravity gradiometers. The talk will conclude with speculative remarks looking to the future: Canmore » atom interference methods be sued to detect gravity waves? Can non-classical (entangled/squeezed state) atom sources lead to meaningful sensor performance improvements?« less

How to detect when cells in space perceive gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bjoerkman, Thomas

1989-01-01

It is useful to be able to measure when and whether cells detect gravity during spaceflights. For studying gravitational physiology, gravity perception is the response the experimentalist needs to measure. Also, for growing plants in space, plant cells may have a non-directional requirement for gravity as a development cue. The main goals of spaceflight experiments in which gravity perception would be measured are to determine the properties of the gravity receptor and how it is activated, and to determine fundamental characteristics of the signal generated. The main practical difficulty with measuring gravity sensing in space is that gravity sensing cannot be measured with certainty on earth. Almost all experiments measure gravitropic curvature. Reciprocity and intermittent stimulation are measurements which were made to some degree on earth using clinostatting, but which would provide clearer results if done with microgravity rather than clinostatting. These would be important uses of the space laboratory for determining the nature of gravity sensing in plants. Those techniques which do not use gravitropic curvature to measure gravity sensing are electrophysiological. The vibrating probe would be somewhat easier to adapt to space conditions than the intracellular microelectrode because it can be positioned with less precision. Ideally, a non-invasive technique would be best suited if an appropriate measure could be developed. Thus, the effect of microgravity on cultured cells is more likely to be by large-scale physical events than gravity sensing in the culture cells. It is not expected that it will be necessary to determine whether individual cultured cells perceive gravity unless cells grow abnormally even after the obvious microgravity effects on the culture as a whole can be ruled out as the cause.

Progress towards a space-borne quantum gravity gradiometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yu, Nan; Kohel, James M.; Ramerez-Serrano, Jaime; Kellogg, James R.; Lim, Lawrence; Maleki, Lute

2004-01-01

Quantum interferometer gravity gradiometer for 3D mapping is a project for developing the technology of atom interferometer-based gravity sensor in space. The atom interferometer utilizes atomic particles as free fall test masses to measure inertial forces with unprecedented sensitivity and precision. It also allows measurements of the gravity gradient tensor components for 3D mapping of subsurface mass distribution. The overall approach is based on recent advances of laser cooling and manipulation of atoms in atomic and optical physics. Atom interferometers have been demonstrated in research laboratories for gravity and gravity gradient measurements. In this approach, atoms are first laser cooled to micro-kelvin temperatures. Then they are allowed to freefall in vacuum as true drag-free test masses. During the free fall, a sequence of laser pulses is used to split and recombine the atom waves to realize the interferometric measurements. We have demonstrated atom interferometer operation in the Phase I period, and we are implementing the second generation for a complete gradiometer demonstration unit in the laboratory. Along with this development, we are developing technologies at component levels that will be more suited for realization of a space instrument. We will present an update of these developments and discuss the future directions of the quantum gravity gradiometer project.

Utilizing the Upcoming Gravity Measurements from Cassini's Proximal Orbits for Studying the Atmospheric Dynamics of Saturn - How Deep Do the Winds Penetrate?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaspi, Y.; Galanti, E.

2014-12-01

At the end of the Cassini mission, the spacecraft will descend into close-by proximal orbits around Saturn. During those proximal orbits, Cassini will obtain high precision gravity measurements of the planet. In this talk, we will discuss how this data can be used to estimate the depth of the observed flows on the planet. This can be done in several ways: 1. measurements of the high order even harmonics which beyond J10 are dominated by the dynamics; 2. measurements of odd gravity harmonics which have no contribution from a static planet, and therefore are a pure signature of dynamics; 3. upper limits on the depth can be obtained by comparing low order even harmonics from dynamical models to the difference between the measured low order even harmonics and the largest possible values of a static planet; 4. direct latitudinally varying measurements of the gravity field exerted on the spacecraft. We will discuss how these methods may be applied and show that given the expected sensitivity of Cassini the odd harmonics J3 and J5 will have the best sensitivity to deep dynamics, allowing detection of winds reaching only O(100km) deep, if those exist on Saturn. We use a hierarchy of dynamical models ranging from full 3D dynamical circulation models to simplified dynamical models where the sensitivity of the gravity field to the dynamics can be explored. In order to invert the gravity field to be measured by Cassini into the depth dependent circulation, an adjoint inverse model is constructed for the dynamical models, thus allowing backward integration of the dynamical model. This tool can be used for examination of various scenarios, including cases in which the depth of the wind depends on latitudinal position. In summary, we expect that the very end of Cassini's tour holds an opportunity for gravity measurements that may finally allow answering one of the long-lasting puzzles in planetary science regarding the depth of the zonal jets on the gas giants. In fact, as Juno will be performing similar measurements we hope to be able to build a picture of the dynamics for both Jupiter and Saturn. Answering this puzzle, will likely help explain the origin of the multiple jet streams and strong equatorial superrotation on the gas giants.

CHAMP and GRACE Resonances and the Gravity Field of the Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gooding, R. H.; Wagner, C. A.; Klokocnik, J.; Kostelecky, J.

With the far more precise orbits of CHAMP and GRACE today than was the standard 2-3 decades ago there was and is an unprecedented opportunity for determining precise and valuable values of certain lumped geopotential harmonic coefficients of selected orders independently of comprehensive gravity field models via the recently revived technique that capitalizes on the resonant variation of appropriate orbital elements the inclination in particular Here we first identify important resonances during the lifetime of CHAMP and GRACE in terms of the decaying semimajor axis these being 46 3 77 5 31 2 78 5 and 47 3 for CHAMP and 61 4 for GRACE Then we analyze state vectors for CHAMP and TLE for GRACE A from GFZ and determined the relevant lumped coefficients To increase its lifetime the CHAMP satellite orbit was raised twice in June and December 2002 so CHAMP passed through 31 2 resonance three times More accurate values for these coefficients are obtained than originally and the precision for the 62 4 overtone resonance implicit in 31 2 is striking comparable to that for 31 2 Most recently CHAMP passed throughout the 47 3 resonance yielding the opportunity to determine new lumped coefficients For GRACE we have no state vectors and have to work with the TLE only nevertheless we have lumped coefficients of 61st order from its strong 61 4 resonance In each case the resonant lumped values are compared with those derivable from various global gravity models We thereby confirm the continuing power of the resonance technique

Surface Gravities for 228 M, L, and T Dwarfs in the NIRSPEC Brown Dwarf Spectroscopic Survey

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martin, Emily C.; Mace, Gregory N.; McLean, Ian S.

2017-03-20

We combine 131 new medium-resolution ( R ∼ 2000) J -band spectra of M, L, and T dwarfs from the Keck NIRSPEC Brown Dwarf Spectroscopic Survey (BDSS) with 97 previously published BDSS spectra to study surface-gravity-sensitive indices for 228 low-mass stars and brown dwarfs spanning spectral types M5–T9. Specifically, we use an established set of spectral indices to determine surface gravity classifications for all of the M6–L7 objects in our sample by measuring the equivalent widths (EW) of the K i lines at 1.1692, 1.1778, and 1.2529 μ m, and the 1.2 μ m FeH{sub J} absorption index. Our resultsmore » are consistent with previous surface gravity measurements, showing a distinct double peak—at ∼L5 and T5—in K i EW as a function of spectral type. We analyze the K i EWs of 73 objects of known ages and find a linear trend between log(Age) and EW. From this relationship, we assign age ranges to the very low gravity, intermediate gravity, and field gravity designations for spectral types M6–L0. Interestingly, the ages probed by these designations remain broad, change with spectral type, and depend on the gravity-sensitive index used. Gravity designations are useful indicators of the possibility of youth, but current data sets cannot be used to provide a precise age estimate.« less

Laser interferometry method for absolute measurement of the acceleration of gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hudson, O. K.

1971-01-01

Gravimeter permits more accurate and precise absolute measurement of g without reference to Potsdam values as absolute standards. Device is basically Michelson laser beam interferometer in which one arm is mass fitted with corner cube reflector.

Crop water productivity and irrigation management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Modern irrigation systems offer large increases in crop water productivity compared with rainfed or gravity irrigation, but require different management approaches to achieve this. Flood, sprinkler, low-energy precision application, LEPA, and subsurface drip irrigation methods vary widely in water a...

Impact of nonlinear effective interactions on group field theory quantum gravity condensates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pithis, Andreas G. A.; Sakellariadou, Mairi; Tomov, Petar

2016-09-01

We present the numerical analysis of effectively interacting group field theory models in the context of the group field theory quantum gravity condensate analog of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation for real Bose-Einstein condensates including combinatorially local interaction terms. Thus, we go beyond the usually considered construction for free models. More precisely, considering such interactions in a weak regime, we find solutions for which the expectation value of the number operator N is finite, as in the free case. When tuning the interaction to the strongly nonlinear regime, however, we obtain solutions for which N grows and eventually blows up, which is reminiscent of what one observes for real Bose-Einstein condensates, where a strong interaction regime can only be realized at high density. This behavior suggests the breakdown of the Bogoliubov ansatz for quantum gravity condensates and the need for non-Fock representations to describe the system when the condensate constituents are strongly correlated. Furthermore, we study the expectation values of certain geometric operators imported from loop quantum gravity in the free and interacting cases. In particular, computing solutions around the nontrivial minima of the interaction potentials, one finds, already in the weakly interacting case, a nonvanishing condensate population for which the spectra are dominated by the lowest nontrivial configuration of the quantum geometry. This result indicates that the condensate may indeed consist of many smallest building blocks giving rise to an effectively continuous geometry, thus suggesting the interpretation of the condensate phase to correspond to a geometric phase.

Extent of Continental Crust Thickening Derived From Gravity Profile Leading From Aden Towards the Dhala Plateau in the Yemen Trap Series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blecha, V.

2003-12-01

Gravity profile trends NNW from Aden and terminates at the Dhala plateau formed by Tertiary volcanics often referred to as the Yemen Trap Series. The length of profile is 120 km. Profile consists of 366 gravity stations with average distance of 300 m between stations. The mean square error of Bouguer anomalies is 0.06 mGal. This final error includes errors of gravity and altitude measurements and error in terrain corrections. Altitudes along profile are ranging from 0 m a.s.l. in the south to 1400 m a.s.l. at the northern side of profile. In the central part of the Gulf of Aden occurs juvenile oceanic crust. Stretched continental crust is assumed on the coast. Regional gravity field decreases from +38 mGal on the coast in Aden to -126 mGal at mountains of the Dhala plateau. According to gravity modeling the decrease of 164 mGal in gravity is caused by 8 km continental crust thickening over the distance of 120 km. Regional gravity field is accompanied by local anomalies with amplitudes of tens of mGal. Sources of local anomalies are from S to N: coastal sediments (negative), Tertiary intrusions and volcanics within the Dhala graben (positive), Mesozoic sediments (negative) and Tertiary volcanics of the Dhala plateau (positive). Gravity profile is most detailed and most precise regional gravity measurement carried out in the southern tip of Arabia and brings new information about geology of the area with scarce geophysical data.

No time machine construction in open 2+1 gravity with timelike total energy-momentum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiglio, Manuel H.

1998-09-01

It is shown that in (2+1)-dimensional gravity an open spacetime with timelike sources and total energy momentum cannot have a stable compactly generated Cauchy horizon. This constitutes a proof of a version of Kabat's conjecture and shows, in particular, that not only a Gott time machine cannot be formed from processes such as the decay of a single cosmic string as has been shown by Carroll et al., but that, in a precise sense, a time machine cannot be constructed at all.

Testing Einstein in Space: The Gravity Probe B Relativity Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mester, John

The Gravity Probe B Relativity Mission was successfully launched on April 20, 2004 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a culmination of 40 years of collaborative development at Stanford University and NASA. The goal of the GP-B experiment is to perform precision tests of two independent predictions of general relativity, the geodetic effect and frame dragging. On-orbit cryogenic operations lasted 17.3 months, exceeding requirements. Analysis of the science data is now in progress with a planned announcement of results scheduled for December 2007.

SHERPA Electromechanical Test Bed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wason, John D.

2005-01-01

SHERPA (Strap-on High-altitude Entry Reconnaissance and Precision Aeromaneuver system) is a concept for low-cost-high-accuracy Martian reentry guidance for small scout-class missions with a capsule diameter of approximately 1 meter. This system uses moving masses to change the center of gravity of the capsule in order to control the lift generated by the controlled imbalance. This project involved designing a small proof-of-concept demonstration system that can be used to test the concept through bench-top testing, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and eventually through a drop test from a helicopter. This project has focused on the Mechatronic design aspects of the system including the mechanical, electrical, computer, and low-level control of the concept demonstration system.

Calibrating 15 years of GOLF data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, G. R.; García, R. A.

2011-12-01

The GOLF resonant scattering spectrophotometer aboard SoHO has now provided 15 years of continuous high precision Sun-as-a-star radial-velocity measurements. This length of time series provides very high resolution in the frequency domain and is combined with very good long-term instrumental stability. These are the requirements for measuring the low-l low-frequency global oscillations of the Sun that will unlock the secrets of the solar core. However, before the scientifically interesting gravity and mixed modes of oscillation fully reveal themselves, a correction and calibration of the whole data set is required. Here we present work towards producing a 15 year GOLF data set corrected for instrumental ageing and thermal variation.

Can f(R) gravity contribute to (dark) radiation?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morais, João; Bouhmadi-López, Mariam; Capozziello, Salvatore, E-mail: jviegas001@ikasle.ehu.eus, E-mail: mbl@ubi.pt, E-mail: capozziello@na.infn.it

2015-09-01

We discuss the possibility that suitable modifications of gravity could account for some amount of the radiation we observe today, in addition to the possibility of explaining the present speed up of the universe. We start introducing and reviewing cosmological reconstruction methods for metric f(R) theories of gravity that can be considered as one of the straightforward modifications of Einstein's gravity as soon as f(R)≠ R. We then take into account two possible f(R) models which could give rise to (dark) radiation. Constraints on the models are found by using the Planck Collaboration 2015 data within a cosmographic approach and bymore » obtaining the matter power spectrum of those models. The conclusion is that f(R) gravity can only contribute minimally to the (dark) radiation to avoid departures from the observed matter power spectrum at the smallest scales (of the order of 0.01Mpc{sup −1}), i.e., precisely those scales that exited the horizon at the radiation dominated epoch. This result could strongly contribute to select reliable f(R) models.« less

Specific gravity of woody tissue from lowland Neotropical plants: differences among forest types.

PubMed

Casas, Luisa Fernanda; Aldana, Ana María; Henao-Diaz, Francisco; Villanueva, Boris; Stevenson, Pablo R

2017-05-01

Wood density, or more precisely, wood specific gravity, is an important parameter when estimating aboveground biomass, which has become a central tool for the management and conservation of forests around the world. When using biomass allometric equations for tropical forests, researchers are often required to assume phylogenetic trait conservatism, which allows us to assign genus- and family-level wood specific gravity mean values, to many woody species. The lack of information on this trait for many Neotropical plant species has led to an imprecise estimation of the biomass stored in Neotropical forests. The data presented here has information of woody tissue specific gravity from 2,602 individual stems for 386 species, including trees, lianas, and hemi-epiphytes of lowland tropical forests in Colombia. This data set was produced by us collecting wood cores from woody species in five localities in the Orinoco and Magdalena Basins in Colombia. We found lower mean specific gravity values in várzea than in terra firme and igapó. © 2017 The Authors. Ecology, published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc., on behalf of the Ecological Society of America.

Separating Dark Physics from Physical Darkness: Minimalist Modified Gravity vs. Dark Energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huterer, Dragan; Linder, Eric V.

The acceleration of the cosmic expansion may be due to a new component of physical energy density or a modification of physics itself. Mapping the expansion of cosmic scales and the growth of large scale structure in tandem can provide insights to distinguish between the two origins. Using Minimal Modified Gravity (MMG) - a single parameter gravitational growth index formalism to parameterize modified gravity theories - we examine the constraints that cosmological data can place on the nature of the new physics. For next generation measurements combining weak lensing, supernovae distances, and the cosmic microwave background we can extend themore » reach of physics to allow for fitting gravity simultaneously with the expansion equation of state, diluting the equation of state estimation by less than 25percent relative to when general relativity is assumed, and determining the growth index to 8percent. For weak lensing we examine the level of understanding needed of quasi- and nonlinear structure formation in modified gravity theories, and the trade off between stronger precision but greater susceptibility to bias as progressively more nonlinear information is used.« less

Separating dark physics from physical darkness: Minimalist modified gravity versus dark energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huterer, Dragan; Linder, Eric V.

The acceleration of the cosmic expansion may be due to a new component of physical energy density or a modification of physics itself. Mapping the expansion of cosmic scales and the growth of large scale structure in tandem can provide insights to distinguish between the two origins. Using Minimal Modified Gravity (MMG) - a single parameter gravitational growth index formalism to parametrize modified gravity theories - we examine the constraints that cosmological data can place on the nature of the new physics. For next generation measurements combining weak lensing, supernovae distances, and the cosmic microwave background we can extend themore » reach of physics to allow for fitting gravity simultaneously with the expansion equation of state, diluting the equation of state estimation by less than 25% relative to when general relativity is assumed, and determining the growth index to 8%. For weak lensing we examine the level of understanding needed of quasi- and nonlinear structure formation in modified gravity theories, and the trade off between stronger precision but greater susceptibility to bias as progressively more nonlinear information is used.« less

The Role of Gravity Waves in the Formation and Organization of Clouds during TWPICE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reeder, Michael J.; Lane, Todd P.; Hankinson, Mai Chi Nguyen

2013-09-27

All convective clouds emit gravity waves. While it is certain that convectively-generated waves play important parts in determining the climate, their precise roles remain uncertain and their effects are not (generally) represented in climate models. The work described here focuses mostly on observations and modeling of convectively-generated gravity waves, using the intensive observations from the DoE-sponsored Tropical Warm Pool International Cloud Experiment (TWP-ICE), which took place in Darwin, from 17 January to 13 February 2006. Among other things, the research has implications the part played by convectively-generated gravity waves in the formation of cirrus, in the initiation and organization ofmore » further convection, and in the subgrid-scale momentum transport and associated large-scale stresses imposed on the troposphere and stratosphere. The analysis shows two groups of inertia-gravity waves are detected: group L in the middle stratosphere during the suppressed monsoon period, and group S in the lower stratosphere during the monsoon break period. Waves belonging to group L propagate to the south-east with a mean intrinsic period of 35 h, and have vertical and horizontal wavelengths of about 5-6 km and 3000-6000 km, respectively. Ray tracing calculations indicate that these waves originate from a deep convective region near Indonesia. Waves belonging to group S propagate to the south-south-east with an intrinsic period, vertical wavelength and horizontal wavelength of about 45 h, 2 km and 2000-4000 km, respectively. These waves are shown to be associated with shallow convection in the oceanic area within about 1000 km of Darwin. The intrinsic periods of high-frequency waves are estimated to be between 20-40 minutes. The high-frequency wave activity in the stratosphere, defined by mass-weighted variance of the vertical motion of the sonde, has a maximum following the afternoon local convection indicating that these waves are generated by local convection. The wave activity is strongest in the lower stratosphere below 22 km and, during the suppressed monsoon period, is modulated with a 3-4-day period. The concentration of the wave activity in the lower stratosphere is consistent with the properties of the environment in which these waves propagate, whereas its 3-4-day modulation is explained by the variation of the convection activity in the TWP-ICE domain. At low rainfall intensity the wave activity increases as rainfall intensity increases. At high values of rainfall intensity, however, the wave activity associated with deep convective clouds is independent of the rainfall intensity. The convection and gravity waves observed during TWP-ICE are simulated with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. These simulations are compared with radiosonde observations described above and are used to determine some of the properties of convectively generated gravity waves. The gravity waves appear to be well simulated by the model. The model is used to explore the relationships between the convection, the gravity waves and cirrus.« less

A new method for gravity field recovery based on frequency analysis of spherical harmonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Lin; Zhou, Zebing

2017-04-01

All existing methods for gravity field recovery are mostly based on the space-wise and time-wise approach, whose core processes are constructing the observation equations and solving them by the least square method. It's should be pointed that the least square method means the approximation. On the other hand, we can directly and precisely obtain the coefficients of harmonics by computing the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) when we do 1-D data (time series) analysis. So the question whether we directly and precisely obtain the coefficients of spherical harmonic by computing 2-D FFT of measurements of satellite gravity mission is of great significance, since this may guide us to a new understanding of the signal components of gravity field and make us determine it quickly by taking advantage of FFT. Like the 1-D data analysis, the 2-D FFT of measurements of satellite can be computed rapidly. If we can determine the relationship between spherical harmonics and 2-D Fourier frequencies and the transfer function from measurements to spherical coefficients, the question mentioned above can be solved. So the objective of this research project is to establish a new method based on frequency analysis of spherical harmonic, which directly compute the confidents of spherical harmonic of gravity field, which is differ from recovery by least squares. There is a one to one correspondence between frequency spectrum and the time series in 1-D FFT. The 2-D FFT has a similar relationship to 1-D FFT. Owing to the fact that any degree or order (higher than one) of spherical function has multi frequencies and these frequencies may be aliased. Fortunately, the elements and ratio of these frequencies of spherical function can be determined, and we can compute the coefficients of spherical function from 2-D FFT. This relationship can be written as equations and equivalent to a matrix, which is solid and can be derived in advance. Until now the relationship has be determined. Some preliminary results, which only compute lower degree spherical harmonics, indicates that the difference between the input (EGM2008) and output (coefficients from recovery) is smaller than 5E-17, while the minimal precision of computer software (Matlab) is 2.2204E-16.

Regional models of the gravity field from terrestrial gravity data of heterogeneous quality and density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talvik, Silja; Oja, Tõnis; Ellmann, Artu; Jürgenson, Harli

2014-05-01

Gravity field models in a regional scale are needed for a number of applications, for example national geoid computation, processing of precise levelling data and geological modelling. Thus the methods applied for modelling the gravity field from surveyed gravimetric information need to be considered carefully. The influence of using different gridding methods, the inclusion of unit or realistic weights and indirect gridding of free air anomalies (FAA) are investigated in the study. Known gridding methods such as kriging (KRIG), least squares collocation (LSCO), continuous curvature (CCUR) and optimal Delaunay triangulation (ODET) are used for production of gridded gravity field surfaces. As the quality of data collected varies considerably depending on the methods and instruments available or used in surveying it is important to somehow weigh the input data. This puts additional demands on data maintenance as accuracy information needs to be available for each data point participating in the modelling which is complicated by older gravity datasets where the uncertainties of not only gravity values but also supplementary information such as survey point position are not always known very accurately. A number of gravity field applications (e.g. geoid computation) demand foran FAA model, the acquisition of which is also investigated. Instead of direct gridding it could be more appropriate to proceed with indirect FAA modelling using a Bouguer anomaly grid to reduce the effect of topography on the resulting FAA model (e.g. near terraced landforms). The inclusion of different gridding methods, weights and indirect FAA modelling helps to improve gravity field modelling methods. It becomes possible to estimate the impact of varying methodical approaches on the gravity field modelling as statistical output is compared. Such knowledge helps assess the accuracy of gravity field models and their effect on the aforementioned applications.

Recent results on modelling the spatial and temporal structure of the Earth's gravity field.

