Reassessment of the charge and neutral drag of Lageos and its geophysical implications

Details Reassessment of the charge and neutral drag of Lageos and its geophysical implications Reassessment of the charge and neutral drag of Lageos and its geophysical implications

Sep 1985

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1985jgr....90.9381a&link_type=abstract

Journal of Geophysical Research (ISSN 0148-0227), vol. 90, Sept. 30, 1985, p. 9381-9398.

Physics

Geophysics

27

Geophysics, Lageos (Satellite), Satellite Drag, Spacecraft Charging, Electric Potential, Electrostatic Drag, Ionic Collisions, Particle Trajectories, Protons, Scattering Cross Sections

Scientific paper

The semimajor axis of Lageos's orbit exhibits a secular decrease upon which periodic variations are superimposed. This secular decrease cannot be explained by gravitational effects, radiation pressure, the Poynting-Robertson effect, and various electromagnetic effects. On the other hand, charge drag appears to be a possible cause. However, the problem is not definitely settled. An accurate model of the physical phenomena at work to produce the observed orbital decay of Lageos toward the earth would involve unknown basic parameters such as the density and the ionic temperature. The present paper has the objective to model the neutral and electric drag experienced by Lageos. The obtained model is inverted to draw geophysical conclusions connected with the physical state of the earth's plasmasphere. The results of this study confirm earlier conclusions that the charge drag is the most likely origin for the unmodeled secular decrease of the semimajor axis of Lageos.

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