Space-Wise,Time-Wise,Torus and Rosborough Representations in Gravity Field Modelling

The decade of the geopotentials started July 2000 with the launch of the German high-low SST mission CHAMP. Together with the joint NASA-DLR low-low SST mission GRACE and the ESA gradiometry mission GOCE an unprecedented wealth of geopotential data becomes available over the next few years. Due to the sheer number of unknown gravity field parameters (up to 100 000) and of observations (millions), especially the latter two missions are highly demanding in terms of computational requirements. In this paper several modelling strategies are presented that are based on a semi-analytical approach. In this approach the set of normal equations becomes block-diagonal with maximum block-sizes smaller than the spherical harmonic degree of resolution. The block-diagonality leads to a rapid and powerful gravity field analysis tool. Beyond the more-or-less conventional space-wise and time-wise formulations, the torus approach and Rosborough's representation are discussed. A trade-off between pros and cons of each of the modelling strategies will be given. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Semi-stochastic modification of second-order radial derivative of Abel–Poisson’s formula for validating satellite gravity gradiometry data

The geoid can be used to validate the satellite gravity gradiometry data. Validation of such data is important prior to their downward continuation because of amplification of the data errors through this process. In this paper, the second-order radial derivative of Abel–Poisson’s formula is modified stochastically to reduce the effect of the far-zone geoid and generate the second-order radial derivative of geopotential at 250 km level. The numerical studies over Fennoscandia show that this method yields the gradients with an error of 10 mE and when the long wavelength of geoid is removed from the estimator and restored after the computations (remove–compute–restore) the error will be in 1 mE level. We name this method semi-stochastic modification. The best case scenario is found when the degree of modification of the integral formula is 200 and the long wavelength geoid to degree 100 is removed and restored. In this case the geoid should have a resolution of 15′ × 15′ and the integration should be performed over a cap size of 3°.     

Optimization and verification of free flight separation similarity law in high-speed wind tunnel

Based on the similarity of separation time, a similarity law optimization method for high-speed weapon delivery test is derived. The typical separation state under wind load is simulated by the numerical method. The real separation data of aircraft, separation data of previous test methods, separation data of ideal wind tunnel test of previous methods, and simulation data of the proposed optimization method are obtained. A comparison of the data shows that the method proposed can improve the performance of tracking. Similarity law optimization starts with the development of motion equations and dynamic equations in the windless state to address the problems of mismatching between vertical and horizontal displacement, and to address the problems of separation trajectory distortion caused by insufficient gravity acceleration of the scaling model of existing light model. The ejection velocity of the model is taken as a factor/vector, and is adjusted reasonably to compensate the linear displacement insufficiency caused by the insufficient vertical acceleration of the light model method, so as to ensure the matching of the vertical and horizontal displacement of the projectile, and to improve the consistency between the test results of high-speed projection and the actual separation trajectory. The optimized similarity law is applicable to many existing free-throwing modes of high-speed wind tunnels. The optimized similarity law is not affected by the ejection velocity and hanging mode of the projectile. The optimized similarity law is suitable not only for the launching of the buried ammunition compartment and external stores, but also for the test design of projectile launching and gravity separation.     

GRACE gravity field modeling with an investigation on correlation between nuisance parameters and gravity field coefficients

The GRACE (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment) monthly gravity models have been independently produced and published by several research institutions, such as Center for Space Research (CSR), GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and Delft Institute of Earth Observation and Space Systems (DEOS). According to their processing standards, above institutions use the traditional variational approach except that the DEOS exploits the acceleration approach. The background force models employed are rather similar. The produced gravity field models generally agree with one another in the spatial pattern. However, there are some discrepancies in the gravity signal amplitude between solutions produced by different institutions. In particular, 10%–30% signal amplitude differences in some river basins can be observed. In this paper, we implemented a variant of the traditional variational approach and computed two sets of monthly gravity field solutions using the data from January 2005 to December 2006. The input data are K-band range-rates (KBRR) and kinematic orbits of GRACE satellites. The main difference in the production of our two types of models is how to deal with nuisance parameters. This type of parameters is necessary to absorb low-frequency errors in the data, which are mainly the aliasing and instrument errors. One way is to remove the nuisance parameters before estimating the geopotential coefficients, called NPARB approach in the paper. The other way is to estimate the nuisance parameters and geopotential coefficients simultaneously, called NPESS approach. These two types of solutions mainly differ in geopotential coefficients from degree 2 to 5. This can be explained by the fact that the nuisance parameters and the gravity field coefficients are highly correlated, particularly at low degrees. We compare these solutions with the official and published ones by means of spectral analysis. It is found that our solutions are, in general, consistent with others in the spatial pattern. The water storage variations of the Amazon, Chari and Ganges river basins have also been computed. The variations computed with the NPARB approach are closer to those produced by JPL and DEOS solutions, while the variations produced with the NPESS approach are in good agreement with those produced by the CSR and GFZ solutions. A simulation study is implemented with considering realistic noise and low-frequency error. The two approaches are used to recover the true model. The NPESS solution appears closer to the true one. Therefore we are inclined to estimate the nuisance parameters simultaneously with the geopential coefficients.     