PubMed

Moore, P; Zhang, Q; Alothman, A

2006-04-15

The Earth's gravity field plays a central role in sea-level change. In the simplest application a precise gravity field will enable oceanographers to capitalize fully on the altimetric datasets collected over the past decade or more by providing a geoid from which absolute sea-level topography can be recovered. However, the concept of a static gravity field is now redundant as we can observe temporal variability in the geoid due to mass redistribution in or on the total Earth system. Temporal variability, associated with interactions between the land, oceans and atmosphere, can be investigated through mass redistributions with, for example, flow of water from the land being balanced by an increase in ocean mass. Furthermore, as ocean transport is an important contributor to the mass redistribution the time varying gravity field can also be used to validate Global Ocean Circulation models. This paper will review the recent history of static and temporal gravity field recovery, from the 1980s to the present day. In particular, mention will be made of the role of satellite laser ranging and other space tracking techniques, satellite altimetry and in situ gravity which formed the basis of gravity field determination until the last few years. With the launch of Challenging Microsatellite Payload and Gravity and Circulation Experiment (GRACE) our knowledge of the spatial distribution of the Earth's gravity field is taking a leap forward. Furthermore, GRACE is now providing insight into temporal variability through 'monthly' gravity field solutions. Prior to this data we relied on satellite tracking, Global Positioning System and geophysical models to give us insight into the temporal variability. We will consider results from these methodologies and compare them to preliminary results from the GRACE mission.

Neutrons on a surface of liquid helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grigoriev, P. D.; Zimmer, O.; Grigoriev, A. D.; Ziman, T.

2016-08-01

We investigate the possibility of ultracold neutron (UCN) storage in quantum states defined by the combined potentials of the Earth's gravity and the neutron optical repulsion by a horizontal surface of liquid helium. We analyze the stability of the lowest quantum state, which is most susceptible to perturbations due to surface excitations, against scattering by helium atoms in the vapor and by excitations of the liquid, comprised of ripplons, phonons, and surfons. This is an unusual scattering problem since the kinetic energy of the neutron parallel to the surface may be much greater than the binding energies perpendicular. The total scattering time of these UCNs at 0.7 K is found to exceed 1 h, and rapidly increases with decreasing temperature. Such low scattering rates should enable high-precision measurements of the sequence of discrete energy levels, thus providing improved tests of short-range gravity. The system might also be useful for neutron β -decay experiments. We also sketch new experimental propositions for level population and trapping of ultracold neutrons above a flat horizontal mirror.

Tidal Models In A New Era of Satellite Gravimetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Richard D.; Rowlings, David D.; Edbert, G. D.; Chao, Benjamin F. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The high precision gravity measurements to be made by recently launched (and recently approved) satellites place new demands on models of Earth, atmospheric, and oceanic tides. The latter is the most problematic. The ocean tides induce variations in the Earth's geoid by amounts that far exceed the new satellite sensitivities, and tidal models must be used to correct for this. Two methods are used here to determine the standard errors in current ocean tide models. At long wavelengths these errors exceed the sensitivity of the GRACE mission. Tidal errors will not prevent the new satellite missions from improving our knowledge of the geopotential by orders of magnitude, but the errors may well contaminate GRACE estimates of temporal variations in gravity. Solar tides are especially problematic because of their long alias periods. The satellite data may be used to improve tidal models once a sufficiently long time series is obtained. Improvements in the long-wavelength components of lunar tides are especially promising.

Atom Interferometry with the Sr Optical Clock Transition.

PubMed

Hu, Liang; Poli, Nicola; Salvi, Leonardo; Tino, Guglielmo M

2017-12-29

We report on the realization of a matter-wave interferometer based on single-photon interaction on the ultranarrow optical clock transition of strontium atoms. We experimentally demonstrate its operation as a gravimeter and as a gravity gradiometer. No reduction of interferometric contrast was observed for a total interferometer time up to ∼10  ms, limited by geometric constraints of the apparatus. Single-photon interferometers represent a new class of high-precision sensors that could be used for the detection of gravitational waves in so far unexplored frequency ranges and to enlighten the boundary between quantum mechanics and general relativity.

27 CFR 30.21 - Requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... part. (b) Proprietors. Proprietors shall use only accurate hydrometers and thermometers that show... described in § 30.22. (c) Appropriate TTB officers. Appropriate TTB officers shall use only hydrometers and... hydrometer, TTB officers shall use precision grade specific gravity hydrometers conforming to the provisions...

Precise Gravity Measurements for Lunar Laser Ranging at Apache Point Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crossley, D. J.; Murphy, T.; Boy, J.; De Linage, C.; Wheeler, R. D.; Krauterbluth, K.

2012-12-01

Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) at Apache Point Observatory began in 2006 under the APOLLO project using a 3.5 m telescope on a 2780 m summit in New Mexico. Recent improvements in the technical operations are producing uncertainties at the few-mm level in the 1.5 x 10^13 cm separation of the solar orbits of the Earth and Moon. This level of sensitivity permits a number of important aspects of gravitational theory to be tested. Among these is the Equivalence Principle that determines the universality of free fall, tests of the time variation of the Gravitational Constant G, deviations from the inverse square law, and preferred frame effects. In 2009 APOLLO installed a superconducting gravimeter (SG) on the concrete pier under the main telescope to further constrain the deformation of the site as part of an initiative to improve all aspects of the modeling process. We have analyzed more than 3 years of high quality SG data that provides unmatched accuracy in determining the local tidal gravimetric factors for the solid Earth and ocean tide loading. With on-site gravity we have direct measurements of signals such as polar motion, and can compute global atmospheric and hydrological loading for the site using GLDAS and local hydrology models that are compared with the SG observations. We also compare the SG residuals with satellite estimates of seasonal ground gravity variations from the GRACE mission. Apache Point is visited regularly by a team from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency to provide absolute gravity values for the calibration of the SG and to determine secular gravity changes. Nearby GPS location P027 provides continuous position information from the Plate Boundary Observatory of Earthscope that is used to correlate gravity/height variations at the site. Unusual aspects of the data processing include corrections for the telescope azimuth that appear as small offsets at the 1 μGal level and can be removed by correlating the azimuth data with the SG residuals.

Comparison of urine specific gravity values from total-solids refractometry and reagent strip method.

PubMed

Chatasingh, S; Tapaneya-Olarn, W

1989-01-01

The comparison of specific gravity values of 561 urine samples from TS meter and reagent strip was made. The data were divided into two groups: group 1-less than 2+ protein contained urine samples and group 2--equal or more than 2+ protein contained urine samples. The results revealed that the specific gravity values from both methods in both groups were statistically different (p less than 0.01) but they were correlated at r = 0.84 (p less than 0.001) and r = 0.73 (p less than 0.001) in group 1 and group 2, respectively. It was concluded that the reagent strip is suitable for use as a screening test but it should not be considered when precise measurement is necessary.

Effects of running with backpack loads during simulated gravitational transitions: Improvements in postural control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brewer, Jeffrey David

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is planning for long-duration manned missions to the Moon and Mars. For feasible long-duration space travel, improvements in exercise countermeasures are necessary to maintain cardiovascular fitness, bone mass throughout the body and the ability to perform coordinated movements in a constant gravitational environment that is six orders of magnitude higher than the "near weightlessness" condition experienced during transit to and/or orbit of the Moon, Mars, and Earth. In such gravitational transitions feedback and feedforward postural control strategies must be recalibrated to ensure optimal locomotion performance. In order to investigate methods of improving postural control adaptation during these gravitational transitions, a treadmill based precision stepping task was developed to reveal changes in neuromuscular control of locomotion following both simulated partial gravity exposure and post-simulation exercise countermeasures designed to speed lower extremity impedance adjustment mechanisms. The exercise countermeasures included a short period of running with or without backpack loads immediately after partial gravity running. A novel suspension type partial gravity simulator incorporating spring balancers and a motor-driven treadmill was developed to facilitate body weight off loading and various gait patterns in both simulated partial and full gravitational environments. Studies have provided evidence that suggests: the environmental simulator constructed for this thesis effort does induce locomotor adaptations following partial gravity running; the precision stepping task may be a helpful test for illuminating these adaptations; and musculoskeletal loading in the form of running with or without backpack loads may improve the locomotor adaptation process.

Seismic tremor and gravity measurements at Inferno Crater Lake, Waimangu Geothermal Field, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, J. F.; Jolly, A. D.; Fournier, N.; Cole-Baker, J.; Hurst, T.; Roman, D. C.

2011-12-01

Volcanic crater lakes are often associated with active hydrothermal systems that induce cyclic behavior in the lake's level, temperature, and chemistry. Inferno Crater Lake, located in the Waimangu geothermal field within the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ) on the North Island of New Zealand exhibits lake level fluctuations of >7m, and temperature fluctuations >40°C with a highly variable periodicity. Seismic and gravity monitoring of Inferno Lake was carried out from December, 2009 - March, 2010 and captured a full cycle of lake fluctuation. Results indicate that this cycle consisted of ~5 smaller fluctuations of ~3m in lake level followed by a larger fluctuation of ~7m. A broadband seismometer recorded strong seismic tremor in the hours leading up to each of the minor and major high stands in lake level. Spectral analysis of the tremor shows dominant frequencies in the range of ~10Hz and a fundamental harmonic frequency located in the 1Hz range. The 1Hz frequency band exhibits gliding spectral lines which increase in frequency at the end of each tremor period. Particle motion analysis of harmonic tremor waveforms indicate a ~100m upward migration of the source location from the onset of tremor until it ceases at the peak of each lake level high stand. Particle motions also indicate an azimuthal migration of the source by ~30° from the overflow outlet region of the lake toward the central vent location during the course of the tremor and lake level increase. Lake water temperature has a direct relationship with lake level and ranges between ~40°C - ~80°C. Gravity fluctuations were also continuously monitored using a Micro-g-LaCoste gPhone relative gravity meter with a 1Hz sampling rate and precision of 1 microgal. These data indicate a direct relationship between lake level and gravity showing a net increase of ~100 microgals between lake level low and high stands. A piezometer located beside the lake indicates an inflow of ground water into the subsoil during periods of lake level increase and outflow of groundwater during lake level decrease resulting in a ~0.5m overall change between high and low stands and suggests that groundwater flow underneath the gravity meter may be playing a significant role in observed gravity changes. Overall, the results are consistent with a hydrothermal system at Inferno Lake consisting of a one-phase liquid layer overlying a 2-phase liquid/gas layer. Heating from below initiates boiling at the boundary between the one- and two-phase regions, and may act as the source of harmonic tremor within the conduit system. The dynamic expansion and collapse of the two-phase layer may modify the resonator geometry and internal properties, producing the harmonic excitation and apparent source position migration. Further study of Inferno Lake's hydrothermal system will aid in understanding its complex nature and that of other volcanic lake-hydrothermal systems.

Seamless geoids across coastal zones - a comparison of satellite-derived gravity to airborne gravity across the seven continents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forsberg, R.; Olesen, A. V.; Barnes, D.; Ingalls, S. E.; Minter, C. F.; Presicci, M. R.

2017-12-01

An accurate coastal geoid model is important for determination of near-shore ocean dynamic topography and currents, as well as for land GPS surveys and global geopotential models. Since many coastal regions across the globe are regions of intense development and coastal protection projects, precise geoid models at cm-level accuracy are essential. The only way to secure cm-geoid accuracies across coastal regions is to acquire more marine gravity data; here airborne gravity is the obvious method of choice due to the uniform accuracy, and the ability to provide a seamless geoid accuracy across the coastline. Current practice for gravity and geoid models, such as EGM2008 and many national projects, is to complement land gravity data with satellite radar altimetry at sea, a procedure which can give large errors in regions close to the coast. To quantify the coastal errors in satellite gravity, we compare results of a large set of recent airborne gravity surveys, acquired across a range of coastal zones globally from polar to equatorial regions, and quantify the errors as a function of distance from the coast line for a number of different global altimetry gravity solutions. We find that accuracy in satellite altimetry solutions depend very much on the availability of gravity data along the coast-near land regions in the underlying reference fields (e.g., EGM2008), with satellite gravity accuracy in the near-shore zone ranging from anywhere between 5 to 20 mGal r.m.s., with occasional large outliers; we also show how these errors may typically propagate into coastal geoid errors of 5-10 cm r.m.s. or more. This highlight the need for airborne (land) gravity surveys to be extended at least 20-30 km offshore, especially for regions of insufficient marine gravity coverage; we give examples of a few such recent surveys and associated marine geoid impacts.

New standards for reducing gravity data: The North American gravity database

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hinze, W. J.; Aiken, C.; Brozena, J.; Coakley, B.; Dater, D.; Flanagan, G.; Forsberg, R.; Hildenbrand, T.; Keller, Gordon R.; Kellogg, J.; Kucks, R.; Li, X.; Mainville, A.; Morin, R.; Pilkington, M.; Plouff, D.; Ravat, D.; Roman, D.; Urrutia-Fucugauchi, J.; Veronneau, M.; Webring, M.; Winester, D.

2005-01-01

The North American gravity database as well as databases from Canada, Mexico, and the United States are being revised to improve their coverage, versatility, and accuracy. An important part of this effort is revising procedures for calculating gravity anomalies, taking into account our enhanced computational power, improved terrain databases and datums, and increased interest in more accurately defining long-wavelength anomaly components. Users of the databases may note minor differences between previous and revised database values as a result of these procedures. Generally, the differences do not impact the interpretation of local anomalies but do improve regional anomaly studies. The most striking revision is the use of the internationally accepted terrestrial ellipsoid for the height datum of gravity stations rather than the conventionally used geoid or sea level. Principal facts of gravity observations and anomalies based on both revised and previous procedures together with germane metadata will be available on an interactive Web-based data system as well as from national agencies and data centers. The use of the revised procedures is encouraged for gravity data reduction because of the widespread use of the global positioning system in gravity fieldwork and the need for increased accuracy and precision of anomalies and consistency with North American and national databases. Anomalies based on the revised standards should be preceded by the adjective "ellipsoidal" to differentiate anomalies calculated using heights with respect to the ellipsoid from those based on conventional elevations referenced to the geoid. ?? 2005 Society of Exploration Geophysicists. All rights reserved.

Significance of specific force models in two applications: Solar sails to sun-earth L4/L5 and grail data analysis suggesting lava tubes and buried craters on the moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sood, Rohan

In the trajectory design process, gravitational interaction between the bodies of interest plays a key role in developing the over-arching force model. However, non-gravitational forces, such as solar radiation pressure (SRP), can significantly influence the motion of a spacecraft. Incorporating SRP within the dynamical model can assist in estimating the trajectory of a spacecraft with greater precision, in particular, for a spacecraft with a large area-to-mass ratio, i.e., solar sails. Subsequently, in the trajectory design process, solar radiation pressure can be leveraged to maneuver the sail-based spacecraft. First, to construct low energy transfers, the invariant manifolds are explored that form an important tool in the computation and design of complex trajectories. The focus is the investigation of trajectory design options, incorporating solar sail dynamics, from the Earth parking orbit to the vicinity of triangular Lagrange points. Thereafter, an optimization scheme assisted in investigating the ?V requirement to depart from the Earth parking orbit. Harnessing the solar radiation pressure, the spacecraft is delivered to the vicinity of the displaced Lagrange point and maintains a trajectory close to the artificial libration point with the help of the solar sail. However, these trajectories are converged in a model formulated as a three-body problem with additional acceleration from solar radiation pressure. Thus, the trajectories are transitioned to higher fidelity ephemeris model to account for additional perturbing accelerations that may dominate the sail-craft dynamics and improve upon the trajectory design process. Alternatively, precise knowledge of the motion of a spacecraft about a central body and the contribution of the SRP can assist in deriving a highly accurate gravity field model. The high resolution gravity data can potentially assist in exploring the surface and subsurface properties of a particular body. With the goal of expanding human presence beyond Earth, sub-surface empty lava tubes on other worlds form ideal candidates for creating a permanent habitation environment safe from cosmic radiation, micrometeorite impacts and temperature extremes. In addition, gravitational analysis has also revealed large buried craters under thick piles of mare basalt, shedding light on Moon's dynamic and hostile past. In this work, gravity mapping observations from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) are employed to detect the presence of potential empty lava tubes and large impact craters buried beneath the lunar maria.

Gravity-dependent estimates of object mass underlie the generation of motor commands for horizontal limb movements.

PubMed

Crevecoeur, F; McIntyre, J; Thonnard, J-L; Lefèvre, P

2014-07-15

Moving requires handling gravitational and inertial constraints pulling on our body and on the objects that we manipulate. Although previous work emphasized that the brain uses internal models of each type of mechanical load, little is known about their interaction during motor planning and execution. In this report, we examine visually guided reaching movements in the horizontal plane performed by naive participants exposed to changes in gravity during parabolic flight. This approach allowed us to isolate the effect of gravity because the environmental dynamics along the horizontal axis remained unchanged. We show that gravity has a direct effect on movement kinematics, with faster movements observed after transitions from normal gravity to hypergravity (1.8g), followed by significant movement slowing after the transition from hypergravity to zero gravity. We recorded finger forces applied on an object held in precision grip and found that the coupling between grip force and inertial loads displayed a similar effect, with an increase in grip force modulation gain under hypergravity followed by a reduction of modulation gain after entering the zero-gravity environment. We present a computational model to illustrate that these effects are compatible with the hypothesis that participants partially attribute changes in weight to changes in mass and scale incorrectly their motor commands with changes in gravity. These results highlight a rather direct internal mapping between the force generated during stationary holding against gravity and the estimation of inertial loads that limb and hand motor commands must overcome. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

The Wonderful Gift of Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norton, Anderson

2015-01-01

This theoretical analysis addresses "the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics in the natural sciences" (Wigner, 1960). For example, how is it that ellipses--constructed by Greek geometers nearly two millennia before Kepler used them--provide such precise models for describing planetary motion? Historical models of gravity and…

Basic research and data analysis for the National Geodetic Satellite Program and for the Earth and Ocean Physics Application Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

Accomplishments in the continuing programs are reported. The data were obtained in support of the following broad objectives: (1) to provide a precise and accurate geometric description of the earth's surface; (2) to provide a precise and accurate mathematical description of the earth's gravitational field; and (3) to determine time variations of the geometry of the ocean surface, the solid earth, the gravity field, and other geophysical parameters.

The Apache Point Observatory Lunar Laser-ranging Operation: Instrument Description and First Detections

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Murphy, TW; Adelberger, Eric G.; Battat, J.

2008-01-01

A next-generation lunar laser ranging apparatus using the 3.5 m telescope at the Apache Point Observatory in southern New Mexico has begun science operation. APOLLO (the Apache Point Observatory Lunar Laser-ranging Operation) has achieved one-millimeter range precision to the moon which should lead to aproximately one-orderof-magnitude improvements in the precision of several tests of fundamental properties of gravity. We briefly motivate the scientific goals, and then give a detailed discussion of the APOLLO instrumentation.

Satellite Laser Ranging operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearlman, Michael R.

1994-01-01

Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) is currently providing precision orbit determination for measurements of: 1) Ocean surface topography from satellite borne radar altimetry, 2) Spatial and temporal variations of the gravity field, 3) Earth and ocean tides, 4) Plate tectonic and regional deformation, 5) Post-glacial uplift and subsidence, 6) Variations in the Earth's center-of-mass, and 7) Variations in Earth rotation. SLR also supports specialized programs in time transfer and classical geodetic positioning, and will soon provide precision ranging to support experiments in relativity.

Reconcile Planck-scale discreteness and the Lorentz-Fitzgerald contraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rovelli, Carlo; Speziale, Simone

2003-03-01

A Planck-scale minimal observable length appears in many approaches to quantum gravity. It is sometimes argued that this minimal length might conflict with Lorentz invariance, because a boosted observer can see the minimal length further Lorentz contracted. We show that this is not the case within loop quantum gravity. In loop quantum gravity the minimal length (more precisely, minimal area) does not appear as a fixed property of geometry, but rather as the minimal (nonzero) eigenvalue of a quantum observable. The boosted observer can see the same observable spectrum, with the same minimal area. What changes continuously in the boost transformation is not the value of the minimal length: it is the probability distribution of seeing one or the other of the discrete eigenvalues of the area. We discuss several difficulties associated with boosts and area measurement in quantum gravity. We compute the transformation of the area operator under a local boost, propose an explicit expression for the generator of local boosts, and give the conditions under which its action is unitary.

Dark Energy and Dark Matter from Emergent Gravity Picture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seok Yang, Hyun

2018-01-01

We suggest that dark energy and dark matter may be a cosmic uroboros of quantum gravity due to the coherent vacuum structure of spacetime. We apply the emergent gravity to a large N matrix model by considering the vacuum in the noncommutative (NC) Coulomb branch satisfying the Heisenberg algebra. We observe that UV fluctuations in the NC Coulomb branch are always paired with IR fluctuations and these UV/IR fluctuations can be extended to macroscopic scales. We show that space-like fluctuations give rise to the repulsive gravitational force while time-like fluctuations generate the attractive gravitational force. When considering the fact that the fluctuations are random in nature and we are living in the (3+1)-dimensional spacetime, the ratio of the repulsive and attractive components will end in ¾ : ¼= 75 : 25 and this ratio curiously coincides with the dark composition of our current Universe. If one includes ordinary matters which act as the attractive gravitational force, the emergent gravity may explain the dark sector of our Universe more precisely.

White dwarfs and revelations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saltas, Ippocratis D.; Sawicki, Ignacy; Lopes, Ilidio

2018-05-01

We use the most recent, complete and independent measurements of masses and radii of white dwarfs in binaries to bound the class of non-trivial modified gravity theories, viable after GW170817/GRB170817, using its effect on the mass-radius relation of the stars. We show that the uncertainty in the latest data is sufficiently small that residual evolutionary effects, most notably the effect of core composition, finite temperature and envelope structure, must now accounted for if correct conclusions about the nature of gravity are to be made. We model corrections resulting from finite temperature and envelopes to a base Hamada-Salpeter cold equation of state and derive consistent bounds on the possible modifications of gravity in the stars' interiors, finding that the parameter quantifying the strength of the modification Y< 0.14 at 95% confidence, an improvement of a factor of three with respect to previous bounds. Finally, our analysis reveals some fundamental degeneracies between the theory of gravity and the precise chemical makeup of white dwarfs.

The German joint research project "concepts for future gravity satellite missions"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reubelt, Tilo; Sneeuw, Nico; Fichter, Walter; Müller, Jürgen

2010-05-01

Within the German joint research project "concepts for future gravity satellite missions", funded by the Geotechnologies programme of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, options and concepts for future satellite missions for precise (time-variable) gravity field recovery are investigated. The project team is composed of members from science and industry, bringing together experts in geodesy, satellite systems, metrology, sensor technology and control systems. The majority of team members already contributed to former gravity missions. The composition of the team guarantees that not only geodetic aspects and objectives are investigated, but also technological and financial constraints are considered. Conversely, satellite, sensor and system concepts are developed and improved in a direct exchange with geodetic and scientific claims. The project aims to develop concepts for both near and mid-term future satellite missions, taking into account e.g. advanced satellite formations and constellations, improved orbit design, innovative metrology and sensor systems and advances in satellite systems.

Enhancement of subsurface geologic structure model based on gravity, magnetotelluric, and well log data in Kamojang geothermal field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yustin Kamah, Muhammad; Armando, Adilla; Larasati Rahmani, Dinda; Paramitha, Shabrina

2017-12-01

Geophysical methods such as gravity and magnetotelluric methods commonly used in conventional and unconventional energy exploration, notably for exploring geothermal prospect. They used to identify the subsurface geology structures which is estimated as a path of fluid flow. This study was conducted in Kamojang Geothermal Field with the aim of highlighting the volcanic lineament in West Java, precisely in Guntur-Papandayan chain where there are three geothermal systems. Kendang Fault has predominant direction NE-SW, identified by magnetotelluric techniques and gravity data processing techniques. Gravity techniques such as spectral analysis, derivative solutions, and Euler deconvolution indicate the type and geometry of anomaly. Magnetotelluric techniques such as inverse modeling and polar diagram are required to know subsurface resistivity charactersitics and major orientation. Furthermore, the result from those methods will be compared to geology information and some section of well data, which is sufficiently suitable. This research is very useful to trace out another potential development area.

