Spherical Harmonics

Author: Tianjiang Shuo

Website: https://cislunarspace.cn

Definition

Orthogonal basis functions used to expand the gravitational potential of a non-spherical body in spherical coordinates. Higher degree and order capture finer gravitational anomalies at greater computational cost. This study uses GRAIL data truncated to degree and order 8.

Application Value

This concept is fundamental to cislunar orbital mechanics and mission analysis, providing essential theoretical support for trajectory design and operational planning.

  • Retrograde Motion
  • Absolute Phase Bias
  • Relative Attitude Quaternion
  • Radial-Tangential-Normal Coordinate System, RTN

References

  • Zhang et al., 2022
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