HR: 0800h
AN: SA11A-0288    [Abstracts]
TI: Precision Satellite Orbit Derived Total Density
AU: * McLaughlin, C A
EM: craigm@ku.edu
AF: University of Kansas, 1530 W 15th St, Lawrence, KS 66045, United States
AU: Bieber, B
EM: ben.bieber@und.edu
AF: University of North Dakota, 4149 University Ave Box 9008, Grand Forks, ND 58202, United States
AU: Hiatt, A
EM: ahiatt@ku.edu
AF: University of Kansas, 1530 W 15th St, Lawrence, KS 66045, United States
AB: This research uses precision satellite orbits from the Challenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) satellite to produce a new data source for upper atmospheric density and changes that occur on time scales less than a day. The precision orbit derived density is compared to CHAMP accelerometer derived density to determine the accuracy of using precision orbit derived density. In addition, the precision orbit derived densities are used to examine density variations that have been observed with accelerometer data to see if they are observable. Currently highly accurate density data is available from three satellites with accelerometers and much lower accuracy data is available from hundreds of satellites for which two-line element sets are available from the Air Force. This paper explores a new data source that is more accurate and has better temporal resolution than the two-line element sets, and provides better spatial coverage than satellites with accelerometers. This data source will be valuable for studying atmospheric phenomena over short periods, for long term studies of the atmosphere, and for validating and improving complex coupled models that include neutral density. The objective of this research is to validate the use of precision orbit data to derive thermospheric density data sets using data from CHAMP. The technique for estimating density is optimal orbit determination. The estimates are optimal in the least squares or minimum variance sense. Precision orbit data from CHAMP is used as measurements in a sequential measurement processing and filtering scheme, which is a type of Kalman filter. The atmospheric density is estimated as a correction to an atmospheric model. Two corrections are applied to the model. The first is a baseline correction that is derived from historical measurements. The second is a dynamic correction based on current conditions and using the measurements.
DE: 3394 Instruments and techniques
DE: 7969 Satellite drag (1241)
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting