A critical analysis of a recent test of the Lense-Thirring effect with the LAGEOS satellites
Abstract
Description
We discuss the impact of the present-day uncertainties in the recently released CHAMP and/or GRACE Earth gravity models on the measurement of the Lense-Thirring effect with the nodes of the LAGEOS satellites. Also the role of the secular variations Jdots of the even zonal harmonics is quantitatively assessed via numerical simulations and tests. While the systematic error due to the static part of the geopotential ranges from 4% (EIGEN-GRACE02S) to 9% (GGM02S), the impact of the Jdots amounts to 13% over 11 years. This yields a 19% 1-sigma total error in the test recently performed with EIGEN-GRACE02S.
LaTeX2e, 24 pages, 8 tables, 2 figures. This submission replaces the previous one, which was clearly wrong. I apologize for the confusion generated. This version is the one published in J. of Geodesy
LaTeX2e, 24 pages, 8 tables, 2 figures. This submission replaces the previous one, which was clearly wrong. I apologize for the confusion generated. This version is the one published in J. of Geodesy