Highlights Point mass sensitivity M3 is a new concept for orbiting gravimetric missions. M3 can be computed from orbital parameters and satellite instrument noise. The optimum satellite separation is found. Future missions promise to improve M3 to as small as 7 Mton.

    Abstract Frequency-domain expressions are found for gradiometer and satellite-to-satellite tracking measurements of a point source on the surface of the Earth. The maximum signal-to-noise ratio as a function of noise in the measurement apparatus is computed, and from that the minimum detectable point mass is inferred. A point mass of magnitude M 3 = 100 Gt gives a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 when a GOCE-like gradiometer passes directly over the mass. On the satellite-to-satellite tracking mission GRACE-FO M 3 = 1.3 Gt for the microwave instrument and M 3 = 0.5 Gt for the laser ranging interferometer. The sensitivity of future GRACE-like missions with different orbital parameters and improved accelerometer sensitivity is explored, and the optimum spacecraft separation for detecting point-like sources is found. The future-mission benefit of improving the accelerometer sensitivity for measurement of non-gravitational disturbances is shown by the resulting reduction of M 3 , to as small as 7 Mt for 500 km orbital altitude and optimized satellite separation of 900 km.


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    Title :

    Point-mass sensitivity of gravimetric satellites


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Advances in Space Research ; 67 , 5 ; 1656-1664


    Publication date :

    2020-12-13


    Size :

    9 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English




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