Improved Procedures for the Recovery of 5 degrees Mean Gravity Anomalies from ATS-6/GEOS-3 Satellite to Satellite Range-Rate Observations Using Least Squares Collocation,

Abstract

The prediction of 5 deg mean gravity anomalies is considered by collocation from ATS-6/GEOS-3 satellite to satellite range-rate observations. The auto and cross-covariances of the residual line of sight accelerations R-double dot from GEOS-3 to ATS-6 are computed rigorously in the anomalous potential field. The raw residual range-rate R-dot values are filtered and smoothed by approximating them in a least squares sense by a cubic spline function, and the residual accelerations R-double dot are obtained as the first derivatives of the spline. Experiments are described to fit the raw R-dot values by a spline function with variable knots, and to remove any linear trend from R-double dot values due to residual errors in initial state vectors. The correlation coefficients between the predicted values of neighboring anomalies are considered. Inspite of low density of range-rate data directly over the anomalies, and the high noise level of the destruct-doppler data, it appears that 5 deg anomalies can be predicted with a standard deviation of 6 mgals. It is found that these predicted anomalies agree much better with the altimeter anomalies than the anomalies implied by PGS 110 field.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1978
Accession Number
ADA063990

Entities

People

  • D. P. Hajela

Organizations

  • Ohio State University

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Computations
  • Computer Science
  • Coordinate Systems
  • Covariance
  • Equations
  • Equations Of Motion
  • Geometry
  • Gravitational Fields
  • Gravity
  • Gravity Anomalies
  • Jet Propulsion
  • Line Of Sight
  • Numerical Integration
  • Orbital Elements
  • Time Intervals
  • Urban Areas

Readers

  • Geodesy
  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.
  • Statistical inference.

Technology Areas

  • Space