A comparative and numerical study of effects of gravity waves in small miss-distance and miss-time GPS radio occultation temperature profiles

The Global Positioning System (GPS) Radio Occultation (RO) technique has global coverage and is capable of generating high vertical resolution temperature profiles of the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere with sub-Kelvin accuracy and long-term stability, regardless of weather conditions. In this work, we take advantage of the anomalously high density of occultation events at the eastern side of the highest Andes Mountains during the initial mission months of COSMIC (Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate). This region is well-known for its high wave activity. We choose to study two pairs of GPS RO, both containing two occultations that occurred close in time and space. One pair shows significant differences between both temperature profiles. Numerical simulations with a mesoscale model were performed, in order to understand this discrepancy. It is attributed to the presence of a horizontal inhomogeneous structure caused by gravity waves.     

Gravity wave momentum flux generation close to mid-latitude Andes in mesoscale simulations of late 20th and 21st centuries

Adequate representations of diverse dynamical processes in general circulation models (GCM) are necessary to obtain reliable simulations of the present and the future. The parameterization of orographic gravity wave drag (GWD) is one of the critical components of GCM. It is therefore convenient to evaluate whether standard orographic GWD parameterizations are appropriate. One alternative is to study the generation of gravity waves (GW) with horizontal resolutions that are higher than those used in current GCM simulations. Here we assess the seasonal pattern of topographic GW momentum flux (GWMF) generation for the late 20th and 21st centuries in a downscaling using the Rossby Centre regional atmospheric model under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change A1B emission conditions. We focus on one of the world’s strongest extra-tropical GW zones, the Andes Mountains at mid-latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere. The presence of two GCM sub-grid scale structures locally contributing to GWMF (one positive and one negative) is found to the East of the mountains. For the late 21st century the strength of these structures during the GW high season increases around 23% with respect to the late 20th century, but the GWMF average over GCM grid cell scales remains negative and nearly constant around −0.015 Pa. This constitutes a steady significant contribution during GW high season, which is not related to the GWMF released by individual sporadic strong GW events. This characteristic agrees with the fact that no statistically significant variation in GWMF at source level has been observed in recent GCM simulations of atmospheric change induced by increases in greenhouse gases.     

惯导平台式重力测量技术实现及应用

详细阐述了解析方位双轴惯导平台式重力测量的工作原理,并通过基于方位余弦积的惯导力学编排解决了极区工作问题。在常规平台式重力测量数据处理方法的基础上,针对高动态环境提出了基于Kalman滤波的运动扰动修正方法。在此基础上研制了ZL11-1A型国产惯导平台式海洋重力仪。通过与国外主流重力仪产品海上同船作业比对,结果表明,该型重力仪在高海况下测量精度依然优于1mGal,满足重力测量作业要求。     

航天员微重力作业训练系统重力补偿控制策略

针对航天员微重力作业训练系统的重力场补偿控制这一关键技术,进行了理论和实验研究。分析了模拟微重力环境的机理,确定了微重力作业训练系统的总体结构方案,提出了一种基于电流反馈的重力补偿控制及多干扰力补偿控制策略。通过虚拟重力补偿控制实验,验证了在地面环境、动态作业过程中,模拟物体在不同空间重力加速度环境下的运动规律,实现了在重力方向模拟空间环境下物体移动的作业训练效果。研究成果为在地面实现三维作业训练系统的控制奠定了基础。     

影响环月飞行器定轨精度的误差源分析

以我国正在实施的探月计划“嫦娥1号”工程为背案,在现有测控网分布、观测弧段以及尽可能接近真实情况的误差源等前提下,利用仿真模拟的方法对影响环月飞行器定轨精度的误差源进行了初步探讨和分析。重点考察了月球重力场误差、观测量精度、初始时刻的先验轨道误差以及观测资料类型等对环月飞行器定轨精度的影响。     

自由段弹道扰动引力计算的球谐函数极点变换

为提高弹道导弹自由段扰动引力赋值速度,提出了自由段扰动引力计算的球谐函数极点变换一般方法。重点针对轨道动量矩与天球交点为极点及主动段关机点为极点两种情况,推导了考虑侧向偏差和地球旋转修正的扰动引力计算的球谐函数极点变换模型。仿真分析表明:从落点偏差来看,前者扰动引力计算相对误差为1.89%,后者为6.07%,满足诸元和制导精度要求。