Gravitational Field Research Articles

Contribution of landmark-tracking data to the estimation of the gravity field and rotation parameters of 311P/PANSTARRS for the incoming Tianwen-2 space mission

311P/PANSTARRS is one of the two targets of the Chinese asteroid exploration mission Tianwen-II. The estimation of the gravity field and rotation parameters is an important part of the mission. Optical landmark observations directly record the relative relationship between the asteroid and probe. For this purpose, we investigate the role of the addition of landmark observations to radio-tracking data in achieving precise orbit determination and deriving the physical parameters of 311P. More specifically, we use a linear re-weighting fusion scheme to aggregate these two heterogeneous data to determine 311P's gravitational field and rotational parameters. Our results show that landmark observations enhance parameter estimation drastically. We conduct extensive experiments to understand how to optimize the use of landmark observations. Besides, we find that the upper bound error on 311P ephemeris for estimating a 2nd-degree gravity field model is 5 km.

Compressibility effects on Rayleigh-Taylor instability in magnetized strongly coupled dusty plasma

The compressibility effects have been studied on the internal wave modes and Rayleigh-Taylor (R-T) instability in a magnetized strongly coupled dusty plasma (SCDP). A dusty fluid model is constructed considering the effects of weakly coupled electrons/ions and strongly coupled dust grains under the influence of the gravitational field. The effects of the magnetic field and viscoelastic coefficients have been incorporated under the generalized hydrodynamic (GH) fluid description in a quasineutral dusty plasma. The dispersion relation of R-T instability is derived analytically and discussed in the strongly coupled limit. The compressibility effects have appeared in the internal wave modes, significantly modifying the R-T instability criterion and growth rates. The Coulomb coupling parameter and dust magnetosonic speed suppress the growth rate of the R-T instability in a compressible SCDP.

Improved gravity field estimation by incorporating the Tiangong Space Station and next-generation CAI satellite gravity mission

The next-generation gravity satellite mission equipped with the Cold Atom Interferometry (CAI) gradiometer has great potential for the Earth's gravity field estimation. Deploying a CAI gradiometer on the Chinese Tiangong Space Station launched for long-term Earth science research not only reduces the cost compared to a dual-satellite constellation but also enhances interdisciplinary collaboration in the Earth's gravity field detection. In this study, we conducted gravity gradient-based simulations to assess the contribution of deploying a CAI gradiometer on the Tiangong Space Station to collaboratively observe the Earth's gravity field with a polar-orbit gravity satellite. The simulation results demonstrate that whether utilizing Vyy component, three diagonal components or full components, the derived gravity field models show significant improvements within 100 degree and above 200 degree after incorporating Tiangong Space Station. In particular, the gravity field solution recovered from three diagonal components achieves the best accuracy. In the case of using diagonal components, the collaboration observation scheme effectively reduced the cumulative geoid height error by approximately 5.3cm (300 d/o). In the spatial domain, the incorporation of the Tiangong Space Station primarily impacts the estimated gravity field within the orbital coverage area of the space station, and this effect is particularly pronounced when just employing Vyy component. However, due to the limitation of angular velocity observation inaccuracy associated with the CAI gradiometer in nadir mode, there is no substantial accuracy improvement observed above 200 degree when adding gradient components.

Quasinormal modes and greybody factor of a Lorentz-violating black hole

Recently, a static spherically symmetric black hole solution was found in gravity nonminimally coupled a background Kalb-Ramond field. The Lorentz symmetry is spontaneously broken when the Kalb-Ramond field has a nonvanishing vacuum expectation value. In this work, we focus on the quasinormal modes and greybody factor of this black hole. The master equations for the perturbed scalar field, electromagnetic field, and gravitational field can be written into a Schrödinger equation. We use three methods to solve the quasinormal frequencies in the frequency domain. The results agree well with each other. The time evolution of a Gaussian wave packet is studied. The quasinormal frequencies fitted from the time evolution data agree well with that of frequency domain. The greybody factor is calculated by Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) method. The effect of the Lorentz-violating parameter on the quasinormal modes and greybody factor are also studied.

