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GRGM900C: A degree 900 lunar gravity model from GRAIL primary and extended mission data
Author(s) -
Lemoine Frank G.,
Goossens Sander,
Sabaka Terence J.,
Nicholas Joseph B.,
Mazarico Erwan,
Rowlands David D.,
Loomis Bryant D.,
Chinn Douglas S.,
Neumann Gregory A.,
Smith David E.,
Zuber Maria T.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2014gl060027
Subject(s) - degree (music) , geodesy , spherical harmonics , geology , range (aeronautics) , gravitational field , physics , geophysics , astronomy , aerospace engineering , acoustics , quantum mechanics , engineering
We have derived a gravity field solution in spherical harmonics to degree and order 900, GRGM900C, from the tracking data of the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) Primary (1 March to 29 May 2012) and Extended Missions (30 August to 14 December 2012). A power law constraint of 3.6 ×10 −4 / ℓ 2 was applied only for degree ℓ greater than 600. The model produces global correlations of gravity, and gravity predicted from lunar topography of ≥ 0.98 through degree 638. The model's degree strength varies from a minimum of 575–675 over the central nearside and farside to 900 over the polar regions. The model fits the Extended Mission Ka‐Band Range Rate data through 17 November 2012 at 0.13 μm/s RMS, whereas the last month of Ka‐Band Range‐Rate data obtained from altitudes of 2–10 km fit at 0.98 μm/s RMS, indicating that there is still signal inherent in the tracking data beyond degree 900.