Geodesic and hydrogeophysic long term observations in the Durzon karstic aquifer (Larzac, France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Moigne, Nicolas; Bayer, Roger; Boudin, Frederick; Champollion, Cedric; Chery, Jean; Collard, Philippe; Daignières, Marc; Deville, Sabrina; Doerflinger, Erik; Vernant, Philippe

2010-05-01

Karsts are generally characterized by high heterogeneity at all scales for both the water storage properties and the mode of water transport. The Durzon karst system is located in south of France and is characterized by a unsaturated zone of 100-150 m width. The water input is exclusively rainfall and draining occurs at the Durzon perennial spring in a karstic valley. The Durzon aquifer has been monitored by our group by different geophysical methods (gravimetry, tiltmetry, more details below) for several years. The present-day stage of the project is to setup long term observations to assess hydrological properties of the karst in a small area of 500m*500m with numerous caves (up to 100 m deep and more than 2 km of development). The observations are of four major types: - Continuous high frequency and high accuracy gravimetry: Gravimetric observations can be directly linked to the variations of water masses in the unsaturated zone. The iGrav™ Superconducting Gravity Meter from GWR (San Diego, USA) will be used to record continuous gravity variations and track water mass variations at a few millimeters level. The iGrav™ is a new SG model from GWR that has been simplified for portable and field operation, but retains the stability and precision of previous SGs. With a drift rate of less than 0.5 microGal/month and a virtually constant scale factory, the iGrav™ will provide a much higher stability and precision than can be achieved with mechanical spring-type gravity meters. - Water flux measurements (atmospheric and in-situ): A flux tower provides evapo-transpiration measurements (output) allowing complete budget calculation with the help of gravity (storage variations) and rainfall (input). An original measurement corresponds to the measure of the in-situ flow inside karstic caves (stalactites and underground river). - Tiltmetry: In situ (in caves) measurements are completed by long base silica tiltmeters. Tiltmeters are sensible to water storage in fractures and provide another type of transfer observation with long term measurements recording. - Repeated hydro-geophysical methods (Resonance Magnetic Protonic, electric resistivity, seismic reflection): Repeated ground and boreholes electric resistivity measurements can be interpreted as a function of water saturation in the unsaturated zone and is perfectly complementary with Resonance Magnetic Protonic (RMP) which measures vertical profiles of water content. All the observations are used to constrained simple physical models of water transfer in the unsaturated zone of the karst. New observations as gravimetry, RMP or in-situ flow measurements are crucial to distinguish between different physical models and establish the level of heterogeneity of the water transfer. The observatory will be fully operational for the winter 2010 and welcomes collaborations. All data will be made publically available through the OREME and ORE H+ web services.

What stellar orbit is needed to measure the spin of the Galactic centre black hole from astrometric data?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waisberg, Idel; Dexter, Jason; Gillessen, Stefan; Pfuhl, Oliver; Eisenhauer, Frank; Plewa, Phillip M.; Bauböck, Michi; Jimenez-Rosales, Alejandra; Habibi, Maryam; Ott, Thomas; von Fellenberg, Sebastiano; Gao, Feng; Widmann, Felix; Genzel, Reinhard

2018-05-01

Astrometric and spectroscopic monitoring of individual stars orbiting the supermassive black hole in the Galactic Center offer a promising way to detect general relativistic effects. While low-order effects are expected to be detected following the periastron passage of S2 in Spring 2018, detecting higher order effects due to black hole spin will require the discovery of closer stars. In this paper, we set out to determine the requirements such a star would have to satisfy to allow the detection of black hole spin. We focus on the instrument GRAVITY, which saw first light in 2016 and which is expected to achieve astrometric accuracies 10-100 μas. For an observing campaign with duration T years, total observations Nobs, astrometric precision σx, and normalized black hole spin χ, we find that a_orb(1-e^2)^{3/4} ≲ 300 R_S √{T/4 {yr}} (N_obs/120)^{0.25} √{10 μ as/σ _x} √{χ /0.9} is needed. For χ = 0.9 and a potential observing campaign with σ _x = 10 μas, 30 observations yr-1 and duration 4-10 yr, we expect ˜0.1 star with K < 19 satisfying this constraint based on the current knowledge about the stellar population in the central 1 arcsec. We also propose a method through which GRAVITY could potentially measure radial velocities with precision ˜50 km s-1. If the astrometric precision can be maintained, adding radial velocity information increases the expected number of stars by roughly a factor of 2. While we focus on GRAVITY, the results can also be scaled to parameters relevant for future extremely large telescopes.

Precise Orbit Solution for Swarm Using Space-Borne GPS Data and Optimized Pseudo-Stochastic Pulses.

PubMed

Zhang, Bingbing; Wang, Zhengtao; Zhou, Lv; Feng, Jiandi; Qiu, Yaodong; Li, Fupeng

2017-03-20

Swarm is a European Space Agency (ESA) project that was launched on 22 November 2013, which consists of three Swarm satellites. Swarm precise orbits are essential to the success of the above project. This study investigates how well Swarm zero-differenced (ZD) reduced-dynamic orbit solutions can be determined using space-borne GPS data and optimized pseudo-stochastic pulses under high ionospheric activity. We choose Swarm space-borne GPS data from 1-25 October 2014, and Swarm reduced-dynamic orbits are obtained. Orbit quality is assessed by GPS phase observation residuals and compared with Precise Science Orbits (PSOs) released by ESA. Results show that pseudo-stochastic pulses with a time interval of 6 min and a priori standard deviation (STD) of 10 -2 mm/s in radial (R), along-track (T) and cross-track (N) directions are optimized to Swarm ZD reduced-dynamic precise orbit determination (POD). During high ionospheric activity, the mean Root Mean Square (RMS) of Swarm GPS phase residuals is at 9-11 mm, Swarm orbit solutions are also compared with Swarm PSOs released by ESA and the accuracy of Swarm orbits can reach 2-4 cm in R, T and N directions. Independent Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) validation indicates that Swarm reduced-dynamic orbits have an accuracy of 2-4 cm. Swarm-B orbit quality is better than those of Swarm-A and Swarm-C. The Swarm orbits can be applied to the geomagnetic, geoelectric and gravity field recovery.

Marine Geoid Undulation Assessment Over South China Sea Using Global Geopotential Models and Airborne Gravity Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yazid, N. M.; Din, A. H. M.; Omar, K. M.; Som, Z. A. M.; Omar, A. H.; Yahaya, N. A. Z.; Tugi, A.

2016-09-01

Global geopotential models (GGMs) are vital in computing global geoid undulations heights. Based on the ellipsoidal height by Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observations, the accurate orthometric height can be calculated by adding precise and accurate geoid undulations model information. However, GGMs also provide data from the satellite gravity missions such as GRACE, GOCE and CHAMP. Thus, this will assist to enhance the global geoid undulations data. A statistical assessment has been made between geoid undulations derived from 4 GGMs and the airborne gravity data provided by Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia (DSMM). The goal of this study is the selection of the best possible GGM that best matches statistically with the geoid undulations of airborne gravity data under the Marine Geodetic Infrastructures in Malaysian Waters (MAGIC) Project over marine areas in Sabah. The correlation coefficients and the RMS value for the geoid undulations of GGM and airborne gravity data were computed. The correlation coefficients between EGM 2008 and airborne gravity data is 1 while RMS value is 0.1499.In this study, the RMS value of EGM 2008 is the lowest among the others. Regarding to the statistical analysis, it clearly represents that EGM 2008 is the best fit for marine geoid undulations throughout South China Sea.

How does pressure gravitate? Cosmological constant problem confronts observational cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narimani, Ali; Afshordi, Niayesh; Scott, Douglas

2014-08-01

An important and long-standing puzzle in the history of modern physics is the gross inconsistency between theoretical expectations and cosmological observations of the vacuum energy density, by at least 60 orders of magnitude, otherwise known as the cosmological constant problem. A characteristic feature of vacuum energy is that it has a pressure with the same amplitude, but opposite sign to its energy density, while all the precision tests of General Relativity are either in vacuum, or for media with negligible pressure. Therefore, one may wonder whether an anomalous coupling to pressure might be responsible for decoupling vacuum from gravity. We test this possibility in the context of the Gravitational Aether proposal, using current cosmological observations, which probe the gravity of relativistic pressure in the radiation era. Interestingly, we find that the best fit for anomalous pressure coupling is about half-way between General Relativity (GR), and Gravitational Aether (GA), if we include Planck together with WMAP and BICEP2 polarization cosmic microwave background (CMB) observations. Taken at face value, this data combination excludes both GR and GA at around the 3 σ level. However, including higher resolution CMB observations (``highL'') or baryonic acoustic oscillations (BAO) pushes the best fit closer to GR, excluding the Gravitational Aether solution to the cosmological constant problem at the 4- 5 σ level. This constraint effectively places a limit on the anomalous coupling to pressure in the parametrized post-Newtonian (PPN) expansion, ζ4 = 0.105 ± 0.049 (+highL CMB), or ζ4 = 0.066 ± 0.039 (+BAO). These represent the most precise measurement of this parameter to date, indicating a mild tension with GR (for ΛCDM including tensors, with 0ζ4=), and also among different data sets.

Precision gravimetric survey at the conditions of urban agglomerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sokolova, Tatiana; Lygin, Ivan; Fadeev, Alexander

2014-05-01

Large cities growth and aging lead to the irreversible negative changes of underground. The study of these changes at the urban area mainly based on the shallow methods of Geophysics, which extensive usage restricted by technogenic noise. Among others, precision gravimetry is allocated as method with good resistance to the urban noises. The main the objects of urban gravimetric survey are the soil decompaction, leaded to the rocks strength violation and the karst formation. Their gravity effects are too small, therefore investigation requires the modern high-precision equipment and special methods of measurements. The Gravimetry division of Lomonosov Moscow State University examin of modern precision gravimeters Scintrex CG-5 Autograv since 2006. The main performance characteristics of over 20 precision gravimeters were examined in various operational modes. Stationary mode. Long-term gravimetric measurements were carried at a base station. It shows that records obtained differ by high-frequency and mid-frequency (period 5 - 12 hours) components. The high-frequency component, determined as a standard deviation of measurement, characterizes the level of the system sensitivity to external noise and varies for different devices from 2 to 5-7 μGals. Midrange component, which closely meet to the rest of nonlinearity gravimeter drifts, is partially compensated by the equipment. This factor is very important in the case of gravimetric monitoring or observations, when midrange anomalies are the target ones. For the examined gravimeters, amplitudes' deviations, associated with this parameter may reach 10 μGals. Various transportation modes - were performed by walking (softest mode), lift (vertical overload), vehicle (horizontal overloads), boat (vertical plus horizontal overloads) and helicopter. The survey quality was compared by the variance of the measurement results and internal convergence of series. The measurement results variance (from ±2 to ±4 μGals) and its internal convergence are independent on transportation mode. Actually, measurements differ just by the processing time and appropriate number of readings. Important, that the internal convergence is the individual attribute of particular device. For the investigated gravimeters it varies from ±3 up to ±8 μGals. Various stability of the gravimeters location base. The most stable basis (minimum microseisms) in this experiment was a concrete pedestal, the least stable - point on the 28th floor. There is no direct dependence of the measurement results variance at the external noise level. Moreover, the external dispersion between different gravimeters is minimal in the point of the highest microseisms. Conclusions. The quality of the modern high-precision gravimeters Scintrex CG-5 Autograv measurements is determined by stability of the particular device, its standard deviation value and the nonlinearity drift degree. Despite the fact, that mentioned parameters of the tested gravimeters, generally corresponded to the factory characters, for the surveys required accuracy ±2-5 μGals, the best gravimeters should be selected. Practical gravimetric survey with such accuracy allowed reliable determination of the position of technical communication boxes and underground walkway in the urban area, indicated by gravity minimums with the amplitudes from 6-8 μGals and 1 - 15 meters width. The holes' parameters, obtained as the result of interpretationare well aligned with priori data.

Exploring medium gravity icy planetary bodies: an opportunity in the Inner System by landing at Ceres high latitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poncy, J.; Grasset, O.; Martinot, V.; Tobie, G.

2009-04-01

With potentially up to 25% of its mass as H2O and current indications of a differentiated morphology, 950km-wide "dwarf planet" Ceres is holding the promise to be our closest significant icy planetary body. Ceres is within easier reach than the icy moons, allowing for the use of solar arrays and not lying inside the deep gravity well of a giant planet. As such, it would represent an ideal step stone for future in-situ exploration of other airless icy bodies of major interest such as Europa or Enceladus. But when NASA's Dawn orbits Ceres and maps it in 2015, will we be ready to undertake the next logical step: landing? Ceres' gravity at its poles, at about one fifth of the Moon's gravity, is too large for rendezvous-like asteroid landing techniques to apply. Instead, we are there fully in the application domain of soft precision landing techniques such as the ones being developed for ESA's MoonNext mission. These latter require a spacecraft architecture akin to robotic lunar Landers or NASA's Phoenix, and differing from missions to comets and asteroids. If Dawn confirms the icy nature of Ceres under its regolith-covered surface, the potential presence of some ice spots on the surface would call for specific attention. Such spots would indeed be highly interesting landing sites. They are more likely to lie close to the poles of Ceres where cold temperatures should prevent exposed ice from sublimating and/or may limit the thickness of the regolith layer. Also the science and instruments suite should be fitted to study a large body that has probably been or may still be geologically active: its non-negligible gravity field combined with its high volatile mass fraction would then bring Ceres closer in morphology and history to an "Enceladus" or a frozen or near-frozen "Europa" than to a rubble-pile-structured asteroid or a comet nucleus. Thales Alenia Space and the "Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique" of the University of Nantes have carried out a preliminary assessment of a mission to Ceres high latitudes. We present here why we think an in-situ mission to the polar areas of Ceres should be of interest in the near future. We dwell on the environmental factors and challenges for a Lander, both as specificities of Ceres and as a consequence of the high latitude targeted. Factors such as day duration, fine regolith, terrain hazards, optical contrasts, thermal gradients, planetary contamination... are reviewed. We then assess how the soft precision landing technologies being developed for other missions would apply in such an environment. We present a preliminary mission analysis and a concept for the Lander, with preliminary evaluation of mass and power resources for a fixed payload or for a mini-rover. The resulting mission design combines technological maturity and a launch mass that is found compatible with the moderate cost of a Soyuz launcher. Finally we conclude that a Ceres Polar Lander mission should be feasible, covered by automatic missions to the Moon in terms of difficulty of landing and by Dawn for the cruise. Lander missions to medium gravity bodies such as Ceres, Enceladus, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, Iapetus, Triton… in the [0.01-0.15g] range should be accounted for in the development roadmaps of landing techniques and be considered in their return on investment. The synergies with the soft landing missions to come on Mars and Moon should then make a Ceres lander affordable for the agencies within the end of the next decade and pave the way for in-situ missions to more distant icy bodies.

Extreme gravity tests with gravitational waves from compact binary coalescences: (II) ringdown

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berti, Emanuele; Yagi, Kent; Yang, Huan; Yunes, Nicolás

2018-05-01

The LIGO/Virgo detections of binary black hole mergers marked a watershed moment in astronomy, ushering in the era of precision tests of Kerr dynamics. We review theoretical and experimental challenges that must be overcome to carry out black hole spectroscopy with present and future gravitational wave detectors. Among other topics, we discuss quasinormal mode excitation in binary mergers, astrophysical event rates, tests of black hole dynamics in modified theories of gravity, parameterized "post-Kerr" ringdown tests, exotic compact objects, and proposed data analysis methods to improve spectroscopic tests of Kerr dynamics by stacking multiple events.

Radiation of quantum black holes and modified uncertainty relation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamali, A. D.; Pedram, P.

In this paper, using a deformed algebra [X,P] = iℏ/(1 ‑ λ2P2) which is originated from various theories of gravity, we study thermodynamical properties of quantum black holes (BHs) in canonical ensembles. We exactly calculate the modified internal energy, entropy and heat capacity. Moreover, we investigate a tunneling mechanism of massless particle in phase space. In this regard, the tunneling radiation of BH receives new corrections and the exact radiant spectrum is no longer precisely thermal. In addition, we show that our results are compatible with other quantum gravity (QG) approaches.

Rotating black hole solutions in relativistic analogue gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giacomelli, Luca; Liberati, Stefano

2017-09-01

Simulation and experimental realization of acoustic black holes in analogue gravity systems have lead to a novel understanding of relevant phenomena such as Hawking radiation or superradiance. We explore here the possibility of using relativistic systems for simulating rotating black hole solutions and possibly get an acoustic analogue of a Kerr black hole. In doing so, we demonstrate a precise relation between nonrelativistic and relativistic solutions and provide a new class of vortex solutions for relativistic systems. Such solutions might be used in the future as a test bed in numerical simulations as well as concrete experiments.

Impact of GNSS orbit modeling on LEO orbit and gravity field determination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnold, Daniel; Meyer, Ulrich; Sušnik, Andreja; Dach, Rolf; Jäggi, Adrian

2017-04-01

On January 4, 2015 the Center for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE) changed the solar radiation pressure modeling for GNSS satellites to an updated version of the empirical CODE orbit model (ECOM). Furthermore, since September 2012 CODE operationally computes satellite clock corrections not only for the 3-day long-arc solutions, but also for the non-overlapping 1-day GNSS orbits. This provides different sets of GNSS products for Precise Point Positioning, as employed, e.g., in the GNSS-based precise orbit determination of low Earth orbiters (LEOs) and the subsequent Earth gravity field recovery from kinematic LEO orbits. While the impact of the mentioned changes in orbit modeling and solution strategy on the GNSS orbits and geophysical parameters was studied in detail, their implications on the LEO orbits were not yet analyzed. We discuss the impact of the update of the ECOM and the influence of 1-day and 3-day GNSS orbit solutions on zero-difference LEO orbit and gravity field determination, where the GNSS orbits and clock corrections, as well as the Earth rotation parameters are introduced as fixed external products. Several years of kinematic and reduced-dynamic orbits for the two GRACE LEOs are computed with GNSS products based on both the old and the updated ECOM, as well as with 1- and 3-day GNSS products. The GRACE orbits are compared by means of standard validation measures. Furthermore, monthly and long-term GPS-only and combined GPS/K-band gravity field solutions are derived from the different sets of kinematic LEO orbits. GPS-only fields are validated by comparison to combined GPS/K-band solutions, while the combined solutions are validated by analysis of the formal errors, as well as by comparing them to the combined GRACE solutions of the European Gravity Service for Improved Emergency Management (EGSIEM) project.

Measuring antimatter gravity with muonium

DOE PAGES

Kaplan, Daniel M.; Kirch, Klaus; Mancini, Derrick; ...

2015-05-29

The gravitational acceleration of antimatter, ¯g, has never been directly measured and could bear importantly on our understanding of gravity, the possible existence of a fifth force, and the nature and early history of the universe. Only two avenues for such a measurement appear to be feasible: antihydrogen and muonium. The muonium measurement requires a novel, monoenergetic, low-velocity, horizontal muonium beam directed at an atom interferometer. The precision three-grating interferometer can be produced in silicon nitride or ultrananocrystalline diamond using state-of-the-art nanofabrication. The required precision alignment and calibration at the picometer level also appear to be feasible. With 100 nmmore » grating pitch, a 10% measurement of ¯g can be made using some months of surface-muon beam time, and a 1% or better measurement with a correspondingly larger exposure. This could constitute the first gravitational measurement of leptonic matter, of 2nd-generation matter and, possibly, the first measurement of the gravitational acceleration of antimatter.« less

Binary Systems as Test-Beds of Gravity Theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damour, Thibault

The discovery of binary pulsars in 1974 [1] opened up a new testing ground for relativistic gravity. Before this discovery, the only available testing ground for relativistic gravity was the solar system. As Einstein's theory of General Relativity (GR) is one of the basic pillars of modern science, it deserves to be tested, with the highest possible accuracy, in all its aspects. In the solar sys tem, the gravitational field is slowly varying and represents only a very small deformation of a flat spacetime. As a consequence, solar system tests can only probe the quasi-stationary (non-radiative) weak-field limit of relativis tic gravity. By contrast binary systems containing compact objects (neutron stars or black holes) involve spacetime domains (inside and near the compact objects) where the gravitational field is strong. Indeed, the surface relativistic gravitational field h 00 ≈ 2 GM/c 2 R of a neutron star is of order 0.4, which is close to the one of a black hole (2GM/c 2 R = 1) and much larger than the surface gravitational fields of solar system bodies: (2GM/c 2 R)Sun ˜ 10-6, (2GM/c 2 R)Earth ˜ 10-9. In addition, the high stability of “pulsar clocks” has made it possible to monitor the dynamics of its orbital motion down to a precision allowing one to measure the small (˜ (v/c)5) orbital effects linked to the propagation of the gravitational field at the velocity of light between the pulsar and its companion.

New Matching Method for Accelerometers in Gravity Gradiometer

PubMed Central

Wei, Hongwei; Wu, Meiping; Cao, Juliang

2017-01-01

The gravity gradiometer is widely used in mineral prospecting, including in the exploration of mineral, oil and gas deposits. The mismatch of accelerometers adversely affects the measuring precision of rotating accelerometer-based gravity gradiometers. Several strategies have been investigated to address the imbalance of accelerometers in gradiometers. These strategies, however, complicate gradiometer structures because feedback loops and re-designed accelerometers are needed in these strategies. In this paper, we present a novel matching method, which is based on a new configuration of accelerometers in a gravity gradiometer. In the new configuration, an angle was introduced between the measurement direction of the accelerometer and the spin direction. With the introduced angle, accelerometers could measure the centrifugal acceleration generated by the rotating disc. Matching was realized by updating the scale factors of the accelerometers with the help of centrifugal acceleration. Further simulation computations showed that after adopting the new matching method, signal-to-noise ratio improved from −41 dB to 22 dB. Compared with other matching methods, our method is more flexible and costs less. The matching accuracy of this new method is similar to that of other methods. Our method provides a new idea for matching methods in gravity gradiometer measurement. PMID:28757584

Long-Term Global Morphology of Gravity Wave Activity Using UARS Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eckermann, Stephen D.; Jackman, Charles H. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

This report provides a broad outline of the total body of research conducted during the past three years. We report on detailed model studies of the precise way in which infrared limb scanning satellites explicitly detect gravity waves, and use these insights to resolve earlier discrepant zonal mean estimates of gravity wave variances from satellite limb scanners. Detailed analysis of CRISTA temperature fluctuations are outlined, which provide new global information on long-wavelength stratospheric gravity waves generated by mountains, tropical convection and the mid-latitude jet stream- vortex system, as well as interactions higher in the mesosphere with the diurnal tide. The detailed insights gained from analyzing CRISTA data are applied to provide a multi- year analysis of stratospheric mountain waves over the Andes evident in MLS limb-track data. We also demonstrate for the first time that stratospheric temperature data from the CLAES instrument on UARS resolved gravity waves, and we highlight mountain wave information in a subset of these data. Final conclusions and recommendations are set forth, and the present findings are directly related to the original goals of the research contract. A full list of publications that resulted from this research is provided.

Long-Term Global Morphology of Gravity Wave Activity Using UARS Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eckermann, Stephen D.

2000-01-01

This report provides a broad outline of the total body of research conducted during the past three years. We report on detailed model studies of the precise way in which infrared limb scanning satellites explicitly detect gravity waves, and use these insights to resolve earlier discrepant zonal mean estimates of gravity wave variances from satellite limb scanners. Detailed analysis of CRISTA temperature fluctuations are outlined, which provide new global information on long-wavelength stratospheric gravity waves generated by mountains, tropical convection and the mid-latitude jet stream-vortex system, as well as interactions higher in the mesosphere with the diurnal tide. The detailed insights gained from analyzing CRISTA data are applied to provide a multiyear analysis of stratospheric mountain waves over the Andes evident in MLS limb-track data. We also demonstrate for the first time that stratospheric temperature data from the CLAES instrument on UARS resolved gravity waves, and we highlight mountain wave information in a subset of these data. Final conclusions and recommendations are set forth, and the present findings are directly related to the original goals of the research contract. A full list of publications that resulted from this research is provided.