A theoretical perspective on the almost dark galaxy Nube: exploring the fuzzy dark matter model

In recent astronomical observations, an almost dark galaxy, designated as Nube, has unveiled an intriguing anomaly in its stellar distribution. Specifically, Nube exhibits an exceptionally low central brightness, with the 2D half-light radius of its stars far exceeding the typical values found in dwarf galaxies, and even surpassing those observed in ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs). This phenomenon is difficult to explain within the framework of cold dark matter (CDM). Meanwhile, due to its ultralight particle mass, fuzzy dark matter (FDM) exhibits a de Broglie wavelength on the order of kiloparsecs under the typical velocities of galaxies. The interference between different modes of the FDM wave gives rise to fluctuations in the gravitational field, which can lead to the dynamical heating of stars within galaxies, resulting in an expansion of their spatial distribution. In this paper, we aim to interpret the anomalous stellar distribution observed in Nube as a consequence of the dynamical heating effect induced by FDM. Our findings suggest that a FDM particle mass around 1-2 × 10-23 eV can effectively account for this anomaly. And we propose that the FDM dynamical heating effect provides a new insight into understanding the formation of field UDGs.

Deriving Schwarzschild metric from vacuum zero-point energy

In this paper, we study the correspondence between the three-dimensional and one-dimensional physical quantity in the spherically symmetric gravitational fields and we obtain a conjecture that the total energy enclosed by the two-dimensional sphere is equal to twice the change in vacuum zero-point energy of a one-dimensional circle that is the boundary of a hemispherical sphere, we can naturally obtain Schwarzschild metric without relying on Einstein's gravitational field equation under this conjecture, the result leads us to conclude that gravity originates from the change of zero-point energy in the one-dimensional vacuum.

Forecast of Joint Analysis of Cosmic Shear and Supernovae Magnification from the CSST and LSST

Cosmic shear and cosmic magnification reflect the same gravitational lensing field. Each of these two probes are affected by different systematics. We study the auto- and cross-correlations of cosmic shear from the China Space Survey Telescope and cosmic magnification of supernovae from the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. We want to determine to what extent, by adding the magnification data, we can remove the systematic bias in cosmic shear measurements. We generate mock shear/magnification maps based on the correlation between different tomographic bins. After obtaining the corrected power spectra, we adopt the Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique to fit the theoretical models and investigate the constraints on the cosmological and nuisance parameters. We find that, with only the cosmic shear data, there are 1σ biases in the σ 8 and intrinsic alignment model parameters. By adding the magnification data, we are able to remove these biases perfectly.

Inflationary initial conditions for the cosmological gravitational wave background

The initial conditions on the anisotropies of the stochastic gravitational-wave background of cosmological origin (CGWB) largely depend on the mechanism that generates the gravitational waves. Since the CGWB is expected to be non-thermal, the computation of the initial conditions could be more challenging w.r.t. the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), whose interactions with other particles in the early Universe lead to a blackbody spectrum. In this paper, we show that the initial conditions for the cosmological background generated by quantum fluctuations of the metric during inflation deviate from adiabaticity. These primordial gravitational waves are indeed generated by quantum fluctuations of two independent degrees of freedom (the two polarization states of the gravitons). Furthermore, the CGWB plays a negligible role in the Einstein's equations, because its energy density is subdominant w.r.t. ordinary matter. Therefore, the only possible way to compute the initial conditions for inflationary gravitons is to perturb the energy-momentum tensor of the gravitational field defined in term of the small-scale tensor perturbation of the metric. This new and self-consistent approach shows that a large, non-adiabatic initial condition is present even during the single-field inflation. Such a contribution enhances the total angular power spectrum of the CGWB compared to the standard adiabatic case, increasing also the sensitivity of the anisotropies to the presence of relativistic and decoupled particles in the early Universe. In this work we have also proved that our findings are quite general and apply to both single-field inflation and other scenarios in which the CGWB is generated by the quantum fluctuations of the metric, like the curvaton.

