Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A new laser-ranged satellite for General Relativity and space geodesy: IV. Thermal drag and the LARES 2 space experiment

  • Regular Article
  • Published:
The European Physical Journal Plus Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract.

In three previous papers we presented the LARES 2 space experiment aimed at a very accurate test of frame-dragging and at other tests of fundamental physics and measurements of space geodesy and geodynamics. We presented the error sources in the LARES 2 experiment, its error budget, Monte Carlo simulations and covariance analyses confirming an accuracy of a few parts per thousand in the test of frame-dragging, and we treated the error due to the uncertainty in the de Sitter effect, a relativistic orbital perturbation. Here we discuss the impact in the error budget of the LARES 2 frame-dragging experiment of the orbital perturbation due to thermal drag or thermal thrust. We show that the thermal drag induces an uncertainty of about one part per thousand in the LARES 2 frame-dragging test, consistent with the error estimates in our previous papers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. I. Ciufolini, Phys. Rev. Lett. 56, 278 (1986)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. I. Ciufolini, Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 4, 3083 (1989)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. B. Tapley, J.C. Ries, R.J. Eanes, M.M. Watkins, NASA-ASI Study on LAGEOS III, CSR-UT publication n. CSR-89-3, Austin, Texas (1989)

  4. I. Ciufolini, ASI-NASA Study on LAGEOS III, CNR, Rome, Italy (1989)

  5. I. Ciufolini, Theory and Experiments in General Relativity and other Metric Theories, PhD Dissertation, Univ. of Texas, Austin (Pub. Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1984)

  6. J.C. Ries, Simulation of an experiment to measure the Lense-Thirring precession using a second LAGEOS satellite, Ph. Dissertation (Univ. of Texas, Austin, 1989)

  7. G.E. Peterson, Estimation of the Lense-Thirring Precession Using Laser-Ranged Satellites, Ph. Dissertation (Univ. of Texas, Austin, 1997)

  8. I. Ciufolini, A. Paolozzi, E.C. Pavlis, G. Sindoni, R. Koenig, J.C. Ries, R. Matzner, V. Gurzadyan, R. Penrose, D. Rubincam, C. Paris, Eur. Phys. J. Plus 132, 336 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. I. Ciufolini, E.C. Pavlis, G. Sindoni, J.C. Ries, A. Paolozzi, R. Koenig, C. Paris, Eur. Phys. J. Plus 132, 337 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. I. Ciufolini, R. Matzner, V. Gurzadyan, R. Penrose, Eur. Phys. J. C 76, 120 (2017)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. V.J. Slabinski, LAGEOS acceleration due to intermittent solar heating during eclipse periods, paper presented at the American Astronomical Society Division on Dynamical Astronomy Meeting, Gaithersburg, Mb., July 25–26 (1998)

  12. G. Afonso, F. Barlier, M. Carpino, P. Farinella, F. Mignard, A. Milani, A.M. Nobili, Ann. Geophys. 7, 501 (1989)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. D.P. Rubincam, J. Geophys. Res. 92, 1287 (1987)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. D.P. Rubincam, J. Geophys. Res. 93, 13805 (1988)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. D.P. Rubincam, J. Geophys. Res. 95, 4881 (1990)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. D. Kucharski, H.-C. Lim, G. Kirchner, J.-Y. Hwang, Adv. Space Res. 52, 1332 (2013)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. D.E. Pavlis, GEODYN operations manuals (Contractor Report, Raytheon, ITSS, Landover MD, 1998)

  18. D.P. Rubincam, Cel. Mech. 26, 361 (1982)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. V.J. Slabinski, Cel. Mech. Dyn. Astron. 66, 131 (1997)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. D.M. Lucchesi, I. Ciufolini, J.I. Andres, E.C. Pavlis, R. Peron, R. Noomen, D.G. Currie, Planet. Space Sci. 52, 699 (2004)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. G. Metris, D. Vokrouhlicky, J.C. Ries, R.J. Eanes, J. Geophys. Res. 102, 2711 (1997)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. B. Bertotti, P. Farinella, D. Vokrouhlicky, Physics of the Solar System: Dynamics and Evolution, Space Physics, and Spacetime Structure, in Astrophysics and Space Science Library, Vol. 293 (Springer Science & Business Media, 2012)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dip. Ingegneria dell’Innovazione, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy

    Ignazio Ciufolini

  2. Centro Fermi, Rome, Italy

    Ignazio Ciufolini & Claudio Paris

  3. Theory Group, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA

    Richard A. Matzner & Justin C. Feng

  4. Scuola di Ingegneria Aerospaziale, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy

    Antonio Paolozzi & Giampiero Sindoni

  5. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA

    David P. Rubincam

  6. Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET) University of Maryland, Baltimore County, USA

    Erricos C. Pavlis

  7. Center for Space Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA

    John C. Ries

Authors
  1. Ignazio Ciufolini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Richard A. Matzner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Justin C. Feng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Antonio Paolozzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. David P. Rubincam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Erricos C. Pavlis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. John C. Ries
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Giampiero Sindoni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Claudio Paris
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ignazio Ciufolini.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ciufolini, I., Matzner, R.A., Feng, J.C. et al. A new laser-ranged satellite for General Relativity and space geodesy: IV. Thermal drag and the LARES 2 space experiment. Eur. Phys. J. Plus 133, 333 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/i2018-12174-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/i2018-12174-y

Search

Navigation