AOGS-RAC LLWG Online Seminar Series No. 2. Title: Introduction to upper atmosphere coupling and advances thermospheric mass density retrieval
10/17/2022, 16:00 (GMT+8) Speaker: Prof. Andres Calabai (Technical University of Madrid) ETSI Topografía, Geodesia y Cartografía-UPM
Space weather effects on human activity emphasize the need to better understand the Sun-Earth interactions, especially during geomagnetic storms, and to prevent the possible detrimental effects on human technologies. For example, in low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, the orbital disturbance due to aerodynamic drag results from variations in atmospheric density, which also depends on solar and magnetospheric activity. Unfortunately, atmospheric density measurements at LEO are very difficult and expensive to obtain with traditional methods, such as accelerometers onboard satellites. However, a new methodology developed by Dr. Andres Calabia during his research in China, which is based on GNSS measurement data, has verified the possibility of accurately estimating densities with high resolution. This new methodology obtains the thermospheric mass densities from the first derivatives of the satellites’ velocities. In this method, real-time gravity models are used to extract the drag accelerations. These new observations are an essential product for investigating and interpreting the complex processes in the upper atmosphere, and for testing, validating, and developing geophysical models. This talk provides a detailed review of the current state-of-the-art on thermosphere monitoring with GNSS Precise Orbits.
Further information: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdyqV7SjSatWGh1no-gAPuIylGelcMv1jV_sP9Q8XEbHFMpyw/viewform
Prof. Dr. Andrés Calabia Aibar