A triple emulsion droplet in a uniform flow

The fluid mechanics problem of a triple emulsion droplet in a uniform creeping flow is theoretically studied. The triple emulsion, submerged in an external fluid 1, is composed of an inner spherical drop (fluid 4), covered by a spherical shell (fluid 3), which is subsequently covered by another spherical shell (fluid 2). In the absence of a body force, eight parameters are governed: the Capillary number (Ca), three viscosity ratios (λ21, λ32, λ43), two radii ratios (K, k), and two-surface tension ratios (M, m). If all surfaces remain spherical and concentric, five parameters (λ21, λ32, λ43, K, k) are sufficient. Expressions for the stream functions and the drag forces were obtained to calculate the terminal velocity of the triple emulsion falling or rising in a stagnant fluid under the influence of gravity. With gravity, four additional parameters are needed: the ratio of the buoyancy force to the external viscous force (B), and three density ratios (γ21, γ31, γ41). To remain concentric, all surfaces must have the same velocity (magnitude and direction). This results in two restricted parameters, but even then, not every combination of parameters leads to a physical solution. Our findings suggest that the terminal velocity of a triple emulsion is equal to or lower than that of a double emulsion, which is subsequently equal to or lower than that of a single drop. Similar to single and double emulsion droplets, no deformation takes place in a concentric spherical triple emulsion subjected to a gravitational field under creeping flow conditions.

FLRW cosmology in Weyl type f(Q) gravity and observational constraints

Inspired by various works in a Weyl type f(Q) gravity to reduce some serious problems in General Relativity Theory (GR), we develop a model of the universe in a Weyl type f(Q) gravity which shows the transition from a decelerating state to an accelerating state of the universe at present when we consider a particular functional form of the f(Q) gravity as f(Q)=(H02)(α1+α2log(H0−2Q)). We numerically solve Weyl type f(Q) gravity field equations and obtain the numerical solutions to the Hubble parameter, deceleration parameter, distance modulus, and the apparent magnitudes of stellar objects using Ia Supernovae. Also, we obtain numerical solutions for the Weyl vector w, non-metricity scalar Q, and the Lagrangian multiplier λ appearing in the action of f(Q) gravity. We compare our model with the error bar plots of the observed Hubble dataset of 77 points, SNIa datasets of 580 points, and 1048 supernova Pantheon datasets of the apparent magnitudes, and the statistical analysis using Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO). It is found that our results fit well with the observed values. The model envisages a unique feature: although the universe is filled with perfect fluid as dust whose pressure is zero, the Weyl vector dominance f(Q) creates acceleration.

A spatial-varying non-isotropic Gaussian-based convolution filter for smoothing GRACE-like temporal gravity fields

A spatial-varying non-isotropic Gaussian-based convolution filter for smoothing GRACE-like temporal gravity fields

Joint analysis of JUICE and Europa Clipper tracking data to study the Jovian system ephemerides and dissipative parameters

Context. Jupiter and its moons form a complex dynamical system that includes several coupling dynamics at different frequencies. In particular the Laplace resonance is fundamental to maintaining the energy dissipation that sustain Io’s volcanic activity and Europa’s subsurface ocean; studying its stability is thus crucial for characterizing the potential habitability of these moons. The origin and evolution of the Laplace resonance is driven by the strong tidal interactions between Jupiter and its Galilean moons, and the future planetary exploration missions JUICE and Europa Clipper could bring new light to this unsolved mechanism. During the Jupiter tours of both missions and JUICE’s Ganymede orbital phase, two-way radiometric range and Doppler data will be acquired between Earth ground stations and the spacecraft, which will be processed to recover the static and time-varying gravity field of the moons. Moreover, range and Doppler data will improve the orbit accuracy of the moons, providing precise measurements of Jupiter’s tidal parameters. Aims. This work presents a covariance analysis of the joint orbit determination of JUICE and Europa Clipper, aimed at quantifying the expected uncertainties on the main parameters that characterize the dynamics of the Jupiter system. Methods. We simulated radio science data from JUICE and Clipper missions under conservative noise assumptions, using a multi-arc approach to estimate the ephemerides and dissipation in the system. Results. Even though JUICE and Europa Clipper will not perform flybys of Io, the strong coupling with Europa and Ganymede will allow an improvement of our knowledge of the Jupiter-Io dissipation parameters thanks to JUICE and Europa Clipper radiometric data. Moreover, the expected uncertainty in Jupiter’s dissipation at the frequency of Callisto could unveil a potential resonance locking mechanism between Jupiter and Callisto.