Testing Chern-Simons modified gravity with observations of extreme-mass-ratio binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canizares, P.; Gair, J. R.; Sopuerta, C. F.

2012-06-01

Extreme-Mass-Ratio Inspirals (EMRIs) are one of the most promising sources of gravitational waves (GWs) for space-based detectors like the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). EMRIs consist of a compact stellar object orbiting around a massive black hole (MBH). Since EMRI signals are expected to be long lasting (containing of the order of hundred thousand cycles), they will encode the structure of the MBH gravitational potential in a precise way such that features depending on the theory of gravity governing the system may be distinguished. That is, EMRI signals may be used to test gravity and the geometry of black holes. However, the development of a practical methodology for computing the generation and propagation of GWs from EMRIs in theories of gravity different than General Relativity (GR) has only recently begun. In this paper, we present a parameter estimation study of EMRIs in a particular modification of GR, which is described by a four-dimensional Chern-Simons (CS) gravitational term. We focus on determining to what extent a space-based GW observatory like LISA could distinguish between GR and CS gravity through the detection of GWs from EMRIs.

Gravity and the geoid in the Nepal Himalaya

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bilham, Roger

1992-01-01

Materials within the Himalaya are rising due to convergence between India and Asia. If the rate of erosion is comparable to the rate of uplift, the mean surface elevation will remain constant. Any slight imbalance in these two processes will lead to growth or attrition of the Himalaya. Although buried rocks, minerals and surface control points in the Himalaya are undoubtably rising, the growth or collapse or the Himalaya depends on the erosion rate which is invisible to geodetic measurements. A way to measure erosion rate is to measure the rate of change of gravity in a region of uplift. Essentially gravity should change precisely in accord with a change in elevation of the point in a free air gradient if erosion equals uplift rate. A measurement of absolute gravity was made simultaneously with measurements of GPS height within the Himalaya. Absolute gravity is estimated from the change in velocity per unit distance of a falling corner cube in a vacuum. Time is measured with an atomic clock and the unit distance corresponds to the wavelength of an iodine stabilized laser. An experiment undertaken in the Himalaya in 1991 provide a site description also with a instrument description.

Stability of warped AdS3 vacua of topologically massive gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anninos, Dionysios; Esole, Mboyo; Guica, Monica

2009-10-01

AdS3 vacua of topologically massive gravity (TMG) have been shown to be perturbatively unstable for all values of the coupling constant except the chiral point μl = 1. We study the possibility that the warped vacua of TMG, which exist for all values of μ, are stable under linearized perturbations. In this paper, we show that spacelike warped AdS3 vacua with Compère-Detournay boundary conditions are indeed stable in the range μl>3. This is precisely the range in which black hole solutions arise as discrete identifications of the warped AdS3 vacuum. The situation somewhat resembles chiral gravity: although negative energy modes do exist, they are all excluded by the boundary conditions, and the perturbative spectrum solely consists of boundary (pure large gauge) gravitons.

Numerical Evidence for a Phase Transition in 4D Spin-Foam Quantum Gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahr, Benjamin; Steinhaus, Sebastian

2016-09-01

Building on recent advances in defining Wilsonian renormalization group (RG) flows, and the notion of scales in particular, for background-independent theories, we present a first investigation of the renormalization of the 4D spin-foam path integral for quantum gravity, both analytically and numerically. Focusing on a specific truncation of the model using a hypercubic lattice, we compute the RG flow and find strong indications for a phase transition, as well as an interesting interplay between the different observed phases and the (broken) diffeomorphism symmetry of the model. Most notably, it appears that the critical point between the phases, which is a fixed point of the RG flow, is precisely where broken diffeomorphism symmetry is restored, which suggests that it might allow us to define a continuum limit of the quantum gravity theory.

Numerical Evidence for a Phase Transition in 4D Spin-Foam Quantum Gravity.

PubMed

Bahr, Benjamin; Steinhaus, Sebastian

2016-09-30

Building on recent advances in defining Wilsonian renormalization group (RG) flows, and the notion of scales in particular, for background-independent theories, we present a first investigation of the renormalization of the 4D spin-foam path integral for quantum gravity, both analytically and numerically. Focusing on a specific truncation of the model using a hypercubic lattice, we compute the RG flow and find strong indications for a phase transition, as well as an interesting interplay between the different observed phases and the (broken) diffeomorphism symmetry of the model. Most notably, it appears that the critical point between the phases, which is a fixed point of the RG flow, is precisely where broken diffeomorphism symmetry is restored, which suggests that it might allow us to define a continuum limit of the quantum gravity theory.

The scheme of LLSST based on inter-satellite link for planet gravity field measurement in deep-space mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yikang; Li, Xue; Liu, Lei

2009-12-01

Gravity field measurement for the interested planets and their moos in solar system, such as Luna and Mars, is one important task in the next step of deep-space mission. In this paper, Similar to GRACE mission, LLSST and DOWR technology of common-orbit master-slave satellites around task planet is inherited in this scheme. Furthermore, by intersatellite 2-way UQPSK-DSSS link, time synchronization and data processing are implemented autonomously by masterslave satellites instead of GPS and ground facilities supporting system. Conclusion is derived that the ISL DOWR based on 2-way incoherent time synchronization has the same precise level to GRACE DOWR based on GPS time synchronization. Moreover, because of inter-satellite link, the proposed scheme is rather autonomous for gravity field measurement of the task planet in deep-space mission.

Sensitive Superconducting Gravity Gradiometer Constructed with Levitated Test Masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griggs, C. E.; Moody, M. V.; Norton, R. S.; Paik, H. J.; Venkateswara, K.

2017-12-01

We demonstrate basic operations of a two-component superconducting gravity gradiometer (SGG) that is constructed with a pair of magnetically levitated test masses coupled to superconducting quantum-interference devices. A design that gives a potential sensitivity of 1.4 ×10-4 E Hz-1 /2 (1 E ≡10-9 s-2 ) in the frequency band of 1 to 50 mHz and better than 2 ×10-5 E Hz-1 /2 between 0.1 and 1 mHz for a compact tensor SGG that fits within a 22-cm-diameter sphere. The SGG has the capability of rejecting the platform acceleration and jitter in all 6 degrees of freedom to one part in 109 . Such an instrument has applications in precision tests of fundamental laws of physics, earthquake early warning, and gravity mapping of Earth and the planets.

KSC-03PD-3277

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, a worker checks the installation of a solar array panel onto the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earths rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

KSC-03PD-3280

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, the Gravity Probe B spacecraft is seen with two solar array panels installed. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earths rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

KSC-03PD-3270

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. Workers in the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base attach a solar array panel on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earths rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

KSC-03PD-3281

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, the Gravity Probe B spacecraft is seen with all four solar array panels installed. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earths rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

KSC-03PD-3267

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. Workers in the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base work on a solar array panel to be installed on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earths rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

KSC-03PD-3271

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. Workers in the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base attach a solar array panel on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earths rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

KSC-03PD-3266

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. Workers in the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base prepare for the installation of solar array panel 3 on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earths rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

Quantum Gravity in Everyday Life: General Relativity as an Effective Field Theory.

PubMed

Burgess, Cliff P

2004-01-01

This article is meant as a summary and introduction to the ideas of effective field theory as applied to gravitational systems, ideas which provide the theoretical foundations for the modern use of general relativity as a theory from which precise predictions are possible.

Worldwide complete spherical Bouguer and isostatic anomaly maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonvalot, S.; Balmino, G.; Briais, A.; Peyrefitte, A.; Vales, N.; Biancale, R.; Gabalda, G.; Reinquin, F.

2011-12-01

We present here a set of digital maps of the Earth's gravity anomalies (surface "free air", Bouguer and isostatic), computed at Bureau Gravimetric International (BGI) as a contribution to the Global Geodetic Observing Systems (GGOS) and to the global geophysical maps published by the Commission for the Geological Map of the World (CGMW). The free air and Bouguer anomaly concept is extensively used in geophysical interpretation to investigate the density distributions in the Earth's interior. Complete Bouguer anomalies (including terrain effects) are usually computed at regional scales by integrating the gravity attraction of topography elements over and beyond a given area (under planar or spherical approximations). Here, we developed and applied a worldwide spherical approach aimed to provide a set of homogeneous and high resolution gravity anomaly maps and grids computed at the Earth's surface, taking into account a realistic Earth model and reconciling geophysical and geodetic definitions of gravity anomalies. This first version (1.0) has been computed by spherical harmonics analysis / synthesis of the Earth's topography-bathymetry up to degree 10800. The detailed theory of the spherical harmonics approach is given in Balmino et al., (Journal of Geodesy, submitted). The Bouguer and terrain corrections have thus been computed in spherical geometry at 1'x1' resolution using the ETOPO1 topography/bathymetry, ice surface and bedrock models from the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and taking into account precise characteristics (boundaries and densities) of major lakes, inner seas, polar caps and of land areas below sea level. Isostatic corrections have been computed according to the Airy Heiskanen model in spherical geometry for a constant depth of compensation of 30km. The gravity information given here is provided by the Earth Geopotential Model (EGM2008), developed at degree 2160 by the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) (Pavlis et al., 2008), which represents the best up-to-date global gravity model (including surface gravity measurements from land, marine and airborne surveys as well as gravity and altimetry satellite measurements). The surface gravity anomaly (free air) is computed at the Earth's surface in the context of Molodensky theory and includes corrections from the mass of the atmosphere. The way gravity anomalies are computed on a worldwide basis slightly differs from the classical usage, but meets modern concerns which tend to take the real Earth into account. The resulting anomaly maps and grids will be distributed for scientific and education purposes by the Commission for the Geological Map of the World (CGMW) with support of UNESCO and other institutions. Upgraded versions might be done as soon as new global gravity model is available (including satellite GOCE and new surface measurements: ground, airborne). Visit / contact BGI (http://bgi.omp.obs-mip.fr) and CCMW (http://ccgm.free.fr) for more information.

Real-time, autonomous precise satellite orbit determination using the global positioning system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldstein, David Ben

2000-10-01

The desire for autonomously generated, rapidly available, and highly accurate satellite ephemeris is growing with the proliferation of constellations of satellites and the cost and overhead of ground tracking resources. Autonomous Orbit Determination (OD) may be done on the ground in a post-processing mode or in real-time on board a satellite and may be accomplished days, hours or immediately after observations are processed. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is now widely used as an alternative to ground tracking resources to supply observation data for satellite positioning and navigation. GPS is accurate, inexpensive, provides continuous coverage, and is an excellent choice for autonomous systems. In an effort to estimate precise satellite ephemeris in real-time on board a satellite, the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) created the GPS Enhanced OD Experiment (GEODE) flight navigation software. This dissertation offers alternative methods and improvements to GEODE to increase on board autonomy and real-time total position accuracy and precision without increasing computational burden. First, GEODE is modified to include a Gravity Acceleration Approximation Function (GAAF) to replace the traditional spherical harmonic representation of the gravity field. Next, an ionospheric correction method called Differenced Range Versus Integrated Doppler (DRVID) is applied to correct for ionospheric errors in the GPS measurements used in GEODE. Then, Dynamic Model Compensation (DMC) is added to estimate unmodeled and/or mismodeled forces in the dynamic model and to provide an alternative process noise variance-covariance formulation. Finally, a Genetic Algorithm (GA) is implemented in the form of Genetic Model Compensation (GMC) to optimize DMC forcing noise parameters. Application of GAAF, DRVID and DMC improved GEODE's position estimates by 28.3% when applied to GPS/MET data collected in the presence of Selective Availability (SA), 17.5% when SA is removed from the GPS/MET data and 10.8% on SA free TOPEX data. Position estimates with RSS errors below I meter are now achieved using SA free TOPEX data. DRVID causes an increase in computational burden while GAAF and DMC reduce computational burden. The net effect of applying GAAF, DRVID and DMC is an improvement in GEODE's accuracy/precision without an increase in computational burden.

Global Marine Gravity and Bathymetry at 1-Minute Resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandwell, D. T.; Smith, W. H.

2008-12-01

We have developed global gravity and bathymetry grids at 1-minute resolution. Three approaches are used to reduce the error in the satellite-derived marine gravity anomalies. First, we have retracked the raw waveforms from the ERS-1 and Geosat/GM missions resulting in improvements in range precision of 40% and 27%, respectively. Second, we have used the recently published EGM2008 global gravity model as a reference field to provide a seamless gravity transition from land to ocean. Third we have used a biharmonic spline interpolation method to construct residual vertical deflection grids. Comparisons between shipboard gravity and the global gravity grid show errors ranging from 2.0 mGal in the Gulf of Mexico to 4.0 mGal in areas with rugged seafloor topography. The largest errors occur on the crests of narrow large seamounts. The bathymetry grid is based on prediction from satellite gravity and available ship soundings. Global soundings were assembled from a wide variety of sources including NGDC/GEODAS, NOAA Coastal Relief, CCOM, IFREMER, JAMSTEC, NSF Polar Programs, UKHO, LDEO, HIG, SIO and numerous miscellaneous contributions. The National Geospatial-intelligence Agency and other volunteering hydrographic offices within the International Hydrographic Organization provided global significant shallow water (< 300 m) soundings derived from their nautical charts. All soundings were converted to a common format and were hand-edited in relation to a smooth bathymetric model. Land elevations and shoreline location are based on a combination SRTM30, GTOPO30, and ICESAT data. A new feature of the bathymetry grid is a matching grid of source identification number that enables one to establish the origin of the depth estimate in each grid cell. Both the gravity and bathymetry grids are freely available.

Relation of the lunar volcano complexes lying on the identical linear gravity anomaly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, K.; Haruyama, J.; Ohtake, M.; Iwata, T.; Ishihara, Y.

2015-12-01

There are several large-scale volcanic complexes, e.g., Marius Hills, Aristarchus Plateau, Rumker Hills, and Flamsteed area in western Oceanus Procellarum of the lunar nearside. For better understanding of the lunar thermal history, it is important to study these areas intensively. The magmatisms and volcanic eruption mechanisms of these volcanic complexes have been discussed from geophysical and geochemical perspectives using data sets acquired by lunar explorers. In these data sets, precise gravity field data obtained by Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) gives information on mass anomalies below the lunar surface, and useful to estimate location and mass of the embedded magmas. Using GRAIL data, Andrews-Hanna et al. (2014) prepared gravity gradient map of the Moon. They discussed the origin of the quasi-rectangular pattern of narrow linear gravity gradient anomalies located along the border of Oceanus Procellarum and suggested that the underlying dikes played important roles in magma plumbing system. In the gravity gradient map, we found that there are also several small linear gravity gradient anomaly patterns in the inside of the large quasi-rectangular pattern, and that one of the linear anomalies runs through multiple gravity anomalies in the vicinity of Aristarchus, Marius and Flamstead volcano complexes. Our concern is whether the volcanisms of these complexes are caused by common factors or not. To clarify this, we firstly estimated the mass and depth of the embedded magmas as well as the directions of the linear gravity anomalies. The results were interpreted by comparing with the chronological and KREEP distribution maps on the lunar surface. We suggested providing mechanisms of the magma to these regions and finally discussed whether the volcanisms of these multiple volcano complex regions are related with each other or not.

Surface Gravities for 228 M, L, and T Dwarfs in the NIRSPEC Brown Dwarf Spectroscopic Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Emily C.; Mace, Gregory N.; McLean, Ian S.; Logsdon, Sarah E.; Rice, Emily L.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Burgasser, Adam J.; McGovern, Mark R.; Prato, Lisa

2017-03-01

We combine 131 new medium-resolution (R ˜ 2000) J-band spectra of M, L, and T dwarfs from the Keck NIRSPEC Brown Dwarf Spectroscopic Survey (BDSS) with 97 previously published BDSS spectra to study surface-gravity-sensitive indices for 228 low-mass stars and brown dwarfs spanning spectral types M5-T9. Specifically, we use an established set of spectral indices to determine surface gravity classifications for all of the M6-L7 objects in our sample by measuring the equivalent widths (EW) of the K I lines at 1.1692, 1.1778, and 1.2529 μm, and the 1.2 μm FeH J absorption index. Our results are consistent with previous surface gravity measurements, showing a distinct double peak—at ˜L5 and T5—in K I EW as a function of spectral type. We analyze the K I EWs of 73 objects of known ages and find a linear trend between log(Age) and EW. From this relationship, we assign age ranges to the very low gravity, intermediate gravity, and field gravity designations for spectral types M6-L0. Interestingly, the ages probed by these designations remain broad, change with spectral type, and depend on the gravity-sensitive index used. Gravity designations are useful indicators of the possibility of youth, but current data sets cannot be used to provide a precise age estimate. The data presented herein were obtained at the W.M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W.M. Keck Foundation.

Atom-chip based quantum gravimetry for the precise determination of absolute local gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abend, S.

2015-12-01

We present a novel technique for the precise measurement of absolute local gravity based on cold atom interferometry. Atom interferometry utilizes the interference of matter waves interrogated by laser light to read out inertial forces. Today's generation of these devices typically operate with test mass samples, that consists of ensembles of laser cooled atoms. Their performance is limited by the velocity spread and finite-size of the test masses that impose systematic uncertainties at the level of a few μGal. Rather than laser cooled atoms we employ quantum degenerate ensembles, so called Bose-Einstein condensates, as ultra-sensitive probes for gravity. These sources offer unique properties in temperature as well as in ensemble size that will allow to overcome the current limitations with the next generation of sensors. Furthermore, atom-chip technologies offer the possibility to generate Bose-Einstein condensates in a fast and reliable way. We show a lab-based prototype that uses the atom-chip itself to retro-reflect the interrogation laser and thus serving as inertial reference inside the vacuum. With this setup it is possible to demonstrate all necessary steps to measure gravity, including the preparation of the source, spanning an interferometer as well as the detection of the output signal, within an area of 1 cm3 right below the atom-chip and to analyze relevant systematic effects. In the framework of the center of excellence geoQ a next generation device is under construction at the Institut für Quantenoptik, that will allow for in-field measurements. This device will feature a state-of-the-art atom-chip source with a high-flux of ultra-cold atoms at a repetition rate of 1-2 Hz. In cooperation with the Müller group at the Institut für Erdmessung the sensor will be characterized in the laboratory first, to be ultimately employed in campaigns to measure the Fennoscandian uplift at the level of 1 μGal. The presented work is part of the center of excellence geoQ (SFB 1128), funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). This work is supported by the German Space Agency (DLR) with funds provided by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) due to an enactment of the German Bundestag under grant numbers DLR 50 1131-1137 (QUANTUS-III).

Structure and Dynamics of the Polar Regions of Mars from MGS Topography and Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zuber, Maria T.; Smith, David E.; Neumann, Gregory A.; Lemoine, Frank G.

2000-01-01

The Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft has been engaged in systematic mapping of Mars since insertion into Mars orbit in September, 1997. The objectives of the MGS mission are to globally map Mars as well as to quantify seasonal changes on the planet. MGS geophysical/geodetic observations of topography from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) and gravity from the Radio Science investigation are providing significant new insights on both static and time-varying aspects of the polar regions of Mars. These observations have implications for polar processes on diurnal seasonal and climatic timescales. Thus far, MOLA has collected over 300 million precise measurements of Martian topography and cloud heights. The instrument has also provided measurements of the width of the backscattered optical pulse and of the 1064 nm reflectivity of the Martian surface and atmosphere. The along-track resolution of MOLA ground shots is approx. 300 m and the across-track spacing in the polar regions is a maximum of about four kilometers. The vertical accuracy of the topography is determined by the precision recovery of spacecraft orbits from the Radio Science investigation, which includes MOLA altimetry in the form of crossovers. This accuracy is currently approx. one meter. The gravity field is derived from X-band Doppler tracking with typical accuracy of 0.03 to 0.05 mm/s averaged over ten seconds. Current Mars gravity fields are to approximately degree and order 80 but are interpretable to the approximate degree and order 60 (spatial resolution < 180 km), which represents an estimate of the approximate coefficient limit of a field that can be produced without a power law constraint on the gravitational field inversion, which is commonly imposed for solution stability. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Imaging Small-scale Seafloor and Sub-seafloor Tectonic Fabric Using Satellite Altimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandwell, D. T.; Müller, D.; Matthews, K. J.; Smith, W. H. F.

2017-12-01

Marine gravity anomalies derived from satellite radar altimetry now provide an unprecedented resolution of about 7 km for mapping small-scale seafloor and sub-seafloor tectonic fabric. These gravity maps are improving rapidly because three satellite altimeters are currently collecting data with dense track coverage: (1) CryoSat-2 has routinely collected altimetry data over ice, land, and ocean since July 2010. The satellite has a long 369-day repeat cycle resulting in an average ground track spacing of 3.5 km at the equator. To date it has completed more than 7 geodetic mappings of the ocean surface. (2) The SARAL AltiKa altimeter began a non-repeat orbit phase in July 2016. AltiKa has a new Ka-band instrument with a factor of 2 better range precision than all previous altimeters. (3) Jason-2 was placed in a geodetic orbit starting July 2017. It has lower inclination coverage to provide improved gravity recovery for N-S trending anomalies. These data combined with sparse soundings will provide a dramatic improvement in predicted bathymetry and thus help guide future deep ocean surveys. The most recent global marine gravity anomaly map based on these geodetic mission data with 2-pass retracking for optimal range precision has an accuracy that is 2-4 times better than the maps derived from Geosat and ERS-1. The new data reveal the detailed fabric of fracture zones, previously unmapped, now extinct oceanic microplates in the central Pacific, and fault networks buried beneath thick sediments along continental margins. By combining satellite altimetry with marine magnetic anomalies and seafloor age dates from rock samples we are able to pinpoint the geometry and age of major plate reorganizations, particularly the enigmatic 100 Ma event, which occurred during the Cretaceous Magnetic Superchron.

GPS-based precision orbit determination - A Topex flight experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Melbourne, William G.; Davis, Edgar S.

1988-01-01

Plans for a Topex/Poseiden flight experiment to test the accuracy of using GPS data for precision orbit determination of earth satellites are presented. It is expected that the GPS-based precision orbit determination will provide subdecimeter accuracies in the radial component of the Topex orbit when the extant gravity model is tuned for wavelengths longer than about 1000 kms. The concept, design, flight receiver, antenna system, ground processing, and data processing of GPS are examined. Also, an accurate quasi-geometric orbit determination approach called nondynamic or reduced dynamic tracking which relies on the use of the pseudorange and the carrier phase measurements to reduce orbit errors arising from mismodeled dynamics is discussed.

Hydrologic Interpretations of Long-Term Gravity Records at Tucson, Arizona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pool, D. R.; Kennedy, J.; MacQueen, P.; Niebauer, T. M.

2016-12-01

The USGS Arizona Water Science Center monitors groundwater storage using gravity methods at sites across the western United States. A site at the USGS office in Tucson serves as a test station that has been monitored since 1997 using several types of gravity meters. Prior to 2007, the site was observed twice each year by the National Geodetic Survey using an FG5 absolute gravity meter for the purpose of establishing control for local relative gravity surveys of aquifer storage change. Beginning in 2003 the site has also served as a reference to verify the accuracy of an A10 absolute gravity meter that is used for field surveys. The site is in an alluvial basin where gravity can vary with aquifer storage change caused by variable groundwater withdrawals, elevation change caused by aquifer compaction or expansion, and occasional recharge. In addition, continuous gravity records were collected for periods of several months using a super-conducting meter during 2010-2011 and using a spring-based gPhone meter during 2015-2016. The purpose of the continuous records was to provide more precise information about monthly and shorter period variations that could be related to variations in nearby groundwater withdrawals. The record of absolute gravity observations displays variations of as much as 35 microGal that correspond with local hydrologic variations documented from precipitation, streamflow, elevation, depths to water, and well pumping records. Depth to water in nearby wells display variations related to occasional local heavy precipitation events, runoff, recharge, and groundwater withdrawals. Increases in gravity that occur over periods of several months or longer correspond with occasional heavy precipitation and recharge. Periods of gravity decline occur during extended periods between recharge events and periods of increased local groundwater withdrawals. Analysis of the continuous records from both instruments indicate that groundwater drains slowly from storage in response to pumping variations, requiring several days or longer for the aquifer to drain, which is consistent with other hydrologic records.

