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Gravity Recovery by Kinematic State Vector Perturbation from Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking for GRACE-like Orbits over Long Arcs

Habana, Nlingilili Oarabile Kgosietsile
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3993-775X
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1578042687104082

Abstract Details

2020, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Geodetic Science.
To improve on the understanding of Earth dynamics, a perturbation theory aimed at geopotential recovery, based on purely kinematic state vectors, is implemented. The method was originally proposed in the study by Xu (2008). It is a perturbation method based on Cartesian coordinates that is not subject to singularities that burden most conventional methods of gravity recovery from satellite-to-satellite tracking. The principal focus of the theory is to make the gravity recovery process more efficient, for example, by reducing the number of nuisance parameters associated with arc endpoint conditions in the estimation process. The theory aims to do this by maximizing the benefits of pure kinematic tracking by GNSS over long arcs. However, the practical feasibility of this theory has never been tested numerically. In this study, the formulation of the perturbation theory is first modified to make it numerically practicable. It is then shown, with realistic simulations, that Xu’s original goal of an iterative solution is not achievable under the constraints imposed by numerical integration error. As such, a non-iterative alternative approach is implemented, instead. Finally, the principles of this modified procedure are applied to the Schneider (1968) model, improving the original model by an order of magnitude for high-low satellite-to-satellite tracking (SST). The new model is also adapted to the processing of low-low SST, and a combination thereof, i.e. GRACE-like missions. In validating the linearized model for multiple-day-long arcs, it is revealed (through simulated GRACE-like orbits) to be at least as accurate as (or in some cases better than) the GRACE K-band range-rate nominal precision of 0.1 μm/s. Further application of the model to simulated recovery of spherical harmonic coefficients is shown to achieve accuracies commensurate to other models in practice today.
Michael Durand (Advisor)
Christopher Jekeli (Advisor)
Steven Lower (Committee Member)
178 p.
Applied Mathematics; Earth; Geophysical; Geophysics; Statistics
gravitation; SST; GRACE; perturbation theory; long arcs; kinematic orbits; satellite-to-satellite tracking; gravity recovery; spherical harmonic estimation;

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Habana, N. O. K. (2020). Gravity Recovery by Kinematic State Vector Perturbation from Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking for GRACE-like Orbits over Long Arcs [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1578042687104082

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Habana, Nlingilili. Gravity Recovery by Kinematic State Vector Perturbation from Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking for GRACE-like Orbits over Long Arcs. 2020. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1578042687104082.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Habana, Nlingilili. "Gravity Recovery by Kinematic State Vector Perturbation from Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking for GRACE-like Orbits over Long Arcs." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1578042687104082

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1578042687104082
175
© 2020, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Gravity Recovery by Kinematic State Vector Perturbation from Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking for GRACE-like Orbits over Long Arcs by Nlingilili Oarabile Kgosietsile Habana is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.