A new spherical harmonic approach to residual terrain modeling: a case study in the central European Alps

For decades, the residual terrain model (RTM) concept (Forsberg and Tscherning in J Geophys Res Solid Earth 86(B9):7843–7854, https://doi.org/10.1029/JB086iB09p07843, 1981) has been widely used in regional quasigeoid modeling. In the commonly used remove-compute-restore (RCR) framework, RTM provides a topographic reduction commensurate with the spectral resolution of global geopotential models. This is usually achieved by utilizing a long-wavelength (smooth) topography model known as reference topography. For computation points in valleys this neccessitates a harmonic correction (HC) which has been treated in several publications, but mainly with focus on gravity. The HC for the height anomaly only recently attracted more attention, and so far its relevance has yet to be shown also empirically in a regional case study. In this paper, the residual spherical-harmonic topographic potential (RSHTP) approach is introduced as a new technique and compared with the classic RTM. Both techniques are applied to a test region in the central European Alps including validation of the quasigeoid solutions against ground-truthing data. Hence, the practical feasibility and benefits for quasigeoid computations with the RCR technique are demonstrated. Most notably, the RSHTP avoids explicit HC in the first place, and spectral consistency of the residual topographic potential with global geopotential models is inherently achieved. Although one could conclude that thereby the problem of the HC is finally solved, there remain practical reasons for the classic RTM reduction with HC. In this regard, both intra-method comparison and ground-truthing with GNSS/leveling data confirms that the classic RTM (Forsberg and Tscherning 1981; Forsberg in A study of terrain reductions, density anomalies and geophysical inversion methods in gravity field modeling. Report 355, Department of Geodetic Sciences and Surveying, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA, https://earthsciences.osu.edu/sites/earthsciences.osu.edu/files/report-355.pdf, 1984) provides reasonable results also for a high-resolution (degree 2160) RTM, yet neglecting the HC for the height anomaly leads to a systematic bias in deep valleys of up to 10–20 cm.

Symmetry, Unification and Developments on Long-Range Gravitational Field and Electromagnetic Field

First, there has similar electrodynamics in general relativity. Next, the electromagnetic general relativity may be obtained. By the same method of equivalence principle for the electromagnetic field, whose curvatures are different for different ratios of charge to mass. We discussed the four possible tests. Third, for long-range gravitational field and electromagnetic field we research various unifications. Fourth, we discuss the quantization of these unified theories. Finally, nonlinearity and the negative matter are discussed. We believe that these investigations are all a broad space for exploration, and some potential application values.

Nonmetric geometric flows and quasicrystalline topological phases for dark energy and dark matter in f(Q)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$f(Q)$$\\end{document} cosmology

We elaborate on nonmetric geometric flow theory and metric-affine gravity with applications in modern cosmology. Two main motivations for our research follow from the facts that (1) cosmological models for f(Q) modified gravity theories, MGTs, are efficient for describing recent observational data provided by the James Webb Space Telescope; and (2) the statistical thermodynamic properties of such nonmetric locally anisotropic cosmological models can be studied using generalizations of the concept of G. Perelman entropy. We derive nonmetric distorted R. Hamilton and Ricci soliton equations in such canonical nonholonomic variables when corresponding systems of nonlinear PDEs can be decoupled and integrated in general off-diagonal forms. This is possible if we develop and apply the anholonomic frame and connection deformation method involving corresponding types of generating functions and generating sources encoding nonmetric distortions. Using such generic off-diagonal solutions (when the coefficients of metrics and connections may depend generically on all spacetime coordinates), we model accelerating cosmological scenarios with quasi-periodic gravitational and (effective) matter fields; and study topological and nonlinear geometric properties of respective dark energy and dark matter, DE and DM, models. As explicit examples, we analyze some classes of nonlinear symmetries defining topological quasicrystal, QC, phases which can modified to generate other types of quasi-periodic and locally anisotropic structures. The conditions when such nonlinear systems possess a behaviour which is similar to that of the Lambda cold dark matter (Λ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\Lambda $$\\end{document}CDM) scenario are stated. We conclude that nonmetric geometric and cosmological flows can be considered as an alternative to the Λ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\Lambda $$\\end{document}CDM concordance models and speculate on how such theories can be elaborated. This is a partner work with generalizations and applications of the results published by Bubuianu, Vacaru et all. EPJC 84 (2024) 211; 80 (2020) 639; 78 (2018) 393; 78 (2018) 969; and CQG 35 (2018) 245009.