Well-balanced Arbitrary-Lagrangian-Eulerian finite volume schemes on moving nonconforming meshes for the Euler equations of gas dynamics with gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaburro, Elena; Castro, Manuel J.; Dumbser, Michael

2018-06-01

In this work, we present a novel second-order accurate well-balanced arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) finite volume scheme on moving nonconforming meshes for the Euler equations of compressible gas dynamics with gravity in cylindrical coordinates. The main feature of the proposed algorithm is the capability of preserving many of the physical properties of the system exactly also on the discrete level: besides being conservative for mass, momentum and total energy, also any known steady equilibrium between pressure gradient, centrifugal force, and gravity force can be exactly maintained up to machine precision. Perturbations around such equilibrium solutions are resolved with high accuracy and with minimal dissipation on moving contact discontinuities even for very long computational times. This is achieved by the novel combination of well-balanced path-conservative finite volume schemes, which are expressly designed to deal with source terms written via non-conservative products, with ALE schemes on moving grids, which exhibit only very little numerical dissipation on moving contact waves. In particular, we have formulated a new HLL-type and a novel Osher-type flux that are both able to guarantee the well balancing in a gas cloud rotating around a central object. Moreover, to maintain a high level of quality of the moving mesh, we have adopted a nonconforming treatment of the sliding interfaces that appear due to the differential rotation. A large set of numerical tests has been carried out in order to check the accuracy of the method close and far away from the equilibrium, both, in one- and two-space dimensions.

Thickenings and conformal gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebrun, Claude

1991-07-01

A twistor correspondence is given for complex conformal space-times with vanishing Bach and Eastwood-Dighton tensors; when the Weyl curvature is algebraically general, these equations are precisely the conformal version of Einstein's vacuum equations with cosmological constant. This gives a fully curved version of the linearized correspondence of Baston and Mason [B-M].

GEOS observation systems intercomparison investigation results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berbert, J. H.

1974-01-01

The results of an investigation designed to determine the relative accuracy and precision of the different types of geodetic observation systems used by NASA is presented. A collocation technique was used to minimize the effects of uncertainties in the relative station locations and in the earth's gravity field model by installing accurate reference tracking systems close to the systems to be compared, and by precisely determining their relative survey. The Goddard laser and camera systems were shipped to selected sites, where they tracked the GEOS satellite simultaneously with other systems for an intercomparison observation.

Anticipating the effects of visual gravity during simulated self-motion: estimates of time-to-passage along vertical and horizontal paths.

PubMed

Indovina, Iole; Maffei, Vincenzo; Lacquaniti, Francesco

2013-09-01

By simulating self-motion on a virtual rollercoaster, we investigated whether acceleration cued by the optic flow affected the estimate of time-to-passage (TTP) to a target. In particular, we studied the role of a visual acceleration (1 g = 9.8 m/s(2)) simulating the effects of gravity in the scene, by manipulating motion law (accelerated or decelerated at 1 g, constant speed) and motion orientation (vertical, horizontal). Thus, 1-g-accelerated motion in the downward direction or decelerated motion in the upward direction was congruent with the effects of visual gravity. We found that acceleration (positive or negative) is taken into account but is overestimated in module in the calculation of TTP, independently of orientation. In addition, participants signaled TTP earlier when the rollercoaster accelerated downward at 1 g (as during free fall), with respect to when the same acceleration occurred along the horizontal orientation. This time shift indicates an influence of the orientation relative to visual gravity on response timing that could be attributed to the anticipation of the effects of visual gravity on self-motion along the vertical, but not the horizontal orientation. Finally, precision in TTP estimates was higher during vertical fall than when traveling at constant speed along the vertical orientation, consistent with a higher noise in TTP estimates when the motion violates gravity constraints.

Interpretation of gravity anomalies in the northwest Adirondack lowlands, northern New York

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Revetta, F.A.; O'Brian, B.

1993-03-01

Twelve hundred gravity measurements were made in the Adirondack Highlands and northwest Adirondack Lowlands, New York between 44[degree]15 minutes and 44[degree]30 minutes N. Latitude and 75[degree]00 minutes W. Longitude. A Bouguer gravity map constructed from the gravity measurements includes the Carthage-Colton Mylonite Zone, a major structural boundary between the highlands and lowlands. The gravity map indicates the gravity contours trend parallel to the CCMZ along most of its length however in some areas the contours cross the boundary. No clear-cut relationships exists between the CCMZ and gravity contours. The Bouguer gravity map shows several prominent gravity anomalies which correlate withmore » the geology seismicity and mineral deposits in the area. Gravity lows of 20 to 30 g.u. are centered over the Gouverneur, Hyde and Payne Lake Alaskite gneiss bodies. A gravity high of 20 g.u. occurs over the Pleasant Lake gabbro pluton. Gravity highs of 35 and 100 g.u. occur over the Sylvia Lake Zinc District and marble just north of the district. A gravity high at Russell, N.Y. coincides with a cluster of nine earthquake epicenters. Finally a steep gravity gradient separates high density rocks from lower density rocks along the Black Lake fault. Two-dimensional computer modeling of the geologic features is underway and quantitative models of the structures will be presented.« less

Lignocellulosic ethanol production at high-gravity: challenges and perspectives.

PubMed

Koppram, Rakesh; Tomás-Pejó, Elia; Xiros, Charilaos; Olsson, Lisbeth

2014-01-01

In brewing and ethanol-based biofuel industries, high-gravity fermentation produces 10-15% (v/v) ethanol, resulting in improved overall productivity, reduced capital cost, and reduced energy input compared to processing at normal gravity. High-gravity technology ensures a successful implementation of cellulose to ethanol conversion as a cost-competitive process. Implementation of such technologies is possible if all process steps can be performed at high biomass concentrations. This review focuses on challenges and technological efforts in processing at high-gravity conditions and how these conditions influence the physiology and metabolism of fermenting microorganisms, the action of enzymes, and other process-related factors. Lignocellulosic materials add challenges compared to implemented processes due to high inhibitors content and the physical properties of these materials at high gravity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of the Effect of UTI-UTC to High Precision Orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Dongseok; Kwak, Sunghee; Kim, Tag-Gon

1999-12-01

As the spatial resolution of remote sensing satellites becomes higher, very accurate determination of the position of a LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite is demanding more than ever. Non-symmetric Earth gravity is the major perturbation force to LEO satellites. Since the orbit propagation is performed in the celestial frame while Earth gravity is defined in the terrestrial frame, it is required to convert the coordinates of the satellite from one to the other accurately. Unless the coordinate conversion between the two frames is performed accurately the orbit propagation calculates incorrect Earth gravitational force at a specific time instant, and hence, causes errors in orbit prediction. The coordinate conversion between the two frames involves precession, nutation, Earth rotation and polar motion. Among these factors, unpredictability and uncertainty of Earth rotation, called UTI-UTC, is the largest error source. In this paper, the effect of UTI-UTC on the accuracy of the LEO propagation is introduced, tested and analzed. Considering the maximum unpredictability of UTI-UTC, 0.9 seconds, the meaningful order of non-spherical Earth harmonic functions is derived.

Highlights of the Zeno Results from the USMP-2 Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gammon, Robert W.; Shaumeyer, J. N.; Briggs, Matthew E.; Boukari, Hacene; Gent, David A.; Wilkinson, R. Allen

1995-01-01

The Zeno instrument, a High-precision, light-scattering spectrometer, was built to measure the decay rates of density fluctuations in xenon near its liquid-vapor critical point in the low-gravity environment of the U.S. Space Shuttle. Eliminating the severe density gradients created in a critical fluid by Earth's gravity, we were able to make measurements to within 100 microKelvin of the critical point. The instrument flew for fourteen days in March, 1994 on the Space Shuttle Columbia, STS-62 flight, as part of the very successful USMP-2 payload. We describe the instrument and document its performance on orbit, showing that it comfortably reached the desired 3 microKelvin temperature control of the sample. Locating the critical temperature of the sample on orbit was a scientific challenge; we discuss the advantages and short-comings of the two techniques we used. Finally we discuss problems encountered with making measurements of the turbidity of the sample, and close with the results of the measurement of the decay rates of the critical-point fluctuations.

Geophysical experiments for the pre-reclamation assessment of industrial and municipal waste landfills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balia, R.; Littarru, B.

2010-03-01

Two examples of combined application of geophysical techniques for the pre-reclamation study of old waste landfills in Sardinia, Italy, are illustrated. The first one concerned a mine tailings basin and the second one a municipal solid waste landfill; both disposal sites date back to the 1970-80s. The gravity, shallow reflection, resistivity and induced polarization methods were employed in different combinations at the two sites, and in both cases useful information on the landfill's geometry has been obtained. The gravity method proved effective for locating the boundaries of the landfill and the shallow reflection seismic technique proved effective for the precise imaging of the landfill's bottom; conversely the electrical techniques, though widely employed for studying waste landfills, provided mainly qualitative and debatable results. The overall effectiveness of the surveys has been highly improved through the combined use of different techniques, whose individual responses, being strongly dependent on their specific basic physical characteristic and the complexity of the situation to be studied, did not show the same effectiveness at the two places.

Low vibration cooling using a pulse tube cooler and cryostat for the GRAVITY beam combiner instrument at the VLTI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haug, M.; Haussmann, F.; Kellner, S.; Kern, L.; Eisenhauer, F.; Lizon, J.-L.; Dietrich, M.; Thummes, G.

2014-07-01

GRAVITY is a second generation VLTI instrument for high-precision narrow-angle astrometry and phase-referenced interferometric imaging in the astronomical K-band. The cryostat of the beam combiner instrument provides the required temperatures for the various subunits ranging from 40K to 290K with a milli-Kelvin temperature stability for some selected units. The bath cryostat is cooled with liquid nitrogen and makes use of the exhaust gas to cool the main optical bench to an intermediate temperature of 240K. The fringe tracking detector will be cooled separately by a single-stage pulse tube cooler to a temperature of 40K. The pulse tube cooler is optimized for minimum vibrations. In particular its warm side is connected to the 80K reservoir of the LN2 cryostat to minimize the required input power. All temperature levels are actively stabilized by electric heaters. The cold bench is supported separately from the vacuum vessel and the liquid nitrogen reservoir to minimize the transfer of acoustic noise onto the instrument.

A proposal for a test of Weak Equivalence Principle with improved accuracy using a cryogenic differential accelerometer installed on a pendulum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iafolla, V. A.; Fiorenza, E.; Lefevre, C.; Lucchesi, D. M.; Lucente, M.; Magnafico, C.; Nozzoli, S.; Peron, R.; Santoli, F.; Lorenzini, E. C.; Milyukov, V.; Shapiro, I. I.; Glashow, S.

2016-01-01

We present here the concept for a new experimental test of the Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP) carried out in the gravity field of the Sun. The WEP, stating the independence of the gravitational acceleration a body is subject to from its mass and composition, is at the basis of general relativity theory and more in general of metric theories of gravitation. It is therefore very important to test it to the precision allowable by current technology. The experiment here proposed aims at measuring the relative acceleration of two test masses in free fall, searching for a possible violation of the WEP, which would show up as a non-zero acceleration signal. The core of the experiment is constituted by a differential accelerometer with zero baseline, whose central elements are two test masses of different materials. This differential accelerometer is placed on a pendulum, in such a way as to make the common center of mass coincident with the center of mass of the pendulum itself. Ensuring a very precise centering, such a system should provide a high degree of attenuation of the local seismic noise, which - together with an integration time of the order of tens of days - would allow a test of the WEP with an accuracy improved by at least an order of magnitude with respect to the best measurements achieved so far. One of the strengths of this proposal is the know-how acquired from a previous study and technology development (GReAT: General Relativity Accuracy Test) that involved a test of the WEP in the gravity field of the Earth, in free fall inside a co-moving capsule released from a stratospheric balloon. The concept of the experiment is introduced, with particular attention to the differential accelerometer and its accommodation on the pendulum. A preliminary estimate of the attainable precision is given, along with a critical analysis of the associated challenges.

Space Time Theories Confirmed

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-04

Francis Everitt, Principal Investigator for the Gravity Probe B Mission at Stanford University, second from left, makes a point during a press conference, Wednesday, May 4, 2011, to discuss NASA's Gravity Probe B (GP-B) mission which has confirmed two key predictions derived from Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, which the spacecraft was designed to test at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The experiment, launched in 2004, used four ultra-precise gyroscopes to measure the hypothesized geodetic effect, the warping of space and time around a gravitational body, and frame-dragging, the amount a spinning object pulls space and time with it as it rotates. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

Space Time Theories Confirmed

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-04

Francis Everitt, Principal Investigator for the Gravity Probe B Mission at Stanford University, makes a point during a press conference, Wednesday, May 4, 2011, to discuss NASA's Gravity Probe B (GP-B) mission which has confirmed two key predictions derived from Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, which the spacecraft was designed to test at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The experiment, launched in 2004, used four ultra-precise gyroscopes to measure the hypothesized geodetic effect, the warping of space and time around a gravitational body, and frame-dragging, the amount a spinning object pulls space and time with it as it rotates. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

Fine-grained state counting for black holes in loop quantum gravity.

PubMed

Ghosh, A; Mitra, P

2009-04-10

A state of a black hole in loop quantum gravity is given by a distribution of spins on punctures on the horizon. The distribution is of the Boltzmann type, with the area playing the role of the energy. In investigations where the total area was kept approximately constant, there was a kind of thermal equilibrium between the spins which have the same analogue temperature and the entropy was proportional to the area. If the area is precisely fixed, however, multiple constraints appear, different spins have different analogue temperatures and the entropy is not strictly linear in the area, but is bounded by a linear rise.

Dynamics and structure of the Alpine Fold Belt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kahle, H. G.

1985-01-01

The structure and present-day dynamics of the Alps interms of geodesy and gravimetry are discusssed. A strong correlation of precise leveling and isostatic gravity along the central Alpine chain, especially in Canton Graubunden, East Switzerland are shown. It is assumed that the uplift is partly controlled by isostatic rebound effects. Field observations indicate that these phenomena are still active in the Alps. The study of the uplift processes by applying a number of geodetic and gravimetric measuring techniques, such as the determination of nonperiodic secular variations of gravity, of the deflections of the vertical and tilt changes monitored by hydrostatic leveling is proposed.

GEOS 3 data processing for the recovery of geoid undulations and gravity anomalies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rapp, R. H.

1979-01-01

The paper discusses the analysis of GEOS 3 altimeter data for the determination of geoid heights and point and mean gravity anomalies. Methods are presented for determining the mean anomalies and mean undulations from the GEOS 3 altimeter data available by the end of September 1977 without having a complete set of precise orbits. The editing of the data is extensive to remove questionable data, although no filtering of the data is carried out. An adjustment process is carried out to eliminate orbit error and altimeter bias. Representative point anomaly values are computed to investigate anomaly behavior across the Bonin Trench and over the Patton seamounts.

A Neumann boundary term for gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishnan, Chethan; Raju, Avinash

2017-05-01

The Gibbons-Hawking-York (GHY) boundary term makes the Dirichlet problem for gravity well-defined, but no such general term seems to be known for Neumann boundary conditions. In this paper, we view Neumann not as fixing the normal derivative of the metric (“velocity”) at the boundary, but as fixing the functional derivative of the action with respect to the boundary metric (“momentum”). This leads directly to a new boundary term for gravity: the trace of the extrinsic curvature with a specific dimension-dependent coefficient. In three dimensions, this boundary term reduces to a “one-half” GHY term noted in the literature previously, and we observe that our action translates precisely to the Chern-Simons action with no extra boundary terms. In four dimensions, the boundary term vanishes, giving a natural Neumann interpretation to the standard Einstein-Hilbert action without boundary terms. We argue that in light of AdS/CFT, ours is a natural approach for defining a “microcanonical” path integral for gravity in the spirit of the (pre-AdS/CFT) work of Brown and York.

Superconducting gravity gradiometer mission. Volume 1: Study team executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morgan, Samuel H. (Editor); Paik, Ho Jung (Editor)

1989-01-01

An executive summary is presented based upon the scientific and engineering studies and developments performed or directed by a Study Team composed of various Federal and University activities involved with the development of a three-axis Superconducting Gravity Gradiometer integrated with a six-axis superconducting accelerometer. This instrument is being developed for a future orbital mission to make precise global gravity measurements. The scientific justification and requirements for such a mission are discussed. This includes geophysics, the primary mission objective, as well as secondary objectives, such as navigation and tests of fundamental laws of physics, i.e., a null test of the inverse square law of gravitation and tests of general relativity. The instrument design and status along with mission analysis, engineering assessments, and preliminary spacecraft concepts are discussed. In addition, critical spacecraft systems and required technology advancements are examined. The mission requirements and an engineering assessment of a precursor flight test of the instrument are discussed.

Superconducting gravity gradiometer mission. Volume 2: Study team technical report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morgan, Samuel H. (Editor); Paik, Ho Jung (Editor)

1988-01-01

Scientific and engineering studies and developments performed or directed by a Study Team composed of various Federal and University activities involved with the development of a three-axis superconducting gravity gradiometer integrated with a six-axis superconducting accelerometer are examined. This instrument is being developed for a future orbital mission to make precise global gravity measurements. The scientific justification and requirements for such a mission are discussed. This includes geophysics, the primary mission objective, as well as secondary objective, such as navigation and feats of fundamental laws of physics, i.e., a null test of the inverse square law of gravitation and tests of general relativity. The instrument design and status along with mission analysis, engineering assessments, and preliminary spacecraft concepts are discussed. In addition, critical spacecraft systems and required technology advancements are examined. The mission requirements and an engineering assessment of a precursor flight test of the instrument are discussed.

Great Red Spot's detection with the Juno gravity experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parisi, M.; Folkner, W. M.

2017-12-01

The Juno spacecraft entered orbit about Jupiter in July 2016. During the perijoves (or closest approaches to Jupiter), Juno carries out observations of the magnetosphere, atmosphere and gravity field of the planet. The gravity field is estimated from precise measurements of the Doppler shift of the Juno radio signal and provides information on the Jovian interior structure.In July 2017 the 7th Juno perijove was over the Great Red Spot. The primary goal was determining differences in ammonia and water abundance in the GRS using the Microwave Radiometer instrument, while Doppler data was acquired acquired on a secondary basis. We present results of analysis of the PJ7 Doppler data to constrain the mass density variations of the GRS relative to the global average. We also present analysis to determine whether future Juno data will provide stronger constraints on the structure of the GRS.

KSC-2011-6804

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-09-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory mission is readied for liftoff aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II Heavy rocket from Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. GRAIL will fly twin spacecraft in tandem around the moon to precisely measure and map variations in the moon's gravitational field. The mission will provide the most accurate global gravity field to date for any planet, including Earth. This detailed information will reveal differences in the density of the moon's crust and mantle and will help answer fundamental questions about the moon's internal structure, thermal evolution, and history of collisions with asteroids. The aim is to map the moon's gravity field so completely that future lunar vehicles can safely navigate anywhere on the moon’s surface. Launch is scheduled for 8:37:06 a.m. EDT Sept. 8. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2011-6871

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-09-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The United Launch Alliance Delta II Heavy rocket lifted off at 9:08 a.m. EDT Sept. 10 from Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida carrying NASA’s twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission to the moon. GRAIL will fly twin spacecraft in tandem around the moon to precisely measure and map variations in the moon's gravitational field. The mission will provide the most accurate global gravity field to date for any planet, including Earth. This detailed information will reveal differences in the density of the moon's crust and mantle and will help answer fundamental questions about the moon's internal structure, thermal evolution, and history of collisions with asteroids. The aim is to map the moon's gravity field so completely that future moon vehicles can safely navigate anywhere on the moon’s surface. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-6869

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-09-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Surrounded by an early morning sky, the United Launch Alliance Delta II Heavy rocket sits on Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida as it waits to launch NASA’s twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission to the moon. GRAIL will fly twin spacecraft in tandem around the moon to precisely measure and map variations in the moon's gravitational field. The mission will provide the most accurate global gravity field to date for any planet, including Earth. This detailed information will reveal differences in the density of the moon's crust and mantle and will help answer fundamental questions about the moon's internal structure, thermal evolution, and history of collisions with asteroids. The aim is to map the moon's gravity field so completely that future moon vehicles can safely navigate anywhere on the moon’s surface. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-6807

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-09-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Media representatives prepare to photograph the launch of NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory mission at Press Site 1 near Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Liftoff aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II Heavy rocket is scheduled for 8:37:06 a.m. EDT. GRAIL will fly twin spacecraft in tandem around the moon to precisely measure and map variations in the moon's gravitational field. The mission will provide the most accurate global gravity field to date for any planet, including Earth. This detailed information will reveal differences in the density of the moon's crust and mantle and will help answer fundamental questions about the moon's internal structure, thermal evolution, and history of collisions with asteroids. The aim is to map the moon's gravity field so completely that future lunar vehicles can safely navigate anywhere on the moon’s surface. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

KSC-2011-6812

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-09-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The countdown to launch of the United Launch Alliance Delta II Heavy rocket for NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory mission nears T-0 at Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Liftoff is scheduled for 8:37:06 a.m. EDT. GRAIL will fly twin spacecraft in tandem around the moon to precisely measure and map variations in the moon's gravitational field. The mission will provide the most accurate global gravity field to date for any planet, including Earth. This detailed information will reveal differences in the density of the moon's crust and mantle and will help answer fundamental questions about the moon's internal structure, thermal evolution, and history of collisions with asteroids. The aim is to map the moon's gravity field so completely that future lunar vehicles can safely navigate anywhere on the moon’s surface. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

KSC-2011-6802

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-09-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Launch preparations are under way as dawn breaks at Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory mission aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II Heavy rocket. GRAIL will fly twin spacecraft in tandem around the moon to precisely measure and map variations in the moon's gravitational field. The mission will provide the most accurate global gravity field to date for any planet, including Earth. This detailed information will reveal differences in the density of the moon's crust and mantle and will help answer fundamental questions about the moon's internal structure, thermal evolution, and history of collisions with asteroids. The aim is to map the moon's gravity field so completely that future lunar vehicles can safely navigate anywhere on the moon’s surface. Launch is scheduled for 8:37:06 a.m. EDT Sept. 8. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2011-6867

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-09-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Surrounded by an early morning sky, the United Launch Alliance Delta II Heavy rocket sits on Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida as it waits to launch NASA’s twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission to the moon. GRAIL will fly twin spacecraft in tandem around the moon to precisely measure and map variations in the moon's gravitational field. The mission will provide the most accurate global gravity field to date for any planet, including Earth. This detailed information will reveal differences in the density of the moon's crust and mantle and will help answer fundamental questions about the moon's internal structure, thermal evolution, and history of collisions with asteroids. The aim is to map the moon's gravity field so completely that future moon vehicles can safely navigate anywhere on the moon’s surface. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-6868

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-09-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Bathed in light against an early morning sky, the United Launch Alliance Delta II Heavy rocket sits on Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida as it waits to launch NASA’s twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission to the moon. GRAIL will fly twin spacecraft in tandem around the moon to precisely measure and map variations in the moon's gravitational field. The mission will provide the most accurate global gravity field to date for any planet, including Earth. This detailed information will reveal differences in the density of the moon's crust and mantle and will help answer fundamental questions about the moon's internal structure, thermal evolution, and history of collisions with asteroids. The aim is to map the moon's gravity field so completely that future moon vehicles can safely navigate anywhere on the moon’s surface. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-6870

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-09-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A U.S. Air Force helicopter flies overhead as the United Launch Alliance Delta II Heavy rocket sits on Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida waiting to launch NASA’s twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission to the moon. GRAIL will fly twin spacecraft in tandem around the moon to precisely measure and map variations in the moon's gravitational field. The mission will provide the most accurate global gravity field to date for any planet, including Earth. This detailed information will reveal differences in the density of the moon's crust and mantle and will help answer fundamental questions about the moon's internal structure, thermal evolution, and history of collisions with asteroids. The aim is to map the moon's gravity field so completely that future moon vehicles can safely navigate anywhere on the moon’s surface. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-6805

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-09-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The countdown to launch of the United Launch Alliance Delta II Heavy rocket for NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory mission is winding down at Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Liftoff is scheduled for 8:37:06 a.m. EDT. GRAIL will fly twin spacecraft in tandem around the moon to precisely measure and map variations in the moon's gravitational field. The mission will provide the most accurate global gravity field to date for any planet, including Earth. This detailed information will reveal differences in the density of the moon's crust and mantle and will help answer fundamental questions about the moon's internal structure, thermal evolution, and history of collisions with asteroids. The aim is to map the moon's gravity field so completely that future lunar vehicles can safely navigate anywhere on the moon’s surface. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

KSC-03PD-3279

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, workers stand by as the balloon at right is released to lift the solar array panel into position for installation on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earths rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

KSC-03PD-3275

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, workers prepare to attach the top of a solar array panel onto the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earths rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

KSC-03PD-3282

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, Dr. Francis Everitt, principal investigator, and Brad Parkinson, co-principal investigator, both from Stanford University, hold one of the small gyroscopes used in the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. The GP-B towers behind them. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earths rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

KSC-03PD-3268

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. Workers in the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base attach supports to a solar array panel to be lifted and installed on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earths rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

KSC-03PD-3276

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, workers prepare to attach the top of a solar array panel onto the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earths rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

KSC-03PD-3265

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. Workers in the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base prepare to rotate the framework containing one of four solar panels to be installed on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earths rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

KSC-03PD-3269

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. A worker in the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base adjust the supports on a solar array panel to be lifted and installed on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earths rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

KSC-03PD-3278

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. In the NASA spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base, a balloon gently lifts the solar array panel to be installed on the Gravity Probe B spacecraft. Installing each array is a 3-day process and includes a functional deployment test. The Gravity Probe B mission is a relativity experiment developed by NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, Stanford University and Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity that he advanced in 1916: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earths rotation drags space and time around with it). Gravity Probe B consists of four sophisticated gyroscopes that will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. The mission will look in a precision manner for tiny changes in the direction of spin.

