It is shown here that, under certain conditions, the low-frequency accelerations on experiments being performed aboard orbiting spacecraft due to gravity gradient, atmospheric drag, and spacecraft attitude or orientation can cause sustained fluid motions which require correction by advanced mass compensation techniques. The gravity gradient tensor is derived, and an expression for the difference between the absolute accelerations of a free particle and the mass center of the spacecraft is obtained. A model for the variation of atmospheric density with altitude is discussed, the equations governing the relative motion of a drag-free particle with respect to the mass center of the spacecraft are presented, and analytical and numerical solutions are obtained. Two possible spacecraft altitudes are considered. The problem of the Stokes motion of a sphere immersed in a viscous fluid is examined. Results are presented for the motion of a steel ball in water and for a triglycine sulfate crystal freely suspended in solution.
Residual motions caused by micro-gravitational accelerations
1987-06-01
Miscellaneous
No indication
English
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