02/13/02 12.540 Lec 03 1
12.540 Principles of the
Global Positioning System
Lecture 03
Prof. Thomas Herring
02/13/02 12.540 Lec 03 2
Review
? In last lecture we looked at conventional
methods of measuring coordinates
? Triangulation, trilateration, and leveling
? Astronomic measurements using
external bodies
? Gravity field enters in these
determinations
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Gravitational potential
? In spherical coordinates: need to solve
? This is Laplace’s equation in spherical
coordinates
1
r
?
2
?r
2
(rV)+
1
r
2
sinθ
?
?θ
(sinθ
?V
?θ
)+
1
r
2
sin
2
θ
?
2
V
?λ
2
= 0
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Solution to gravity potential
? The homogeneous form of this equation
is a “classic” partial differential equation.
? In spherical coordinates solved by
separation of variables, r=radius,
λ=longitude and θ=co-latitude
V(r,θ,λ)=R(r)g(θ)h(λ)
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Solution in spherical
coordinates
? The radial dependence of form r
n
or r
-n
depending on whether inside or outside
body. N is an integer
? Longitude dependence is sin(mλ) and
cos(mλ) where m is an integer
? The colatitude dependence is more
difficult to solve
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Colatitude dependence
? Solution for colatitude function
generates Legendre polynomials and
associated functions.
? The polynomials occur when m=0 in λ
dependence. t=cos(θ)
P
n
(t)=
1
2
n
n!
d
n
dt
n
(t
2
?1)
n
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Legendre Functions
? Low order
functions.
Arbitrary n
values are
generated by
recursive
algorithms
P
o
(t)=1
P
1
(t)=t
P
2
(t)=
1
2
(3t
2
?1)
P
3
(t)=
1
2
(5t
3
?3t)
P
4
(t)=
1
8
(35t
4
?30t
2
+3)
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Associated Legendre
Functions
? The associated functions satisfy the
following equation
? The formula for the polynomials,
Rodriques’ formula, can be substituted
P
nm
(t)=(?1)
m
(1?t
2
)
m/2
d
m
dt
m
P
n
(t)
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Associated functions
? Pnm(t): n is called
degree; m is order
? m<=n. In some
areas, m can be
negative. In gravity
formulations m=>0
P
00
(t)=1
P
10
(t)=t
P
11
(t)=?(1?t
2
)
1/2
P
20
(t)=
1
2
(3t
2
?1)
P
21
(t)=?3t(1?t
2
)
1/2
P
22
(t)= 3(1?t
2
)
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/LegendrePolynomial.html
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Ortogonality conditions
? The Legendre polynomials and
functions are orthogonal:
P
n'
(t)
?1
1
∫
P
n
(t)dt =
2
2n+1
δ
n'n
P
n'm
(t)
?1
1
∫
P
nm
(t)dt =
2
2n+1
(n+m)!
(n?m)!
δ
n'n
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Examples from Matlab
? Matlab/Harmonics.m is a small matlab
program to plots the associated
functions and polynomials
? Uses Matlab function: Legendre
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Polynomials
-1 -0.8 -0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
-1
-0.8
-0.6
-0.4
-0.2
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
Polynomials: Degrees 2-5; Order 0
Cos(theta)
Legendre Function TextEnd
P2 b, P3 g, P4 r, P5 m
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“Sectoral Harmonics” m=n
-1 -0.8 -0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
-1000
-800
-600
-400
-200
0
200
Sectoral harmonics: Degrees 2-5, order m=n
Cos(theta)
Legendre Function TextEnd
P2 b, P3 g, P4 r, P5 m
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Normalized
-1 -0.8 -0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
1.5
Normalized Sectoral harmonics: Degrees 2-5, order m=n
Cos(theta)
Legendre Function TextEnd
P2 b, P3 g, P4 r, P5 m
2
2m+1
(n+m)!
(n?m)!
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Surface harmonics
? To represent field on surface of sphere;
surface harmonics are often used
? Be cautious of normalization. This is only one
of many normalizations
? Complex notation simple way of writing
cos(mλ) and sin(mλ)
Y
nm
(θ,λ)=
2m+1
4π
(n?m)!
(n+m)!
P
nm
(θ)e
imλ
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Surface
harmonics
Zonal ---- Terreserals ------------------------Sectorials
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Gravitational potential
? The gravitational potential is given by:
?Where ρ is density,
? G is Gravitational constant 6.6732x10
-11
m
3
kg
-1
s
-2
(N m
2
kg
-2
)
? r is distance
? The gradient of the potential is the
gravitational acceleration
V =
Gρ
r
dV
∫∫∫
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Spherical Harmonic
Expansion
? The Gravitational potential can be written as
a series expansion
? Cnm and Snm are called Stokes coefficients
V =?
GM
r
a
r
?
?
?
?
?
?
n=0
∞
∑
n
P
nm
(cosθ) C
nm
cos(mλ)+S
nm
sin(mλ)
[]
m=0
n
∑
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Stokes coefficients
? The Cnm and Snm for the Earth’s
potential field can be obtained in a
variety of ways.
? One fundamental way is that 1/r
expands as:
1
r
=
d'
n
d
n+1
n=0
∞
∑
P
n
(cosγ)
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1/r expansion
?Pn(cosγ) can be expanded in
associated functions as function of θ,λ
P
γ
d
d'
dM
x
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Spherical harmonics
? The Stokes coefficents can be written
as volumn integrals
?C
00
= 1 if mass is correct
?C
10
, C
11
, S
11
= 0 if origin at center of
mass
?C
21
and S
21
= 0 if Z-axis along
maximum moment of inertia
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Global coordinate systems
? If the gravity field is expanded in
spherical harmonics then the coordinate
system can be realized by adopting a
frame in which certain Stokes
coefficients are zero.
? What about before gravity field was well
known?