Influence of time variable geopotential models on precise orbits of altimetry satellites,global and regional mean sea level trends

During the last decade a significant progress has been reached in the investigation of the gravity field of the Earth. Besides static, also time variable geopotential models have been recently created. In this paper we investigate the impact of the recent time variable geopotential models on altimetry satellite orbits and such altimetry products based on these orbits, as global and regional mean sea level trends. We show that the modeling of time variable gravity improves the orbit solutions, at least for the GRACE period where time variable gravity is sufficiently accurately observed by this mission. Our analysis includes six geopotential models jointly developed by GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences and Space Geodesy Research Group (CNES/GRGS) Toulouse: the stationary model EIGEN-GL04S, a stationary version of EIGEN-6S (EIGEN-6S_stat), a corrected version of EIGEN-6S and three enhanced versions of EIGEN-6S called EIGEN-6S2, EIGEN-6S2A and EIGEN-6S2B. By “stationary” we mean “containing periodic parameters such as annual and semi-annual variations, but no secular (drift) terms”. We computed precise orbits for the radar altimetry satellites ERS-1, ERS-2, TOPEX/Poseidon, and Envisat over 20 years between 1991 and 2011. The orbit, single-mission and multi-mission altimetry crossover analyses show that the time variable models EIGEN-6S_corrected, EIGEN-6S2 and its two precursors EIGEN-6S2A/B perform notably better than the stationary models for the GRACE period from 2003 onwards. Thus, using EIGEN-6S2 and EIGEN-6S2A/B we have got 3.6% smaller root mean square fits of satellite laser ranging observations for Envisat, as when using EIGEN-GL04S. However, for the pre-GRACE period 1991–2003, the stationary geopotential models EIGEN-GL04S and EIGEN-6S_stat as well as EIGEN-6S2 having no drift terms for degree 3–50 at this time interval perform superior compared to EIGEN-6S_correct and EIGEN-6S2A/B which contain drifts for this period. We found, that the time variable geopotential models have a low (0.1–0.2 mm/yr) impact on our results for the global mean sea level trend. However, we found strong East/West differences up to 3 mm/yr in the regional mean sea level trends when using orbits of all four satellites based on time variable and stationary geopotential models. We show that these differences are related to the relative drifts of the centers-of-origin between the orbit solutions based on the time variable and stationary geopotential models. From the results of our detailed study, we conclude that the final version of the time variable gravity field model EIGEN-6S2 performs best for the four satellites tested. This model provides the most reliable and mission-consistent sea level estimates for the whole time period from 1992 to 2010. This model is of maximum spherical harmonic degree and order 260 and contains time series for drifts as well as annual and semiannual variations of the spherical harmonic coefficients for degree 2–50.     

Detection Performance of a Mean-Level Threshold

The problem of detecting signals in nonstationary clutter is met by presenting a mean-level or adaptive threshold which adjusts to the changing background level. Such a threshold performs better than a fixed threshold that must be set for the highest amplitude clutter. However, the mean-level threshold does not perform as well for stationary noise as a fixed threshold set at the proper value. One measure of effectiveness of an adaptive threshold is its performance in stationary noise (compared to the optimum fixed threshold) for a specified speed of response. For the mean-level threshold, a simple mathematical solution is found for the detection probability when the noise is stationary and the signal scintillates rapidly. The performance is evaluated for a wide range of mean-level-threshold time constants and for several false-alarm probabilities. The results are presented graphically. As an example, the mean-level threshold suffers 3 dB in detectability (equivalent signal-to-noise ratio) in the presence of stationary noise as compared to the optimum fixed threshold for 50-percent probability of detection, false-alarm probability of 10-8, and an adjustment time of 15 times the signal duration.     

Electrostatic accelerometer with bias rejection for gravitation and Solar System physics

Radio tracking of interplanetary probes is an important tool for navigation purposes as well as for testing the laws of physics or exploring planetary environments. The addition of an accelerometer on board a spacecraft provides orbit determination specialists and physicists with an additional observable of great interest: it measures the value of the non-gravitational acceleration acting on the spacecraft, i.e. the departure of the probe from geodesic motion.     

The Improvement of a Low-Cost Inertial Navigator Through Conditional Feedback

A concept for providing an accurate low-cost inertial reference was presented in a previous paper. Low-cost platform gyros, poor in terms of their drift rates, furnish the space-fixed reference frame. A single high-accuracy gyro, mounted on the platform, monitors the performance of the platform gyros. Consequently, drift rates are estimated, predicted, and applied as signals to correct the platform for gyro uncertainties. This paper features new estimation and predictive techniques.     

From Titan’s tholins to Titan’s aerosols: Isotopic study and chemical evolution at Titan’s surface

In the present work, we focused on the possible isotopic fractionation of carbon during the processes involved in the formation of Titan’s tholins. We present the first results obtained on the ¹²C/¹³C isotopic ratios measured on Titan’s tholins synthesized in laboratory with cold plasma discharges. Measurements of isotopic ratio ¹²C/¹³C, done both on tholins and on the initial gas mixture (N₂:CH₄ (98:2)) used to produce them, do not show any evident deficit or enrichment in ¹³C relatively to ¹²C in the synthesized tholins, compared to the initial gas mixture. This observation allows to go further in the analyses of the ACP experiment data, including part of the Cassini–Huygens mission.     

Orbiting VLBI

The technique of Michelson interferometry using synchronized radio telescope systems at great separations is known as Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry (VLBI). The method can be extended to give micro-arc-second angular resolution by using radio telescopes in space. There are no technical barriers, and several classes of conceptual systems can be specified.     

Synthesis of flight results of the Cactus accelerometer for accelerations below 10−9g

The Cactus accelerometer, developed at ONERA and making up the payload of the Castor satellite, has been operating continuously and normally for 40 months. Thanks to the great quantity of data acquired and to a well adapted processing technique, acceleration measurements were in fact obtained with a better sensitivity than that expected before launch.This paper presents a synthesis of the work carried out in the past year and concerning the measurement of very low accelerations. These are due, for the most part, to the Earth IR radiation pressure when the satellite is in the Earth's shadow, and to the thrust it is subjected to under the influence of the anisotropy of its own radiation.