The Benefits of Future Quantum Accelerometers for Satellite Gravimetry

authored by: P. Zingerle, M. Romeshkani, J. Haas, T. Gruber, A. Güntner, J. Müller, R. Pail
Abstract: We investigate the benefits of future quantum accelerometers based on cold atom interferometry (CAI) on current and upcoming satellite gravity mission concepts. These mission concepts include satellite-to-satellite tracking (SST) in a single-pair (GRACE-like) and double-pair constellation as well as satellite gravity gradiometry (SGG, single satellite, GOCE-like). Regarding instruments, four scenarios are considered: current-generation electrostatic (GRACE-, GOCE-like), next-generation electrostatic, conservative hybrid/CAI and optimistic hybrid/CAI. For SST, it is shown that temporal aliasing poses currently the dominating error source in simulated global gravity field solutions independent of the investigated instrument and constellation. To still quantify the advantages of CAI instruments on the gravity functional itself, additional simulations are performed where the impact of temporal aliasing is synthetically reduced. When neglecting temporal aliasing, future accelerometers in conjunction with future ranging instruments can substantially improve the retrieval performance of the Earth's gravity field (depending on instrument and constellation). These simulation results are further investigated regarding possible benefit for hydrological use cases where these improvements can also be observed (when omitting temporal aliasing). For SGG, it is demonstrated that, with realistic instrument assumptions, one is still mostly insensitive to time-variable gravity and not competitive with the SST principle. However, due to the improved instrument sensitivity of quantum gradiometers compared to the GOCE mission, static gravity field solutions can be improved significantly.
Organisation(s): Institute of Geodesy
CRC 1464: Relativistic and Quantum-Based Geodesy (TerraQ)
External Organisation(s): Technical University of Munich (TUM)
Helmholtz Centre Potsdam - German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ)
University of Potsdam
Type: Article
Journal: Earth and Space Science
Volume: 11
Publication date: 01.09.2024
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Environmental Science (miscellaneous), Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1029/2024EA003630 (Access: Open)
: Details in the research portal "Research@Leibniz University"

BibTeX

@article{ba8be6284a3349eab59d6a238f68506e,
title = "The Benefits of Future Quantum Accelerometers for Satellite Gravimetry",
abstract = "We investigate the benefits of future quantum accelerometers based on cold atom interferometry (CAI) on current and upcoming satellite gravity mission concepts. These mission concepts include satellite-to-satellite tracking (SST) in a single-pair (GRACE-like) and double-pair constellation as well as satellite gravity gradiometry (SGG, single satellite, GOCE-like). Regarding instruments, four scenarios are considered: current-generation electrostatic (GRACE-, GOCE-like), next-generation electrostatic, conservative hybrid/CAI and optimistic hybrid/CAI. For SST, it is shown that temporal aliasing poses currently the dominating error source in simulated global gravity field solutions independent of the investigated instrument and constellation. To still quantify the advantages of CAI instruments on the gravity functional itself, additional simulations are performed where the impact of temporal aliasing is synthetically reduced. When neglecting temporal aliasing, future accelerometers in conjunction with future ranging instruments can substantially improve the retrieval performance of the Earth's gravity field (depending on instrument and constellation). These simulation results are further investigated regarding possible benefit for hydrological use cases where these improvements can also be observed (when omitting temporal aliasing). For SGG, it is demonstrated that, with realistic instrument assumptions, one is still mostly insensitive to time-variable gravity and not competitive with the SST principle. However, due to the improved instrument sensitivity of quantum gradiometers compared to the GOCE mission, static gravity field solutions can be improved significantly.",
keywords = "cold atom interferometer (CAI), GOCE, GRACE, gravity field, quantum accelerometer, satellite gravity gradiometry (SGG), satellite-to-satellite tracking (SST), temporal aliasing",
author = "P. Zingerle and M. Romeshkani and J. Haas and T. Gruber and A. G{\"u}ntner and J. M{\"u}ller and R. Pail",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024. The Author(s).",
year = "2024",
month = sep,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1029/2024EA003630",
language = "English",
volume = "11",
journal = "Earth and Space Science",
issn = "2333-5084",
publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd",
number = "9",
}