The Earth's Gravity Field Represented by a Simple Layer Potential from Doppler Tracking of Satellites

Ten weeks of Doppler tracking of the five satellites for which data are available at the National Space Science Data Center have been analyzed to determine the earth's gravity field as represented by the potential of a simple layer. Density values of this layer for 104 surface elements have been computed in a least squares adjustment and transformed into harmonic coefficients up to the 11th degree and order. Comparisons with other solutions show good agreement. The results for the equatorial radius of the earth, its flattening, and its gravity at the equator are 6,378,156m, 1/298.255, and 978,028.8mgal, respectively. 1971 NOS (National Ocean Service) Library Public Domain 1935