Seminal electromagnetic fields from preinflation

We investigate the geometric dynamics of the primordial electric and magnetic fields during the early stages of the universe by extending a recently introduced quantum algebra (Bellini et al., 2023). We work on an extended model of gravity that considers the boundary terms from the Einstein–Hilbert action as geometric quantum fluctuations of the spacetime. We propose that the extended Riemann manifold is generated by a new connection δΓˆαβμ. This connection contains geometric information about the fluctuations of gravitational and electromagnetic fields in the vacuum, which could have been crucial during the primordial stages of the universe’s evolution. We revisit a preinflationary cosmological model (Bellini, 2023) with a variable time scale and negative spatial curvature, such that the universe begins with a null initial background energy density. We observed the emergence of large scale magnetic fields starting from small values during the early phases of the universe’s evolution. Subsequently, these fields decrease to reach present day values on the order of δBˆ≃10−12G on cosmological scales (between 1024 and 1026 meters). This significant deviation from inflationary models eliminates the need to impose excessively large initial values on these fields.

Неотектоника зоны перехода океан-континент в районе Кот д’Ивуара (Западная Африка)

Structural and geophysical indicators of neotectonics in the area of the continental margin of Côte d'Ivoire are represented in three interacting zones: oceanic, continental and transitional. Together with the time-varying gravitational field, they form a system in which neotectonic processes are enhanced due to their equatorial position. Seismicity is represented by dense clusters of events in the areas of junction of the Strakhov, Sao Paulo and Romansh oceanic transform faults with the continent and their overland continuation. Seismicity and gravity variations show the relationship of deep density changes to stress discharge in the area and the effect of volumetric forces on lithospheric blocks. Free air and isostasy anomalies along the shelf are segmented by the effects of vertical motions. Pull-apart depressions near the passive parts of transform faults indicate basement deformations in the interfault blocks and activation of shear displacements of dextral kinematics near the bend of the passive parts of the faults to the northeast from main oceanic azimuth. Segments with isostasy maxima on the shelf correspond to areas with coarser grain size granulometric composition, indicating leaching of fine sedimentary fraction from the bottom material.

Benefit of classical leveling for geoid-based vertical reference frames

Classically, vertical reference frames were realized as national or continent-wide networks of geopotential differences derived from geodetic leveling, i.e., from the combination of spirit leveling and gravimetry. Those networks are affected by systematic errors in leveling, leading to tilts in the order of decimeter to meter in larger networks. Today, there opens the possibility to establish a worldwide unified vertical reference frame based on a conventional (quasi)geoid model. Such a frame would be accessible through GNSS measurements, i.e., physical heights would be derived by the method of GNSS-leveling. The question arises, whether existing geodetic leveling data are abolished completely for the realization of vertical reference frames, are used for validation purposes only, or whether existing or future geodetic leveling data can still be of use for the realization of vertical reference frames. The question is mainly driven by the high quality of leveled potential differences over short distances. In the following we investigate two approaches for the combination of geopotential numbers from GNSS-leveling and potential differences from geodetic leveling. In the first approach, both data sets are combined in a common network adjustment leading to potential values at the benchmarks of the leveling network. In the second approach, potential differences from geodetic leveling are used as observable for regional gravity field modeling. This leads to a grid of geoid heights based on classical observables like gravity anomalies and now also on leveled potential differences. Based on synthetic data and a realistic stochastic model, we show that incorporating leveled potential differences improves the quality of a continent-wide network of GNSS-heights (approach 1) by about 40% and that formal and empirical errors of a regional geoid model (approach 2) are reduced by about 20% at leveling benchmarks. While these numbers strongly depend on the chosen stochastic model, the results show the benefit of using leveled potential differences for the realization of a modern geoid-based reference frame. Independent of the specific numbers of the improvement, an additional benefit is the consistency (within the error bounds of each observation type) of leveling data with vertical coordinates from GNSS and a conventional geoid model. Even though we focus on geodetic leveling, the methods proposed are independent of the specific technique used to observe potential (or equivalently height) differences and can thus be applied also to other techniques like chronometric or hydrodynamic leveling.

Neutron emission from a source moving in a gravitational field

This work is devoted to the problem of neutron field formation near elliptical orbits of space objects equipped with nuclear power plants. The high-energy part of the fission spectrum is not affected by the gravitational field. Radiation safety is ensured by the triad fair for a point source: activity-distance-time. The connection between space object orbit parameters and neutron flux density occurs for the thermal (near-thermal) part of the spectrum. The possibility of formation of a stable neutron trace in the volume of a «torus» around the orbit of a space object is considered. The paper presents theoretical and numerical evidence of the validity of the hypothesis put forward. The introduction considers the separation effect of Galileo's relativity principle in the case of rectilinear uniform motion of a point isotropic neutron source on a plane. The occurrence of angular asymmetry of the neutron distribution in a stationary coordinate system when their relative velocity is close to the transport velocity of the source is illustrated. Under these conditions, a significant velocity dispersion of initially monochromatic neutrons is also recorded. This expected fundamental kinematic effect determines the characteristic distribution of neutrons in the gravitational field when the source moves along the Kepler orbit. The solution of the problem is carried out in the velocity space. It is argued that if the distribution of neutrons in the velocity space is such that their velocities are collinear to the orbital velocity of the source, this indicates the existence of a neutron flux near the orbit. The problem is analysed on the example of one revolution of a hypothetical space station by simulation modelling. For this purpose, thermal neutron packets with isotropic angular distribution were generated at eight points of an elliptical orbit. The neutron and source velocity fluxes at the selected points of the orbit were compared in a coordinate system related to the earth. The obtained data made it possible to calculate the densities of neutron velocity fluxes to the front and rear hemispheres relative to the source orbital motion as a function of the polar angle, while the value of the determinant of the correlation matrix – an indicator of collinearity of neutron velocity vectors in the flux - was fixed. The results of the studies confirm the hypothesis put forward about the possibility of formation of a «trace» in the orbit of a thermal neutron source, which determines the need to take it into account as a significant component of radiation risk.

Advancing potential field data analysis: the Modified Horizontal Gradient Amplitude method (MHGA)

Enhancing the detection accuracy of the edges of the geological features within the subsurface remains a significant objective in geophysical data interpretation. Despite numerous advancements, approaches stemming from the directional gradients of gravity and magnetic fields still grapple with challenges such as low-resolution outcomes and susceptibility to noise contamination. In this study, we introduce a novel filtering framework based on the total horizontal gradient and its derivatives, designed to yield more precise and coherent edges free from false boundaries or disruptive artifacts. Validation using synthetic Bishop complex magnetic and gravity datasets, alongside Tuangiao aeromagnetic data from Vietnam, substantiates the robustness and applicability of our modified approach. Furthermore, recognizing the inherent susceptibility of edge detection filters to noise contamination resulting from directional derivatives, we employ the recently developed modified non-local means (MNLM) algorithm to alleviate noise effects prior to the analysis of noisy synthetic and real datasets. Our findings confirm the efficacy of the proposed method in reducing false artifacts and identifying edges with heightened precision, positioning MHGA as a valuable alternative for processing potential field data.