Piezo-based motion stages for heavy duty operation in clean environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karasikov, Nir; Peled, Gal; Yasinov, Roman; Gissin, Michael; Feinstein, Alan

2018-02-01

A range of heavy duty, ultra-precise motion stages had been developed for precise positioning in semiconductor manufacturing and metrology, for use in a clean room and high vacuum (HV and UHV) environments, to meet the precision requirements for 7, 5 nm nodes and beyond. These stages are powered by L1B2 direct drive ultrasonic motors, which allows combining long motion range, sub-nanometer positioning accuracy, high stiffness (in the direction of motion), low power consumption and active compensation of thermal and structural drift while holding position. The mechanical design, material selection for clean room and high vacuum preparation techniques are reviewed. Test results in a clean room are reported for a two-axis (X-Y) stage, having a load capacity of 30 kg, a motion range of 450 mm, a positioning accuracy of < 1 nm, a maximum motion speed of > 200 mm/s and a < 2 nm position stability (3 sigma). Long term drift compensation to sub-nm level, against thermal drift, has been validated for more than 10 hours. Heavy duty operation in a high vacuum is exemplified via a single axis stage operating at 5E-7 Torr, having a moving mass of 0.96 kg, oriented against gravity. The stage is operated periodically (up and down) over a travel length of 45 mm. The motion profile has a trapezoidal shape with an acceleration of 1m/s2 and a constant velocity of 100 mm/s. The operational parameters (average absolute position error during constant velocity, motor force, dead zone level) remain stable over more than 370000 passes (experiment duration).

3D fast adaptive correlation imaging for large-scale gravity data based on GPU computation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Z.; Meng, X.; Guo, L.; Liu, G.

2011-12-01

In recent years, large scale gravity data sets have been collected and employed to enhance gravity problem-solving abilities of tectonics studies in China. Aiming at the large scale data and the requirement of rapid interpretation, previous authors have carried out a lot of work, including the fast gradient module inversion and Euler deconvolution depth inversion ,3-D physical property inversion using stochastic subspaces and equivalent storage, fast inversion using wavelet transforms and a logarithmic barrier method. So it can be say that 3-D gravity inversion has been greatly improved in the last decade. Many authors added many different kinds of priori information and constraints to deal with nonuniqueness using models composed of a large number of contiguous cells of unknown property and obtained good results. However, due to long computation time, instability and other shortcomings, 3-D physical property inversion has not been widely applied to large-scale data yet. In order to achieve 3-D interpretation with high efficiency and precision for geological and ore bodies and obtain their subsurface distribution, there is an urgent need to find a fast and efficient inversion method for large scale gravity data. As an entirely new geophysical inversion method, 3D correlation has a rapid development thanks to the advantage of requiring no a priori information and demanding small amount of computer memory. This method was proposed to image the distribution of equivalent excess masses of anomalous geological bodies with high resolution both longitudinally and transversely. In order to tranform the equivalence excess masses into real density contrasts, we adopt the adaptive correlation imaging for gravity data. After each 3D correlation imaging, we change the equivalence into density contrasts according to the linear relationship, and then carry out forward gravity calculation for each rectangle cells. Next, we compare the forward gravity data with real data, and comtinue to perform 3D correlation imaging for the redisual gravity data. After several iterations, we can obtain a satisfactoy results. Newly developed general purpose computing technology from Nvidia GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) has been put into practice and received widespread attention in many areas. Based on the GPU programming mode and two parallel levels, five CPU loops for the main computation of 3D correlation imaging are converted into three loops in GPU kernel functions, thus achieving GPU/CPU collaborative computing. The two inner loops are defined as the dimensions of blocks and the three outer loops are defined as the dimensions of threads, thus realizing the double loop block calculation. Theoretical and real gravity data tests show that results are reliable and the computing time is greatly reduced. Acknowledgments We acknowledge the financial support of Sinoprobe project (201011039 and 201011049-03), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2010ZY26 and 2011PY0183), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41074095) and the Open Project of State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources (GPMR0945).

Precise Orbit Solution for Swarm Using Space-Borne GPS Data and Optimized Pseudo-Stochastic Pulses

PubMed Central

Zhang, Bingbing; Wang, Zhengtao; Zhou, Lv; Feng, Jiandi; Qiu, Yaodong; Li, Fupeng

2017-01-01

Swarm is a European Space Agency (ESA) project that was launched on 22 November 2013, which consists of three Swarm satellites. Swarm precise orbits are essential to the success of the above project. This study investigates how well Swarm zero-differenced (ZD) reduced-dynamic orbit solutions can be determined using space-borne GPS data and optimized pseudo-stochastic pulses under high ionospheric activity. We choose Swarm space-borne GPS data from 1–25 October 2014, and Swarm reduced-dynamic orbits are obtained. Orbit quality is assessed by GPS phase observation residuals and compared with Precise Science Orbits (PSOs) released by ESA. Results show that pseudo-stochastic pulses with a time interval of 6 min and a priori standard deviation (STD) of 10−2 mm/s in radial (R), along-track (T) and cross-track (N) directions are optimized to Swarm ZD reduced-dynamic precise orbit determination (POD). During high ionospheric activity, the mean Root Mean Square (RMS) of Swarm GPS phase residuals is at 9–11 mm, Swarm orbit solutions are also compared with Swarm PSOs released by ESA and the accuracy of Swarm orbits can reach 2–4 cm in R, T and N directions. Independent Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) validation indicates that Swarm reduced-dynamic orbits have an accuracy of 2–4 cm. Swarm-B orbit quality is better than those of Swarm-A and Swarm-C. The Swarm orbits can be applied to the geomagnetic, geoelectric and gravity field recovery. PMID:28335538

Precise Orbit Determination Of Low Earth Satellites At AIUB Using GPS And SLR Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaggi, A.; Bock, H.; Thaller, D.; Sosnica, K.; Meyer, U.; Baumann, C.; Dach, R.

2013-12-01

An ever increasing number of low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites is, or will be, equipped with retro-reflectors for Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) and on-board receivers to collect observations from Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Russian GLONASS and the European Galileo systems in the future. At the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AIUB) LEO precise orbit determination (POD) using either GPS or SLR data is performed for a wide range of applications for satellites at different altitudes. For this purpose the classical numerical integration techniques, as also used for dynamic orbit determination of satellites at high altitudes, are extended by pseudo-stochastic orbit modeling techniques to efficiently cope with potential force model deficiencies for satellites at low altitudes. Accuracies of better than 2 cm may be achieved by pseudo-stochastic orbit modeling for satellites at very low altitudes such as for the GPS-based POD of the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE).

Preprocessing of gravity gradients at the GOCE high-level processing facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouman, Johannes; Rispens, Sietse; Gruber, Thomas; Koop, Radboud; Schrama, Ernst; Visser, Pieter; Tscherning, Carl Christian; Veicherts, Martin

2009-07-01

One of the products derived from the gravity field and steady-state ocean circulation explorer (GOCE) observations are the gravity gradients. These gravity gradients are provided in the gradiometer reference frame (GRF) and are calibrated in-flight using satellite shaking and star sensor data. To use these gravity gradients for application in Earth scienes and gravity field analysis, additional preprocessing needs to be done, including corrections for temporal gravity field signals to isolate the static gravity field part, screening for outliers, calibration by comparison with existing external gravity field information and error assessment. The temporal gravity gradient corrections consist of tidal and nontidal corrections. These are all generally below the gravity gradient error level, which is predicted to show a 1/ f behaviour for low frequencies. In the outlier detection, the 1/ f error is compensated for by subtracting a local median from the data, while the data error is assessed using the median absolute deviation. The local median acts as a high-pass filter and it is robust as is the median absolute deviation. Three different methods have been implemented for the calibration of the gravity gradients. All three methods use a high-pass filter to compensate for the 1/ f gravity gradient error. The baseline method uses state-of-the-art global gravity field models and the most accurate results are obtained if star sensor misalignments are estimated along with the calibration parameters. A second calibration method uses GOCE GPS data to estimate a low-degree gravity field model as well as gravity gradient scale factors. Both methods allow to estimate gravity gradient scale factors down to the 10-3 level. The third calibration method uses high accurate terrestrial gravity data in selected regions to validate the gravity gradient scale factors, focussing on the measurement band. Gravity gradient scale factors may be estimated down to the 10-2 level with this method.

Novel, Moon and Mars, partial gravity simulation paradigms and their effects on the balance between cell growth and cell proliferation during early plant development.

PubMed

Manzano, Aránzazu; Herranz, Raúl; den Toom, Leonardus A; Te Slaa, Sjoerd; Borst, Guus; Visser, Martijn; Medina, F Javier; van Loon, Jack J W A

2018-01-01

Clinostats and Random Positioning Machine (RPM) are used to simulate microgravity, but, for space exploration, we need to know the response of living systems to fractional levels of gravity (partial gravity) as they exist on Moon and Mars. We have developed and compared two different paradigms to simulate partial gravity using the RPM, one by implementing a centrifuge on the RPM (RPM HW ), the other by applying specific software protocols to driving the RPM motors (RPM SW ). The effects of the simulated partial gravity were tested in plant root meristematic cells, a system with known response to real and simulated microgravity. Seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana were germinated under simulated Moon (0.17  g ) and Mars (0.38  g ) gravity. In parallel, seeds germinated under simulated microgravity (RPM), or at 1  g control conditions. Fixed root meristematic cells from 4-day grown seedlings were analyzed for cell proliferation rate and rate of ribosome biogenesis using morphometrical methods and molecular markers of the regulation of cell cycle and nucleolar activity. Cell proliferation appeared increased and cell growth was depleted under Moon gravity, compared with the 1  g control. The effects were even higher at the Moon level than at simulated microgravity, indicating that meristematic competence (balance between cell growth and proliferation) is also affected at this gravity level. However, the results at the simulated Mars level were close to the 1  g static control. This suggests that the threshold for sensing and responding to gravity alteration in the root would be at a level intermediate between Moon and Mars gravity. Both partial g simulation strategies seem valid and show similar results at Moon g -levels, but further research is needed, in spaceflight and simulation facilities, especially around and beyond Mars g levels to better understand more precisely the differences and constrains in the use of these facilities for the space biology community.

Matter scattering in quadratic gravity and unitarity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abe, Yugo; Inami, Takeo; Izumi, Keisuke; Kitamura, Tomotaka

2018-03-01

We investigate the ultraviolet (UV) behavior of two-scalar elastic scattering with graviton exchanges in higher-curvature gravity theory. In Einstein gravity, matter scattering is shown not to satisfy the unitarity bound at tree level at high energy. Among some of the possible directions for the UV completion of Einstein gravity, such as string theory, modified gravity, and inclusion of high-mass/high-spin states, we take R_{μν}^2 gravity coupled to matter. We show that matter scattering with graviton interactions satisfies the unitarity bound at high energy, even with negative norm states due to the higher-order derivatives of metric components. The difference in the unitarity property of these two gravity theories is probably connected to that in another UV property, namely, the renormalizability property of the two.

Bubble Formation at a Submerged Orifice in Reduced Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buyevich, Yu A.; Webbon, Bruce W.

1994-01-01

The dynamic regime of gas injection through a circular plate orifice into an ideally wetting liquid is considered, when successively detached bubbles may be regarded as separate identities. In normal gravity and at relatively low gas flow rates, a growing bubble is modeled as a spherical segment touching the orifice perimeter during the whole time of its evolution. If the flow rate exceeds a certain threshold value, another stage of the detachment process takes place in which an almost spherical gas envelope is connected with the orifice by a nearly cylindrical stem that lengthens as the bubble rises above the plate. The bubble shape resembles then that of a mushroom and the upper envelope continues to grow until the gas supply through the stem is completely cut off. Such a stage is always present under conditions of sufficiently low gravity, irrespective of the flow rate. Two major reasons make for bubble detachment: the buoyancy force and the force due to the momentum inflow into the bubble with the injected gas. The former force dominates the process at normal gravity whereas the second one plays a key role under negligible gravity conditions. It is precisely this fundamental factor that conditions the drastic influence on bubble growth and detachment that changes in gravity are able to cause. The frequency of bubble formation is proportional to and the volume of detached bubbles is independent of the gas flow rate in sufficiently low gravity, while at normal and moderately reduced gravity conditions the first variable slightly decreases and the second one almost linearly increases as the flow rate grows. Effects of other parameters, such as the orifice radius, gas and liquid densities, and surface tension are discussed.

[INFLUENCE OF THE NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF DIFFERENT FIBER-ENRICHED ENTERAL NUTRITION FORMULAS ON THE ADMINISTRATION TIME BY GRAVITY AND THE RISK OF TUBE FEEDING OBSTRUCTION].

PubMed

Bonada Sanjaume, Anna; Gils Contreras, Anna; Salas-Salvadó, Jordi

2015-08-01

the administration of enteral nutrition by gravity is a very useful method in clinical practice; nevertheless, it may not be very precise. Indeed, this method presents some important limitations, such as the difficulty in establishing a precise dripping rate and the possibility for the dripping rate decrease depending on the formula. assess the administration time and the risk of clogging of 5 fiber-enriched enteral nutrition formulas with different protein concentrations and caloric density, all administered by gravity through nasogastric (NG) tubes of different sizes. Assess the influence of the composition on the dripping rate, by gravity, of the tested formulas. 5 fiber-enriched EN formulas were compared by using nasogastric tubes of the calibers 8, 10 and 12 Fr. The fluidity of these gravity-administered NE formulas was estimated by timing the complete passage of each formula at full speed, thus allowing one to calculate the mean time of free fall (MTFF) and to register any possible obstruction. Subsequently, an in vitro simulation of a 1 500 ml administration was performed for each formula at a particular speed, so that the administration time was 5 hours. Slowing flow and stagnated flow were detected as indicators of the risk of obstruction. the two products that especially differed in MTFF were the ones with the highest energy concentration. The passage time in free fall of these two products through the 8 Fr tube exceeded four hours. For the rest of the products and NG tubes used, this time was less than 2 hours and 5 minutes. No slowing flow or tube obstruction was detected in free fall and at maximum speed. When the dripping was adjusted to be administered in 5 hours, three of the studied products (those with the least caloric concentration and viscosity) showed slowing flow and, in some cases, the dripping stopped completely. The most important factor associated to the MTFF was the lipid content, followed by viscosity, energy and protein content. The MTFF measured was not significantly related to the fiber content of the nutritional formula. all studied products can be administered by gravity via nasogastric tubes in free fall without any risk of obstruction, even though the free fall time was very variable. The lowest caliber tubes, the highest energy content and the viscosity of the EN mixture turn-out to be the limiting factors when fiber-enriched formulas are to be administered by gravity. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

GLGM-3: A Degree-ISO Lunar Gravity Model from the Historical Tracking Data of NASA Moon Orbiters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazarico, E.; Lemoine, F. G.; Han, Shin-Chan; Smith, D. E.

2010-01-01

In preparation for the radio science experiment of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission, we analyzed the available radio tracking data of previous NASA lunar orbiters. Our goal was to use these historical observations in combination with the new low-altitude data to be obtained by LRO. We performed Precision Orbit Determination on trajectory arcs from Lunar Orbiter 1 in 1966 to Lunar Prospector in 1998, using the GEODYN II program developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. We then created a set of normal equations and solved for the coefficients of a spherical harmonics expansion of the lunar gravity potential up to degree and order 150. The GLGM-3 solution obtained with a global Kaula constraint (2.5 x 10(exp -4)/sq l) shows good agreement with model LP150Q from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, especially over the nearside. The levels of data fit with both gravity models are very similar (Doppler RMS of approx.0.2 and approx. 1-2 mm/s in the nominal and extended phases, respectiVely). Orbit overlaps and uncertainties estimated from the covariance matrix also agree well. GLGM-3 shows better correlation with lunar topography and admittance over the nearside at high degrees of expansion (l > 100), particularly near the poles. We also present three companion solutions, obtained with the same data set but using alternate inversion strategies that modify the power law constraint and expectation of the individual spherical harmonics coefficients. We give a detailed discussion of the performance of this family of gravity field solutions in terms of observation fit, orbit quality, and geophysical consistency.

Constellations of Next Generation Gravity Missions: Simulations regarding optimal orbits and mitigation of aliasing errors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hauk, M.; Pail, R.; Gruber, T.; Purkhauser, A.

2017-12-01

The CHAMP and GRACE missions have demonstrated the tremendous potential for observing mass changes in the Earth system from space. In order to fulfil future user needs a monitoring of mass distribution and mass transport with higher spatial and temporal resolution is required. This can be achieved by a Bender-type Next Generation Gravity Mission (NGGM) consisting of a constellation of satellite pairs flying in (near-)polar and inclined orbits, respectively. For these satellite pairs the observation concept of the GRACE Follow-on mission with a laser-based low-low satellite-to-satellite tracking (ll-SST) system and more precise accelerometers and state-of-the-art star trackers is adopted. By choosing optimal orbit constellations for these satellite pairs high frequency mass variations will be observable and temporal aliasing errors from under-sampling will not be the limiting factor anymore. As part of the European Space Agency (ESA) study "ADDCON" (ADDitional CONstellation and Scientific Analysis Studies of the Next Generation Gravity Mission) a variety of mission design parameters for such constellations are investigated by full numerical simulations. These simulations aim at investigating the impact of several orbit design choices and at the mitigation of aliasing errors in the gravity field retrieval by co-parametrization for various constellations of Bender-type NGGMs. Choices for orbit design parameters such as altitude profiles during mission lifetime, length of retrieval period, value of sub-cycles and choice of prograde versus retrograde orbits are investigated as well. Results of these simulations are presented and optimal constellations for NGGM's are identified. Finally, a short outlook towards new geophysical applications like a near real time service for hydrology is given.

An integrated geophysical study on the Mesozoic strata distribution and hydrocarbon potential in the South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Weijian; Hao, Tianyao; Jiang, Weiwei; Xu, Ya; Zhao, Baimin; Jiang, Didi

2015-11-01

A series of drilling, dredge, and seismic investigations indicate that Mesozoic sediments exist in the South China Sea (SCS) which shows a bright prospect for oil and gas exploration. In order to study the distribution of Mesozoic strata and their residual thicknesses in the SCS, we carried out an integrated geophysical study based mainly on gravity data, gravity basement depth and distribution of residual Mesozoic thickness in the SCS were obtained using gravity inversion constrained with high-precision drilling and seismic data. In addition, the fine deep crustal structures and distribution characteristics of Mesozoic thicknesses of three typical profiles were obtained by gravity fitting inversion. Mesozoic strata in the SCS are mainly distributed in the south and north continental margins, and have been reformed by the later tectonic activities. They extend in NE-trending stripes are macro-controlled by the deep and large NE-trending faults, and cut by the NW-trending faults which were active in later times. The offset in NW direction of Mesozoic strata in Nansha area of the southern margin are more obvious as compared to the north margin. In the Pearl River Mouth Basin and Southwest Taiwan Basin of the north continental margin the Mesozoic sediments are continuously distributed with a relatively large thickness. In the Nansha area of the south margin the Mesozoic strata are discontinuous and their thicknesses vary considerably. According to the characteristics of Mesozoic thickness distribution and hydrocarbon potential analyses from drilling and other data, Dongsha Uplift-Chaoshan Depression, Southwest Taiwan Basin-Peikang Uplift and Liyue Bank have large thickness of the Mesozoic residual strata, have good hydrocarbon genesis capability and complete source-reservoir-cap combinations, show a bright prospect of Mesozoic oil/gas resources.

Quantitative spectroscopy of Galactic BA-type supergiants. I. Atmospheric parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Firnstein, M.; Przybilla, N.

