Solution of the Boundary Value Problems with Boundary Conditions in the Form of Gravitational Curvatures

Abstract:

Values of scalar, vectorial and second-order tensorial parameters of the Earth’s gravitational field have been collected by various sensors in geodesy and geophysics. Such observables have been widely exploited in different parametrization methods for the gravitational field modelling. Moreover, theoretical aspects of these quantities have extensively been studied and are well understood. On the other hand, new sensors for observing gravitational curvatures, i.e., components of the third-order gravitational tensor, are currently under development. This fact may be documented by the terrestrial experiments Dulkyn and Magia, as well as by the proposal of the gravity-dedicated satellite mission called OPTIMA. As the gravitational curvatures represent new types of observables, their exploitation for modelling of the Earth’s gravitational field is a subject of this study. Firstly, we derive integral transforms between the gravitational potential and gravitational curvatures, i.e., we find analytical solutions of the boundary value problems with gravitational curvatures as boundary conditions. Secondly, properties of the corresponding Green kernel functions are studied in the spatial and spectral domains. Thirdly, the correctness of the new analytical solutions is tested in a simulation study. The presented mathematical apparatus reveal important properties of the gravitational curvatures. It also extends the Meissl scheme, i.e., an important theoretical paradigm that relates various parameters of the Earth’s gravitational field.