Determining the Gravitational Gradient Tensor Using Satellite-Altimetry Observations over the Persian Gulf

With the advent of satellite altimetry in 1973, new scientific applications became available in oceanography, climatology, and marine geosciences. Moreover, satellite altimetry provides a significant source of information facilitated in the geoid determination with a high accuracy and spatial resolution. The information from this approach is a sufficient alternate for marine gravity data in the high-frequency modeling of the marine gravity field quantities. The gravity gradient tensor, consisting of the second-order partial derivatives of the gravity potential, provides more localized information than gravity measurements. Marine gravity observations always carry a high noise level due to environmental effects. Moreover, it is not possible to model the high frequencies of the Earth's gravity field in a global scale using these observations. In this article, we introduce a novel approach for a determination of the gravity gradient tensor at sea level using satellite altimetry. Two numerical techniques are applied and compared for this purpose. In particular, we facilitate the radial basis functions (RBFs) and the harmonic splines. As a case study, the gravitational gradient tensor is determined and results presented in the Persian Gulf. Validation of results reveals that the solution of the harmonic spline approach has a better agreement with a theoretical zero-value of the trace of the Marussi gravitational gradient tensor. However, the data-adaptive technique in the RBF approach allows more efficient selection of the parameters and 3-D configuration of RBFs compared to a fixed parameterization by the harmonic splines.     

Meso-scale available gravitational potential in the world oceans

The pitfalls of applying the commonly used definition of available gravitational potential energy （AGPE） to the world oceans are re-examined. It is proposed that such definition should apply to the meso-scale problems in the oceans, not the global scale. Based on WOA98 climatological data, the meso-scale AGPE in the world oceans is estimated. Unlike previous results by Oort et al. , the meso-scale AGPE is large wherever there is a strong horizontal density gradient. The distribution of meso-scale AGPE reveals the close connection between the baroclinic instability and the release of gravitational potential energy stored within the scale of Rossby deformation radius.     

大西洋中脊Logatchev热液区的地球物理场研究

利用"大洋一号"首次环球科考获得的地球物理资料,通过对多波束地形和地磁异常的解译,对大西洋Logatchev热液区的地球物理场特征进行了研究,研究结果表明 Logatchev热液喷口位于裂谷东侧的滑塌体上,处于南北地磁正负高值异常中心之间的缓冲带上,新发现的磁异常区与热液喷口区具有相似的特征,推测为未来的热液矿区。区内南西西-北东东和北-南向断裂不仅控制了基底深度和隆坳结构,也控制了超基性岩和热源磁性层的分布,因此它的形成与交叉切割的拆离断层、超基性岩、海洋核杂岩和重力滑塌有关。     

“萤火一号”火星探测计划进展和Mars-SST火星卫星重力测量计划研究

本文回顾了国际火星探测计划的历史进程和科学意义,介绍了中国"萤火一号"火星探测计划的基本参数、发射过程、科学目标、核心载荷和关键技术,并且提出了中国将来Mars-SST火星卫星重力测量计划的实施建议:①基于探测精度较高、技术需求较少、测定速度较快、定轨要求较低、可借鉴GRACE的成功经验等优点,采用SST-LL-Doppler-VLBI系统观测模式;②先期开展高精度激光干涉星间测距仪、非保守力补偿系统等关键载荷和地面Doppler-VLBI系统的研制;③卫星轨道高度和星间距离分别设计为50～100 km和100±50 km;④先期开展仿真模拟研究。     

The bending of light and lensing in modified gravity

Our modified gravity theory (MOG) was used successfully in the past to explain a range of astronomical and cosmological observations, including galaxy rotation curves, the cosmic microwave background acoustic peaks, and the galaxy mass power spectrum. MOG was also used successfully to explain the unusual features of the Bullet Cluster  1E0657−558  without exotic dark matter. In the present work, we derive the relativistic equations of motion in the spherically symmetric field of a point source in MOG and, in particular, we derive equations for light bending and lensing. Our results also have broader applications in the case of extended distributions of matter, and they can be used to validate the Bullet Cluster results and provide a possible explanation for the merging clusters in Abell 520.