2012-07-01

Context. BA-type supergiants show a high potential as versatile indicators for modern astronomy. This paper constitutes the first in a series that aims at a systematic spectroscopic study of Galactic BA-type supergiants. Various problems will be addressed, including in particular observational constraints on the evolution of massive stars and a determination of abundance gradients in the Milky Way. Aims: The focus here is on the determination of accurate and precise atmospheric parameters for a sample of Galactic BA-type supergiants as prerequisite for all further analysis. Some first applications include a recalibration of functional relationships between spectral-type, intrinsic colours, bolometric corrections and effective temperature, and an exploration of the reddening-free Johnson Q and Strömgren [c1] and β-indices as photometric indicators for effective temperatures and gravities of BA-type supergiants. Methods: An extensive grid of theoretical spectra is computed based on a hybrid non-LTE approach, covering the relevant parameter space in effective temperature, surface gravity, helium abundance, microturbulence and elemental abundances. The atmospheric parameters are derived spectroscopically by line-profile fits of our theoretical models to high-resolution and high-S/N spectra obtained at various observatories. Ionization equilibria of multiple metals and the Stark-broadened hydrogen and the neutral helium lines constitute our primary indicators for the parameter determination, supplemented by (spectro-)photometry from the UV to the near-IR. Results: We obtain accurate atmospheric parameters for 35 sample supergiants from a homogeneous analysis. Data on effective temperatures, surface gravities, helium abundances, microturbulence, macroturbulence and rotational velocities are presented. The interstellar reddening and the ratio of total-to-selective extinction towards the stars are determined. Our empirical spectral-type-Teff scale is steeper than reference relations from the literature, the stars are significantly bluer than usually assumed, and bolometric corrections differ significantly from established literature values. Photometric Teff-determinations based on the reddening-free Q-index are found to be of limited use for studies of BA-type supergiants because of large errors of typically ±5% (1σ statistical) ±3% (1σ systematic), compared to a spectroscopically achieved precision of 1-2% (combined statistical and systematic uncertainty with our methodology). The reddening-free [c1] -index and β on the other hand are found to provide useful starting values for high-precision/accuracy analyses, with uncertainties of ±1% ± 2.5% in Teff, and ±0.04 ± 0.13 dex in log g (1σ-statistical, 1σ-systematic, respectively). Based on observations collected at the Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán at Calar Alto (CAHA), operated jointly by the Max-Planck Institut für Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC), proposals H2001-2.2-011 and H2005-2.2-016.Based on observations obtained at the European Southern Observatory, proposals 62.H-0176 and 079.B-0856(A). Additional data were adopted from the UVES Paranal Observatory Project (ESO DDT Program ID 266.D-5655).

Time-resolved spectral analysis of the pulsating helium star V652 Her

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeffery, C. S.; Woolf, V. M.; Pollacco, D. L.

2001-09-01

A series of 59 moderate-resolution high signal-to-noise spectra of the pulsating helium star V652 Her covering 1.06 pulsation cycles was obtained with the William Herschel Telescope. These have been supplemented by archival ultraviolet and visual spectrophotometry and used to make a time-dependent study of the properties of V652 Her throughout the pulsation cycle. This study includes the following features: the most precise radial velocity curve for V652 Her measured so far, new software for the automatic measurement of effective temperature, surface gravity and projected rotation velocities from moderate-resolution spectra, self-consistent high-precision measurements of effective temperature and surface gravity around the pulsation cycle, a demonstration of excessive line-broadening at minimum radius and evidence for a pulsation-driven shock front, a new method for the direct measurement of the radius of a pulsating star using radial velocity and surface gravity measurements alone, new software for the automatic measurement of chemical abundances and microturbulent velocity, updated chemical abundances for V652 Her compared with previous work (\\cite{Jef99}), a reanalysis of the total flux variations (cf. \\cite{Lyn84}) in good agreement with previous work, and revised measurements of the stellar mass and radius which are similar to recent results for another pulsating helium star, BX Cir. Masses measured without reference to the ultraviolet fluxes turn out to be unphysically low (~0.18 M{\\odot}). The best estimate for the dimensions of V652 Her averaged over the pulsation cycle is given by: lt; Teff >=22 930+/-10 K and < log g > =3.46+/-0.05 (ionization equilibrium), < Teff > =20 950+/-70 K (total flux method), < R>=2.31+/-0.02 R{\\odot}, < L>=919+/-14 L{\\odot}, M=0.59+/-0.18 M{\\odot} and d=1.70+/-0.02 kpc. Two significant problems were encountered. The line-blanketed hydrogen-deficient model atmospheres used yield effective temperatures from the optical spectrum (ionization equilibrium) and visual and UV photometry (bolometric flux) that are inconsistent. Secondly, the IUE spectra are poorly distributed in phase and have low signal-to-noise. These problems may introduce systematic errors of up to 0.1 M{\\odot}. Based on observations obtained with the William Herschel Telescope, the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope, and on INES data from the IUE satellite.

Polarimeter Arrays for Cosmic Microwave Background Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevenson, Thomas; Cao, Nga; Chuss, David; Fixsen, Dale; Hsieh, Wen-Ting; Kogut, Alan; Limon, Michele; Moseley, S. Harvey; Phillips, Nicholas; Schneider, Gideon

2006-01-01

We discuss general system architectures and specific work towards precision measurements of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) polarization. The CMB and its polarization carry fundamental information on the origin, structure, and evolution of the universe. Detecting the imprint of primordial gravitational radiation on the faint polarization of the CMB will be difficult. The two primary challenges will be achieving both the required sensitivity and precise control over systematic errors. At anisotropy levels possibly as small as a few nanokelvin, the gravity-wave signal is faint compared to the fundamental sensitivity limit imposed by photon arrival statistics, and one must make simultaneous measurements with large numbers, hundreds to thousands, of independent background-limited direct detectors. Highly integrated focal plane architectures, and multiplexing of detector outputs, will be essential. Because the detectors, optics, and even the CMB itself are brighter than the faint gravity-wave signal by six to nine orders of magnitude, even a tiny leakage of polarized light reflected or diffracted from warm objects could overwhelm the primordial signal. Advanced methods of modulating only the polarized component of the incident radiation will play an essential role in measurements of CMB polarization. One promising general polarimeter concept that is under investigation by a number of institutions is to first use planar antennas to separate millimeter-wave radiation collected by a lens or horn into two polarization channels. Then the signals can be fed to a pair of direct detectors through a planar circuit consisting of superconducting niobium microstrip transmission lines, hybrid couplers, band-pass filters, and phase modulators to measure the Stokes parameters of the incoming radiation.

Astrophysics, cosmology, and fundamental physics with compact binary coalescence and the Einstein Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Den Broeck, C.

2014-03-01

The second-generation interferometric gravitational wave detectors, currently under construction are expected to make their first detections within this decade. This will firmly establish gravitational wave physics as an empirical science, and will open up a new era in astrophysics, cosmology, and fundamental physics. Already with the first detections, we will be able to, among other things, establish the nature of short-hard gamma ray bursts, definitively confirm the existence of black holes, measure the Hubble constant in a completely independent way, and for the first time gain access to the genuinely strong-field dynamics of gravity. Hence, it is time to consider the longer-term future of this new field. The Einstein Telescope (ET) is a concrete conceptual proposal for a third-generation gravitational wave observatory, which will be ~ 10 times more sensitive in strain than the second-generation detectors. This will give access to sources at cosmological distances, with a correspondingly higher detection rate. We have given an overview of the science case for ET, with a focus on what can be learned from signals emitted by coalescing compact binaries. Third-generation observatories will allow us to map the coalescence rate out to redshifts z ~ 3, determine the mass functions of neutron stars and black holes, and perform precision measurements of the neutron star equation of state. ET will enable us to study the large-scale structure and evolution of the Universe without recourse to a cosmic distance ladder. Finally, we have discussed how it will allow for high-precision measurements of strong-field, dynamical gravity.

Simulation of Attitude and Trajectory Dynamics and Control of Multiple Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoneking, Eric T.

2009-01-01

Agora software is a simulation of spacecraft attitude and orbit dynamics. It supports spacecraft models composed of multiple rigid bodies or flexible structural models. Agora simulates multiple spacecraft simultaneously, supporting rendezvous, proximity operations, and precision formation flying studies. The Agora environment includes ephemerides for all planets and major moons in the solar system, supporting design studies for deep space as well as geocentric missions. The environment also contains standard models for gravity, atmospheric density, and magnetic fields. Disturbance force and torque models include aerodynamic, gravity-gradient, solar radiation pressure, and third-body gravitation. In addition to the dynamic and environmental models, Agora supports geometrical visualization through an OpenGL interface. Prototype models are provided for common sensors, actuators, and control laws. A clean interface accommodates linking in actual flight code in place of the prototype control laws. The same simulation may be used for rapid feasibility studies, and then used for flight software validation as the design matures. Agora is open-source and portable across computing platforms, making it customizable and extensible. It is written to support the entire GNC (guidance, navigation, and control) design cycle, from rapid prototyping and design analysis, to high-fidelity flight code verification. As a top-down design, Agora is intended to accommodate a large range of missions, anywhere in the solar system. Both two-body and three-body flight regimes are supported, as well as seamless transition between them. Multiple spacecraft may be simultaneously simulated, enabling simulation of rendezvous scenarios, as well as formation flying. Built-in reference frames and orbit perturbation dynamics provide accurate modeling of precision formation control.

Development of a Remote Sensing Small Satellite for Temperature Sounding in the Mesosphere/Lower Thermosphere by Measurement of the Oxygen Atmospheric Band Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deiml, Michael; Kaufmann, Martin

2017-04-01

Coupling processes initiated by gravity waves in the middle atmosphere have increasing importance for the modeling of the climate system and represent one of the larger uncertainties in this field. To support new modeling efforts spatially resolved measurements of wave fields are very beneficial. This contribution proposes a new small satellite mission based on a three unit CubeSat form factor to observe the Oxygen Atmospheric Band emission around 762 nm for temperature derivation in a limb sounding configuration to characterize gravity waves. The satellite instrument resolves individual rotational lines whose intensities follow a Boltzmann law allowing for the derivation of temperature from the relative structure of these lines. The employed Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometer is characterized by its high throughput at a small form factor, allowing to perform scientific remote sensing measurements within a small satellite during day and night. The spectrometer consists of a thermally stabilized solid block and has no moving parts, which increases its reliability in orbit while allowing high precision measurements within a small volume. The instrument is verified in its precursor mission, the Atmospheric Heterodyne Interferometer Test (AtmoHIT), within the REXUS/BEXUS ballistic rocket flight campaign. The description of the flight campaign and the results thereof conclude this contribution.

Equally spaced periods in the δ Scuti star KIC 5123889

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balona, L. A.

2018-03-01

KIC 5123889 was observed by Kepler almost continuously over a 4-yr period in long-cadence mode. The periodogram shows 14 low-frequency peaks spaced at almost exactly equidistant periods that are shown to be dipole gravity modes. Because the period spacing is practically constant, it can be deduced that the internal rotation period is probably in excess of 1 yr, allowing non-rotating models to be used for frequency matching. For a given metallicity and overshoot parameter, there is a strong correlation between the period spacing and the effective temperature in models covering the main-sequence band. The periods of all 14 dipole modes can be matched with the models to a precision of about 0.1 per cent. In addition, 51 peaks with frequencies in the range 1.7-2.8 d-1 are identified as combinations of the dipole mode frequencies. Four peaks in the frequency range 12.7-18.5 d-1, two of which have high amplitudes, identify the star as a δ Scuti. An attempt to fit the high frequencies using the restrictions imposed by the dipole gravity modes is not convincing as no unique identification can be made. Combination frequencies involving the δ Scuti frequencies and the dipole modes are also present.

Gravity investigation of the Manson impact structure, Iowa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plescia, J. B.

1993-01-01

The Manson crater, of probable Cretaceous/Tertiary age, is located in northwestern Iowa (center at 42 deg. 34.44 min N; 94 deg. 33.60 min W). A seismic reflection profile along an east west line across the crater and drill hole data indicate a crater about 35 km in diameter having the classic form for an impact crater, an uplifted central peak composed of uplifted Proterozoic crystalline bedrock, surrounded by a 'moat' filled with impact produced breccia and a ring graben zone composed of tilted fault blocks of the Proterozoic and Paleozoic country rocks. The structure has been significantly eroded. This geologic structure would be expected to produce a significant gravity signature and study of that signature would shed additional light on the details of the crater structure. A gravity study was undertaken to better resolve the crustal structure. The regional Bouguer gravity field is characterized by a southeastward decreasing field. To first order, the Bouguer gravity field can be understood in the context of the geology of the Precambrian basement. The high gravity at the southeast corner is associated with the mid-continent gravity high; the adjacent low to the northwest results from a basin containing low-density clastic sediments shed from the basement high. Modeling of a simple basin and adjacent high predicts much of the observed Bouguer gravity signature. A gravity signature due to structure associated with the Manson impact is not apparent in the Bouguer data. To resolve the gravity signature of the impact, a series of polynomial surfaces were fit to the Bouguer gravity field to isolate the small wavelength residual anomalies. The residual gravity obtained after subtracting a 5th- or 6th-order polynomial seems to remove most of the regional effects and isolate local anomalies. The pattern resolved in the residual gravity is one of a gravity high surrounded by gravity lows and in turn surrounded by isolated gravity highs. The central portion of the crater is characterized by two positive anomalies having amplitudes of about plus 4 mGal separated by a gentle saddle located approximately at the crater center.

World Gravity Map: a set of global complete spherical Bouguer and isostatic anomaly maps and grids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonvalot, S.; Balmino, G.; Briais, A.; Kuhn, M.; Peyrefitte, A.; Vales, N.; Biancale, R.; Gabalda, G.; Reinquin, F.

2012-04-01

We present here a set of digital maps of the Earth's gravity anomalies (surface free air, Bouguer and isostatic), computed at Bureau Gravimetric International (BGI) as a contribution to the Global Geodetic Observing Systems (GGOS) and to the global geophysical maps published by the Commission for the Geological Map of the World (CGMW) with support of UNESCO and other institutions. The Bouguer anomaly concept is extensively used in geophysical interpretation to investigate the density distributions in the Earth's interior. Complete Bouguer anomalies (including terrain effects) are usually computed at regional scales by integrating the gravity attraction of topography elements over and beyond a given area (under planar or spherical approximations). Here, we developed and applied a worldwide spherical approach aimed to provide a set of homogeneous and high resolution gravity anomaly maps and grids computed at the Earth's surface, taking into account a realistic Earth model and reconciling geophysical and geodetic definitions of gravity anomalies. This first version (1.0) has been computed by spherical harmonics analysis / synthesis of the Earth's topography-bathymetry up to degree 10800. The detailed theory of the spherical harmonics approach is given in Balmino et al., (Journal of Geodesy, 2011). The Bouguer and terrain corrections have thus been computed in spherical geometry at 1'x1' resolution using the ETOPO1 topography/bathymetry, ice surface and bedrock models from the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and taking into account precise characteristics (boundaries and densities) of major lakes, inner seas, polar caps and of land areas below sea level. Isostatic corrections have been computed according to the Airy-Heiskanen model in spherical geometry for a constant depth of compensation of 30km. The gravity information given here is provided by the Earth Geopotential Model (EGM2008), developed at degree 2160 by the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) (Pavlis et al., 2008) and the DTU10 (Andersen, 2010) who represents the best up-to-date global gravity models (including surface gravity measurements from land, marine and airborne surveys as well as gravity and altimetry satellite measurements). The surface free-air anomaly is computed at the Earth's surface in the context of Molodensky theory and includes corrections from the mass of the atmosphere. The way gravity anomalies are computed on a worldwide basis slightly differs from the classical usage, but meets modern concerns which tend to take into account of the real Earth. The resulting anomaly maps and grids will be distributed for scientific and education purposes by the Commission for the Geological Map of the World (CGMW) (http://ccgm.free.fr) and by the Bureau Gravimetrique International (BGI) (http://bgi.omp.obs-mip.fr). Upgraded versions might be done as soon as new global gravity model will be available (including satellite GOCE data for instance). Institutions who are interested to contribute with new datasets of surface gravity measurements (i.e. ground, marine or airborne gravity data) are also invited to contact BGI bgi@cnes.fr.

Hematology/immunology (M110 series). [human hemodynamic response to weightlessness simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The hematology/immunology experiments in the Skylab mission study various aspects of the red blood cell, including its metabolism and life span, and blood volume changes under zero gravity conditions to determine the precise mechanism of the transient changes which have been seen on the relatively brief missions of the past.

High-frequency analysis of Earth gravity field models based on terrestrial gravity and GPS/levelling data: a case study in Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papanikolaou, T. D.; Papadopoulos, N.

2015-06-01

The present study aims at the validation of global gravity field models through numerical investigation in gravity field functionals based on spherical harmonic synthesis of the geopotential models and the analysis of terrestrial data. We examine gravity models produced according to the latest approaches for gravity field recovery based on the principles of the Gravity field and steadystate Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) and Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite missions. Furthermore, we evaluate the overall spectrum of the ultra-high degree combined gravity models EGM2008 and EIGEN-6C3stat. The terrestrial data consist of gravity and collocated GPS/levelling data in the overall Hellenic region. The software presented here implements the algorithm of spherical harmonic synthesis in a degree-wise cumulative sense. This approach may quantify the bandlimited performance of the individual models by monitoring the degree-wise computed functionals against the terrestrial data. The degree-wise analysis performed yields insight in the short-wavelengths of the Earth gravity field as these are expressed by the high degree harmonics.

Bragg gravity-gradiometer using the 1S0–3P1 intercombination transition of 88Sr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

del Aguila, R. P.; Mazzoni, T.; Hu, L.; Salvi, L.; Tino, G. M.; Poli, N.

2018-04-01

We present a gradiometer based on matter-wave interference of alkaline-earth-metal atoms, namely 88Sr. The coherent manipulation of the atomic external degrees of freedom is obtained by large-momentum-transfer Bragg diffraction, driven by laser fields detuned away from the narrow 1S0–3P1 intercombination transition. We use a well-controlled artificial gradient, realized by changing the relative frequencies of the Bragg pulses during the interferometer sequence, in order to characterize the sensitivity of the gradiometer. The sensitivity reaches 1.5 × 10‑5 s‑2 for an interferometer time of 20 ms, limited only by geometrical constraints. We observed extremely low sensitivity of the gradiometric phase to magnetic field gradients, approaching a value 104 times lower than the sensitivity of alkali-atom based gradiometers, limited by the interferometer sensitivity. An efficient double-launch technique employing accelerated red vertical lattices from a single magneto-optical trap cloud is also demonstrated. These results highlight strontium as an ideal candidate for precision measurements of gravity gradients, with potential application in future precision tests of fundamental physics.

Macroscopic superpositions and gravimetry with quantum magnetomechanics.

PubMed

Johnsson, Mattias T; Brennen, Gavin K; Twamley, Jason

2016-11-21

Precision measurements of gravity can provide tests of fundamental physics and are of broad practical interest for metrology. We propose a scheme for absolute gravimetry using a quantum magnetomechanical system consisting of a magnetically trapped superconducting resonator whose motion is controlled and measured by a nearby RF-SQUID or flux qubit. By driving the mechanical massive resonator to be in a macroscopic superposition of two different heights our we predict that our interferometry protocol could, subject to systematic errors, achieve a gravimetric sensitivity of Δg/g ~ 2.2 × 10 -10  Hz -1/2 , with a spatial resolution of a few nanometres. This sensitivity and spatial resolution exceeds the precision of current state of the art atom-interferometric and corner-cube gravimeters by more than an order of magnitude, and unlike classical superconducting interferometers produces an absolute rather than relative measurement of gravity. In addition, our scheme takes measurements at ~10 kHz, a region where the ambient vibrational noise spectrum is heavily suppressed compared the ~10 Hz region relevant for current cold atom gravimeters.

Macroscopic superpositions and gravimetry with quantum magnetomechanics

PubMed Central

Johnsson, Mattias T.; Brennen, Gavin K.; Twamley, Jason

2016-01-01

Precision measurements of gravity can provide tests of fundamental physics and are of broad practical interest for metrology. We propose a scheme for absolute gravimetry using a quantum magnetomechanical system consisting of a magnetically trapped superconducting resonator whose motion is controlled and measured by a nearby RF-SQUID or flux qubit. By driving the mechanical massive resonator to be in a macroscopic superposition of two different heights our we predict that our interferometry protocol could, subject to systematic errors, achieve a gravimetric sensitivity of Δg/g ~ 2.2 × 10−10 Hz−1/2, with a spatial resolution of a few nanometres. This sensitivity and spatial resolution exceeds the precision of current state of the art atom-interferometric and corner-cube gravimeters by more than an order of magnitude, and unlike classical superconducting interferometers produces an absolute rather than relative measurement of gravity. In addition, our scheme takes measurements at ~10 kHz, a region where the ambient vibrational noise spectrum is heavily suppressed compared the ~10 Hz region relevant for current cold atom gravimeters. PMID:27869142

Spherical harmonic modelling to ultra-high degree of Bouguer and isostatic anomalies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balmino, G.; Vales, N.; Bonvalot, S.; Briais, A.

2012-07-01

The availability of high-resolution global digital elevation data sets has raised a growing interest in the feasibility of obtaining their spherical harmonic representation at matching resolution, and from there in the modelling of induced gravity perturbations. We have therefore estimated spherical Bouguer and Airy isostatic anomalies whose spherical harmonic models are derived from the Earth's topography harmonic expansion. These spherical anomalies differ from the classical planar ones and may be used in the context of new applications. We succeeded in meeting a number of challenges to build spherical harmonic models with no theoretical limitation on the resolution. A specific algorithm was developed to enable the computation of associated Legendre functions to any degree and order. It was successfully tested up to degree 32,400. All analyses and syntheses were performed, in 64 bits arithmetic and with semi-empirical control of the significant terms to prevent from calculus underflows and overflows, according to IEEE limitations, also in preserving the speed of a specific regular grid processing scheme. Finally, the continuation from the reference ellipsoid's surface to the Earth's surface was performed by high-order Taylor expansion with all grids of required partial derivatives being computed in parallel. The main application was the production of a 1' × 1' equiangular global Bouguer anomaly grid which was computed by spherical harmonic analysis of the Earth's topography-bathymetry ETOPO1 data set up to degree and order 10,800, taking into account the precise boundaries and densities of major lakes and inner seas, with their own altitude, polar caps with bedrock information, and land areas below sea level. The harmonic coefficients for each entity were derived by analyzing the corresponding ETOPO1 part, and free surface data when required, at one arc minute resolution. The following approximations were made: the land, ocean and ice cap gravity spherical harmonic coefficients were computed up to the third degree of the altitude, and the harmonics of the other, smaller parts up to the second degree. Their sum constitutes what we call ETOPG1, the Earth's TOPography derived Gravity model at 1' resolution (half-wavelength). The EGM2008 gravity field model and ETOPG1 were then used to rigorously compute 1' × 1' point values of surface gravity anomalies and disturbances, respectively, worldwide, at the real Earth's surface, i.e. at the lower limit of the atmosphere. The disturbance grid is the most interesting product of this study and can be used in various contexts. The surface gravity anomaly grid is an accurate product associated with EGM2008 and ETOPO1, but its gravity information contents are those of EGM2008. Our method was validated by comparison with a direct numerical integration approach applied to a test area in Morocco-South of Spain (Kuhn, private communication 2011) and the agreement was satisfactory. Finally isostatic corrections according to the Airy model, but in spherical geometry, with harmonic coefficients derived from the sets of the ETOPO1 different parts, were computed with a uniform depth of compensation of 30 km. The new world Bouguer and isostatic gravity maps and grids here produced will be made available through the Commission for the Geological Map of the World. Since gravity values are those of the EGM2008 model, geophysical interpretation from these products should not be done for spatial scales below 5 arc minutes (half-wavelength).

Determination of Eros Physical Parameters for Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Orbit Phase Navigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, J. K.; Antreasian, P. J.; Georgini, J.; Owen, W. M.; Williams, B. G.; Yeomans, D. K.

1995-01-01

Navigation of the orbit phase of the Near Earth steroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission will re,quire determination of certain physical parameters describing the size, shape, gravity field, attitude and inertial properties of Eros. Prior to launch, little was known about Eros except for its orbit which could be determined with high precision from ground based telescope observations. Radar bounce and light curve data provided a rough estimate of Eros shape and a fairly good estimate of the pole, prime meridian and spin rate. However, the determination of the NEAR spacecraft orbit requires a high precision model of Eros's physical parameters and the ground based data provides only marginal a priori information. Eros is the principal source of perturbations of the spacecraft's trajectory and the principal source of data for determining the orbit. The initial orbit determination strategy is therefore concerned with developing a precise model of Eros. The original plan for Eros orbital operations was to execute a series of rendezvous burns beginning on December 20,1998 and insert into a close Eros orbit in January 1999. As a result of an unplanned termination of the rendezvous burn on December 20, 1998, the NEAR spacecraft continued on its high velocity approach trajectory and passed within 3900 km of Eros on December 23, 1998. The planned rendezvous burn was delayed until January 3, 1999 which resulted in the spacecraft being placed on a trajectory that slowly returns to Eros with a subsequent delay of close Eros orbital operations until February 2001. The flyby of Eros provided a brief glimpse and allowed for a crude estimate of the pole, prime meridian and mass of Eros. More importantly for navigation, orbit determination software was executed in the landmark tracking mode to determine the spacecraft orbit and a preliminary shape and landmark data base has been obtained. The flyby also provided an opportunity to test orbit determination operational procedures that will be used in February of 2001. The initial attitude and spin rate of Eros, as well as estimates of reference landmark locations, are obtained from images of the asteroid. These initial estimates are used as a priori values for a more precise refinement of these parameters by the orbit determination software which combines optical measurements with Doppler tracking data to obtain solutions for the required parameters. As the spacecraft is maneuvered; closer to the asteroid, estimates of spacecraft state, asteroid attitude, solar pressure, landmark locations and Eros physical parameters including mass, moments of inertia and gravity harmonics are determined with increasing precision. The determination of the elements of the inertia tensor of the asteroid is critical to spacecraft orbit determination and prediction of the asteroid attitude. The moments of inertia about the principal axes are also of scientific interest since they provide some insight into the internal mass distribution. Determination of the principal axes moments of inertia will depend on observing free precession in the asteroid's attitude dynamics. Gravity harmonics are in themselves of interest to science. When compared with the asteroid shape, some insight may be obtained into Eros' internal structure. The location of the center of mass derived from the first degree harmonic coefficients give a direct indication of overall mass distribution. The second degree harmonic coefficients relate to the radial distribution of mass. Higher degree harmonics may be compared with surface features to gain additional insight into mass distribution. In this paper, estimates of Eros physical parameters obtained from the December 23,1998 flyby will be presented. This new knowledge will be applied to simplification of Eros orbital operations in February of 2001. The resulting revision to the orbit determination strategy will also be discussed.

Superconducting gravimeters reveal unprecedented details of changes related to volcanic processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carbone, Daniele; Greco, Filippo; Cannavò, Flavio

2017-04-01

Continuous gravity measurements have been successfully carried out at a number of volcanoes around the world using spring gravimeters. Nevertheless, these instruments do not provide reliable measurements when used in continuous mode for weeks or more, because they are influenced by environmental factors and are subject to instrumental drift. Accordingly, most studies of continuous gravity at active volcanoes have focused on the analysis of changes over time-scales of minutes to a few days. An alternative to spring gravimeters for continuous measurements is given by superconducting gravimeters (SGs) that feature a much higher precision and stability than spring gravimeters. However, even the most portable SGs (e.g., the iGrav® by GWR) are not ideal for installation in the vicinity of active volcanic structures. Indeed, they require AC power at the installation site and some kind of hut or vault to house the instrumentation. At Mt. Etna, the installation of a mini-array of three SGs (distances of 3.5 to 15.5 km from the active craters) was begun in September 2014. To our knowledge, these are the first SGs ever installed on an active volcano. Signals from these instruments show hydrologically-induced components superimposed on small (a few microGal) gravity changes that are related to volcanic processes. Such changes, occurring over periods of minutes to weeks, would not be observable by spring gravimeters due to their intrinsic limitations regarding precision and long-term stability.

Anisotropy in Gravity and Holography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melby-Thompson, Charles Milton

In this thesis, we examine the dynamical structure of Hořava-Lifshitz gravity, and investigate its relationship with holography for anisotropic systems. Hořava-Lifshitz gravity refers to a broad class of gravitational models that incorporate anisotropy at a fundamental level. The idea behind Hořava-Lifshitz gravity is to utilize ideas from the theory of dynamical critical phenomena into gravity to produce a theory of dynamical spacetime that is power-counting renormalizable, and is thus a candidate renormalizable quantum field theory of gravity. One of the most distinctive features of Hořava-Lifshitz gravity is that its group of symmetries consists not of the diffeomorphisms of spacetime, but instead of the group of diffeomorphisms that preserve a given foliation by spatial slices. As a result of having a smaller group of symmetries, HL gravity naturally has one more propagating degree of freedom than general relativity. The extra mode presents two possible difficulties with the theory, one relating to consistency, and the second to its viability as a phenomenological model. (1) It may destabilize the theory. (2) Phenomenologically, there are severe constraints on the existence of an extra propagating graviton polarization, as well as strong experimental constraints on the value of a parameter appearing in the dispersion relation of the extra mode. In the first part of this dissertation we show that the extra mode can be eliminated by introducing a new local symmetry which steps in and takes the place of general covariance in the anisotropic context. While the identification of the appropriate symmetry is quite subtle in the full non-linear theory, once the dust settles, the resulting theory has a spectrum which matches that of general relativity in the infrared. This goes a good way toward answering the question of how close Hořava-Lifshitz gravity can come to reproducing general relativity in the infrared regime. In the second part of the thesis we pursue the relationship between Hořava-Lifshitz gravity and holographic duals for anisotropic systems. A holographic correspondence is one that posits an equivalence between a theory of gravity on a given spacetime background and a field theory living on the "boundary" of that spacetime, which resides at infinite spatial separation from the interior. It is a non-trivial problem how to define this boundary, but in the case of relativistic boundary field theories, there is a well-known definition due to Penrose of the boundary which produces the geometric structure required to make sense of the correspondence. However, the proposed dual geometries to anisotropic quantum field theories have a Penrose boundary that is incompatible with the assumed correspondence. We generalize Penrose's approach, using concepts from Hořava-Lifshitz gravity, to spacetimes with anisotropic boundary conditions, thereby arriving at the concept of anisotropic conformal infinity that is compatible with the holographic correspondence in these spacetimes. We then apply this work to understanding the structure of holography for anisotropic systems in more detail. In particular, we examine the structure of divergences of a certain theory of gravity on Lifshitz space. We find, using our construction of anisotropic conformal infinity, that the appropriate geometric structure of the boundary is that of a foliated spacetime with an anisotropic metric complex. We then perform holographic renormalization in these spacetimes, yielding a computation of the divergent part of the effective action, and find that it exhibits precisely the structure of a Hořava-Lifshitz action. Moreover, we find that, for dynamical exponent z = 2, the logarithmic divergence gives rise to a conformal anomaly in 2+1 dimensions, whose general form is precisely that of conformal Hořava-Lifshitz gravity with detailed balance.

Effects of wort gravity and nitrogen level on fermentation performance of brewer's yeast and the formation of flavor volatiles.

PubMed

Lei, Hongjie; Zhao, Haifeng; Yu, Zhimin; Zhao, Mouming

2012-03-01

Normal gravity wort and high gravity wort with different nitrogen levels were used to examine their effects on the fermentation performance of brewer's yeast and the formation of flavor volatiles. Results showed that both the wort gravity and nitrogen level had significant impacts on the growth rate, viability, flocculation, and gene expression of brewer's yeast and the levels of flavor volatiles. The sugar (glucose, maltose, and maltotriose) consumption rates and net cell growth decreased when high gravity worts were used, while these increased with increasing nitrogen level. Moreover, high gravity resulted in lower expression levels of ATF1, BAP2, BAT1, HSP12, and TDH, whereas the higher nitrogen level caused higher expression levels for these genes. Furthermore, the lower nitrogen level resulted in increases in the levels of higher alcohols and esters at high wort gravity. All these results demonstrated that yeast physiology and flavor balance during beer brewing were significantly affected by the wort gravity and nitrogen level.

Time Variable Gravity modeling for Precise Orbits Across the TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-l and Jason-2 Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zelensky, Nikita P.; Lemoine, Frank G.; Chinn, Douglas; Beckley, Brain D.; Melachroinos, Stavros; Rowlands, David D.; Luthcke, Scott B.

2011-01-01

Modeling of the Time Variable Gravity (TVG) is believed to constitute one of the the largest remaining source of orbit error for altimeter satellite POD. The GSFC operational TVG model consists of forward modeling the atmospheric gravity using ECMWF 6-hour pressure data, a GRACE derived 20x20 annual field to account for changes in the hydrology and ocean water mass, and linear rates for C20, C30, C40, based on 17 years of SLR data analysis (IERS 2003) using the EIGEN-GL04S1 (a GRACE+Lageos-based geopotential solution). Although the GSFC Operational model can be applied from 1987, there may be long-term variations not captured by these linear models, and more importantly the linear models may not be consistent with more recent surface mass trends due to global climate change, We have evaluated the impact of TVG in two different wavs: (1) by using the more recent EIGEN-6S gravity model developed by the GFZ/GRGS tearm, which consists of annual, semi-annual and secular changes in the coefficients to 50x50 determined over 8(?) years of GRACE+Lageos+GOCE data (2003-200?): (2) Application of 4x4 solutions developed from a multi satellite SLR+DORIS solution based on GGM03S that span the period from 1993 to 2011. We have evaluated the recently released EIGEN6s static and time-varying gravity field for Jason-2 (J2). Jason-I (J1), and TOPEX/Posiedon (TP) Precise Orbit Determination (POD) spanning 1993-2011. Although EIGEN6s shows significant improvement for J2POD spanning 2008 - 2011, it also shows significant degradation for TP POD from 1992. The GSFC 4x4 time SLR+DORIS-based series spans 1993 to mid 2011, and shows promise for POD. We evaluate the performance of the different TVG models based on analysis of tracking data residuals use of independent data such as altimeter crossovers, and through analysis of differences with internally-generated and externally generated orbits.

GOCE SSTI GNSS Receiver Re-Entry Phase Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zin, A.; Zago, S.; Scaciga, L.; Marradi, L.; Floberghagen, R.; Fehringer, M.; Bigazzi, A.; Piccolo, A.; Luini, L.

2015-03-01

Gravity field and Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) was an ESA Earth Explorer mission dedicated to the measure of the Earth Gravity field. The Spacecraft has been launched in 2009 and the re-entry in atmosphere happened at the end of 2013 [1]. The mean orbit altitude was set to 260 km to maximize the ultra-sensitive accelerometers on board. GOCE was equipped with two main payloads: the Electrostatic Gravity Gradiometer (EGG), a set of six 3-axis accelerometers able to measure the gravity field with unrivalled precision and then to produce the most accurate shape of the ‘geoid’ and two GPS receivers (nominal and redundant), used as a Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking Instrument (SSTI) to geolocate the gradiometer measurements and to measure the long wavelength components of the gravity field with an accuracy never reached before. Previous analyses have shown that the Precise Orbit Determination (POD) of the GOCE satellite, derived by processing the dual-frequency SSTI data (carrier phases and pseudoranges) are at the “state-of-art” of the GPS based POD: kinematic Orbits Average of daily 3D-RMS is 2,06 cm [2]. In most cases the overall accuracy is better than 2 cm 3D RMS. Moreover, the “almost continuous” [2] 1 Hz data availability from the SSTI receiver is unique and allows for a time series of kinematic positions with only 0.5% of missing epochs [2]. In October 2013 GOCE mission was concluded and in November the GOCE spacecraft re-entered in the atmosphere. During the re-entry phase the two SSTI receivers have been switched on simultaneously in order to maximize the data availability. In summer 2013, the SSTI firmware was tailored in order to sustain additional dynamic error (tracking loops robustness), expected during the re-entry phase. The SW was uploaded on SSTI-B (and purposely not on SSTI-A). Therefore this was an unique opportunity to compare a “standard” receiver behaviour (SSTI-A) with an improved one (SSTI-B) in the challenging reentry phase. This paper focuses on the analysis of the data from summer 2013 up to the re-entry phase in November 2013.

Parallel high-precision orbit propagation using the modified Picard-Chebyshev method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koblick, Darin C.

2012-03-01

The modified Picard-Chebyshev method, when run in parallel, is thought to be more accurate and faster than the most efficient sequential numerical integration techniques when applied to orbit propagation problems. Previous experiments have shown that the modified Picard-Chebyshev method can have up to a one order magnitude speedup over the 12th order Runge-Kutta-Nystrom method. For this study, the evaluation of the accuracy and computational time of the modified Picard-Chebyshev method, using the Java Astrodynamics Toolkit high-precision force model, is conducted to assess its runtime performance. Simulation results of the modified Picard-Chebyshev method, implemented in MATLAB and the MATLAB Parallel Computing Toolbox, are compared against the most efficient first and second order Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE) solvers. A total of six processors were used to assess the runtime performance of the modified Picard-Chebyshev method. It was found that for all orbit propagation test cases, where the gravity model was simulated to be of higher degree and order (above 225 to increase computational overhead), the modified Picard-Chebyshev method was faster, by as much as a factor of two, than the other ODE solvers which were tested.

Using Kinect to Measure Wave Spectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fong, J.; Loose, B.; Lovely, A.

2012-12-01

Gas exchange at the air-sea interface is enhanced by aqueous turbulence generated by capillary-gravity waves, affecting the absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide by the ocean. The mean squared wave slope of these waves correlates strongly with the gas transfer velocity. To measure the energy in capillary-gravity waves, this project aims to use the Microsoft Xbox Kinect to measure the short period wave spectrum. Kinect is an input device for the Xbox 360 with an infrared laser and camera that can be used to map objects at high frequency and spatial resolution, similar to a LiDAR sensor. For air-sea gas exchange, we are interested in the short period gravity waves with a wavenumber of 40 to 100 radians per meter. We have successfully recorded data from Kinect at a sample rate of 30 Hz with 640x480 pixel resolution, consistent with the manufacturer specifications for its scanning capabilities. At 0.5 m distance from the surface, this yields a nominal resolution of approximately 0.7 mm with a theoretical vertical precision of 0.24 mm and a practical 1 σ noise level of 0.91 mm. We have found that Kinect has some limitations in its ability to detect the air-water interface. Clean water proved to be a weaker reflector for the Kinect IR source, whereas a relatively strong signal can be received for liquids with a high concentration of suspended solids. Colloids such as milk and Ca(OH)2 in water proved more suitable media from which height and wave spectra were detectable. Moreover, we will show results from monochromatic as well as wind-wave laboratory studies. With the wave field measurements from Kinect, gas transfer velocities at the air-sea interface can be determined.

Interpretation of Local Gravity Anomalies in Northern New York

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revetta, F. A.

2004-05-01

About 10,000 new gravity measurements at a station spacing of 1 to 2 Km were made in the Adirondack Mountains, Lake Champlain Valley, St. Lawrence River Valley and Tug Hill Plateau. These closely spaced gravity measurements were compiled to construct computer contoured gravity maps of the survey areas. The gravity measurements reveal local anomalies related to seismicity, faults, mineral resources and gas fields that are not seen in the regional gravity mapping. In northern New York gravity and seismicity maps indicate epicenters are concentrated in areas of the most pronounced gravity anomalies along steep gravity gradients. Zones of weakness along the contacts of these lithologies of different density could possibly account for the earthquakes in this high stress area. Also, a computer contoured gravity map of the 5.3 magnitude Au Sable Forks earthquake of April 20, 2002 indicates the epicenter lies along a north-south trending gravity gradient produced by a high angle fault structure separating a gravity low in the west from high gravity in the east. In the St. Lawrence Valley, the Carthage-Colton Mylonite Zone, a major northeast trending structural boundary between the Adirondack Highlands and Northwest Lowlands, is represented as a steep gravity gradient extending into the eastern shore of Lake Ontario. At Russell, New York near the CCMZ, a small circular shaped gravity high coincides with a cluster of earthquakes. The coincidence of the epicenters over the high may indicate stress amplification at the boundary of a gabbro pluton. The Morristown fault located in the Morristown Quadrangle in St. Lawrence County produces both gravity and magnetic anomalies due to Precambrian Basement faulting. This faulting indicates control of the Morristown fault in the overlying Paleozoics by the Precambrian faults. Gravity and magnetic anomalies also occur over proposed extensions of the Gloucester and Winchester Springs faults into northern New York. Gravity and magnetic surveys were conducted at the closed Benson Mines magnetite mine and the Zinc Mines at Balmat, New York. The gravity and magnetic anomalies at Benson Mines indicate that significant amounts of magnetite remain in the subsurface and the steep gradients indicate a shallow depth. A gravity high of 35 gravity units in the Sylvia Lake Zinc District at Balmat, New York occurs over the upper marble and a 100 gu anomaly occurs just northeast of the zinc district. Abandoned natural gas fields exist along the southern and southwestern boundary of the Tug Hill Plateau. Gravity surveys were conducted in the vicinity of three of these gas fields in the Tug Hill Plateau (Camden, Sandy Creek and Pulaski). The Tug Hill Plateau is thought to be an uplifted-fault-bounded block which, if correct, might account for the existence of those gas fields. The trends of the gravity contours on the gravity maps lends credence to the fault interpretation. Also gravity and magnetic traverses were conducted across faults in the Trenton-Black River. These traverses show gravity anomalies across the faults which indicate control by faulting in the Precambrian.

Model improvements and validation of TerraSAR-X precise orbit determination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hackel, S.; Montenbruck, O.; Steigenberger, P.; Balss, U.; Gisinger, C.; Eineder, M.

2017-05-01

The radar imaging satellite mission TerraSAR-X requires precisely determined satellite orbits for validating geodetic remote sensing techniques. Since the achieved quality of the operationally derived, reduced-dynamic (RD) orbit solutions limits the capabilities of the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) validation, an effort is made to improve the estimated orbit solutions. This paper discusses the benefits of refined dynamical models on orbit accuracy as well as estimated empirical accelerations and compares different dynamic models in a RD orbit determination. Modeling aspects discussed in the paper include the use of a macro-model for drag and radiation pressure computation, the use of high-quality atmospheric density and wind models as well as the benefit of high-fidelity gravity and ocean tide models. The Sun-synchronous dusk-dawn orbit geometry of TerraSAR-X results in a particular high correlation of solar radiation pressure modeling and estimated normal-direction positions. Furthermore, this mission offers a unique suite of independent sensors for orbit validation. Several parameters serve as quality indicators for the estimated satellite orbit solutions. These include the magnitude of the estimated empirical accelerations, satellite laser ranging (SLR) residuals, and SLR-based orbit corrections. Moreover, the radargrammetric distance measurements of the SAR instrument are selected for assessing the quality of the orbit solutions and compared to the SLR analysis. The use of high-fidelity satellite dynamics models in the RD approach is shown to clearly improve the orbit quality compared to simplified models and loosely constrained empirical accelerations. The estimated empirical accelerations are substantially reduced by 30% in tangential direction when working with the refined dynamical models. Likewise the SLR residuals are reduced from -3 ± 17 to 2 ± 13 mm, and the SLR-derived normal-direction position corrections are reduced from 15 to 6 mm, obtained from the 2012-2014 period. The radar range bias is reduced from -10.3 to -6.1 mm with the updated orbit solutions, which coincides with the reduced standard deviation of the SLR residuals. The improvements are mainly driven by the satellite macro-model for the purpose of solar radiation pressure modeling, improved atmospheric density models, and the use of state-of-the-art gravity field models.

Accuracy assessment of GOCE-based geopotential models and their use for modelling the gravimetric quasigeoid - A case study for Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godah, Walyeldeen; Szelachowska, Malgorzata; Krynski, Jan

2014-06-01

The GOCE (Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer) has significantly upgraded the knowledge on the Earth gravity field. In this contribution the accuracy of height anomalies determined from Global Geopotential Models (GGMs) based on approximately 27 months GOCE satellite gravity gradiometry (SGG) data have been assessed over Poland using three sets of precise GNSS/levelling data. The fits of height anomalies obtained from 4th release GOCE-based GGMs to GNSS/levelling data were discussed and compared with the respective ones of 3rd release GOCE-based GGMs and the EGM08. Furthermore, two highly accurate gravimetric quasigeoid models were developed over the area of Poland using high resolution Faye gravity anomalies. In the first, the GOCE-based GGM was used as a reference geopotential model, and in the second - the EGM08. They were evaluated with GNSS/levelling data and their accuracy performance was assessed. The use of GOCE-based GGMs for recovering the long-wavelength gravity signal in gravimetric quasigeoid modelling was discussed. Misja GOCE (Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer) przyczyniła się do znacznego poprawienia znajomości pola siły ciężkości Ziemi. W artykule przedstawiono wyniki oszacowania dokładności anomalii wysokości, wyznaczonych z globalnych modeli geopotencjału opracowanych na podstawie blisko 27 miesięcy pomiarów z satelitarnej misji gradiometrycznej GOCE. Do oszacowania wykorzystano trzy zbiory dokładnych danych satelitarno-niwelacyjnych z obszaru Polski. Omówiono wyniki wpasowania wartości anomalii wysokości otrzymanych z czwartej wersji globalnych modeli geopotencjału wyznaczonych na podstawie danych misji GOCE do danych satelitarno-niwelacyjnych oraz porównano je z wynikami odpowiedniego wpasowania trzeciej wersji globalnych modeli geopotencjału otrzymanych z GOCE oraz z modelu EGM08. Ponadto, wykorzystując wysokorozdzielczy zbiór grawimetrycznych anomalii Faye'a, wyznaczono dla obszaru Polski dwa grawimetryczne modele quasigeoidy o wysokiej dokładności. W pierwszym przypadku jako model referencyjny użyto model utworzony na podstawie danych z misji GOCE, w drugim - model EGM08. Wygenerowane modele quasigeoidy porównano z danymi satelitarno-niwelacyjnymi oraz oszacowano ich dokładność. Omówiono przydatność otrzymanych na podstawie danych z misji GOCE globalnych modeli geopotencjału do odtworzenia długofalowego sygnału grawimetrycznego przy modelowaniu grawimetrycznej quasigeoidy.

An analysis of methods for gravity determination and their utilization for the calculation of geopotential numbers in the Slovak national levelling network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majkráková, Miroslava; Papčo, Juraj; Zahorec, Pavol; Droščák, Branislav; Mikuška, Ján; Marušiak, Ivan

2016-09-01

The vertical reference system in the Slovak Republic is realized by the National Levelling Network (NLN). The normal heights according to Molodensky have been introduced as reference heights in the NLN in 1957. Since then, the gravity correction, which is necessary to determine the reference heights in the NLN, has been obtained by an interpolation either from the simple or complete Bouguer anomalies. We refer to this method as the "original". Currently, the method based on geopotential numbers is the preferred way to unify the European levelling networks. The core of this article is an analysis of different ways to the gravity determination and their application for the calculation of geopotential numbers at the points of the NLN. The first method is based on the calculation of gravity at levelling points from the interpolated values of the complete Bouguer anomaly using the CBA2G_SK software. The second method is based on the global geopotential model EGM2008 improved by the Residual Terrain Model (RTM) approach. The calculated gravity is used to determine the normal heights according to Molodensky along parts of the levelling lines around the EVRF2007 datum point EH-V. Pitelová (UELN-1905325) and the levelling line of the 2nd order NLN to Kráľova hoľa Mountain (the highest point measured by levelling). The results from our analysis illustrate that the method based on the interpolated value of gravity is a better method for gravity determination when we do not know the measured gravity. It was shown that this method is suitable for the determination of geopotential numbers and reference heights in the Slovak national levelling network at the points in which the gravity is not observed directly. We also demonstrated the necessity of using the precise RTM for the refinement of the results derived solely from the EGM2008.

The Earth Gravitational Model 1996: The NCCS: Resource for Development, Resource for the Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

For centuries, men have attempted to understand the climate system through observations obtained from Earth's surface. These observations yielded preliminary understanding of the ocean currents, tides, and prevailing winds using visual observation and simple mechanical tools as their instruments. Today's sensitive, downward-looking radar systems, called altimeters, onboard satellites can measure globally the precise height of the ocean surface. This surface is largely that of the equipotential gravity surface, called the geoid - the level surface to which the oceans would conform if there were no forces acting on them apart from gravity, as well as having a significant 1-2- meter-level signal arising from the motion of the ocean's currents.