Enhancing the precision limits of interferometric satellite geodesy missions
Abstract Satellite geodesy uses the measurement of the motion of one or more satellites to infer precise information about the Earth’s gravitational field. In this work, we consider the achievable precision limits on such measurements by examining approximate models for the three main noise sources...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2022-06-01
|
| Series: | npj Microgravity |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-022-00204-9 |
| _version_ | 1797428261277401088 |
|---|---|
| author | Lorcán O. Conlon Thibault Michel Giovanni Guccione Kirk McKenzie Syed M. Assad Ping Koy Lam |
| author_facet | Lorcán O. Conlon Thibault Michel Giovanni Guccione Kirk McKenzie Syed M. Assad Ping Koy Lam |
| author_sort | Lorcán O. Conlon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Satellite geodesy uses the measurement of the motion of one or more satellites to infer precise information about the Earth’s gravitational field. In this work, we consider the achievable precision limits on such measurements by examining approximate models for the three main noise sources in the measurement process of the current Gravitational Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Follow-On mission: laser phase noise, accelerometer noise and quantum noise. We show that, through time-delay interferometry, it is possible to remove the laser phase noise from the measurement, allowing for almost three orders of magnitude improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio. Several differential mass satellite formations are presented which can further enhance the signal-to-noise ratio through the removal of accelerometer noise. Finally, techniques from quantum optics have been studied, and found to have great promise for reducing quantum noise in other alternative mission configurations. We model the spectral noise performance using an intuitive 1D model and verify that our proposals have the potential to greatly enhance the performance of near-future satellite geodesy missions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T08:55:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c4dc55ebc9e543be8a7d481ee086c7ad |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2373-8065 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T08:55:29Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Microgravity |
| spelling | doaj.art-c4dc55ebc9e543be8a7d481ee086c7ad2023-12-02T13:14:41ZengNature Portfolionpj Microgravity2373-80652022-06-018111010.1038/s41526-022-00204-9Enhancing the precision limits of interferometric satellite geodesy missionsLorcán O. Conlon0Thibault Michel1Giovanni Guccione2Kirk McKenzie3Syed M. Assad4Ping Koy Lam5Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, Department of Quantum Science, Australian National UniversityCentre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, Department of Quantum Science, Australian National UniversityCentre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, Department of Quantum Science, Australian National UniversityCentre for Gravitational Astrophysics (CGA), Research School of Physics, The Australian National UniversityCentre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, Department of Quantum Science, Australian National UniversityCentre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, Department of Quantum Science, Australian National UniversityAbstract Satellite geodesy uses the measurement of the motion of one or more satellites to infer precise information about the Earth’s gravitational field. In this work, we consider the achievable precision limits on such measurements by examining approximate models for the three main noise sources in the measurement process of the current Gravitational Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Follow-On mission: laser phase noise, accelerometer noise and quantum noise. We show that, through time-delay interferometry, it is possible to remove the laser phase noise from the measurement, allowing for almost three orders of magnitude improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio. Several differential mass satellite formations are presented which can further enhance the signal-to-noise ratio through the removal of accelerometer noise. Finally, techniques from quantum optics have been studied, and found to have great promise for reducing quantum noise in other alternative mission configurations. We model the spectral noise performance using an intuitive 1D model and verify that our proposals have the potential to greatly enhance the performance of near-future satellite geodesy missions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-022-00204-9 |
| spellingShingle | Lorcán O. Conlon Thibault Michel Giovanni Guccione Kirk McKenzie Syed M. Assad Ping Koy Lam Enhancing the precision limits of interferometric satellite geodesy missions npj Microgravity |
| title | Enhancing the precision limits of interferometric satellite geodesy missions |
| title_full | Enhancing the precision limits of interferometric satellite geodesy missions |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing the precision limits of interferometric satellite geodesy missions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing the precision limits of interferometric satellite geodesy missions |
| title_short | Enhancing the precision limits of interferometric satellite geodesy missions |
| title_sort | enhancing the precision limits of interferometric satellite geodesy missions |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-022-00204-9 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lorcanoconlon enhancingtheprecisionlimitsofinterferometricsatellitegeodesymissions AT thibaultmichel enhancingtheprecisionlimitsofinterferometricsatellitegeodesymissions AT giovanniguccione enhancingtheprecisionlimitsofinterferometricsatellitegeodesymissions AT kirkmckenzie enhancingtheprecisionlimitsofinterferometricsatellitegeodesymissions AT syedmassad enhancingtheprecisionlimitsofinterferometricsatellitegeodesymissions AT pingkoylam enhancingtheprecisionlimitsofinterferometricsatellitegeodesymissions |