An onboard measurement system of gravity gradients using inertialaccelerometers

摘要

A method of making possible the onboard measurement of gravitygradients is proposed in this paper. First, analytical solutions ofgravity gradients are derived as the second order spatial gradients ofthe gravitational potential in the conservative field. Next, it is shownthat the gravity gradients can be obtained from the outputs of inertialaccelerometers placed some distance away from each other, and a conceptof measurement system is clarified. Third, it is analytically shown thata gravity gradiometer system can be continued using twelvesingle-degree-of-freedom accelerometers or six two-degree-of-freedomaccelerometers or four three-degree-of freedom accelerometers. Finally,it is concluded that a new type of inertial navigation system usinggravity gradiometers will be configured when it becomes possible toprecisely measure gravity gradients