Definition
In physics, usually a gravitational field, the acceleration G or the gravitational potential V, is a model used to explain the influence that a massive body extends into the space around itself, producing an attractive force on another massive body outside its envelope. Thus, for the Moon and other terrestrial planets, a gravitational field is used to explain gravitational phenomena in the space above its surface and is usually measured in newtons per kilogram (N/kg). In its original concept, gravity was a force between point masses. Following Newton, Laplace attempted to model gravity as some kind of radiation field or fluid, and since the nineteenth century explanations for gravity have usually been taught in terms of a field model, rather than a point attraction.
Theory and Application
The gravitational field of the Moon is contributed totally from its inner structure and material and has been determined using satellite gravity method by the radio Doppler and range...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Ananda MP (1977) Lunar gravity: A mass point model. J Geophy Res 82(20):3049–3064
Ferrari AJ, Heffron WG (1973) Effects of physiacl librations of Moon on the orbital elements of a lunar satellite. Celest Mech 8:111–120
Goossens S, Matsumoto K, Liu Q et al (2011) Lunar gravity field determination using SELENE same-bearm differential VLBI tracking data. J Geod 85:205–228
Hirt C, Featherstone WE (2012) A 1.5 km-resolution gravity field model of the Moon. Earth Planet Sci Lett 329–330:22–30
Kaula WM (1966) Theory of satellite geodesy. Blaisdell Publishing Company, Waltham, MA
Konopliv AS, Asmar SW, Carranza E (2001) Recent gravity models as a result of the lunar prospector mission. Icarus 150(1):1–18
Konopliv AS, Park RS, Yuan DN et al (2013) The JPL lunar gravity field to spherical harmonic degree 660 from the GRAIL primary mission. J Geophys Res Planets 118:1415–1434
Lemoine FG, Smith DE, Zuber MT (1994) Goddard lunar gravity model-1(GLGM-1): a 70th degree and order gravity model for the Moon(abstract). Eos Trans AGU, fall meeting supplementary 75(44):400
Lemoine FG, Smith DE, Zuber MT et al (1997) A 70th degree lunar gravity model (GLGM-2) from Clementine and other tracking data. J Geophys Res 102:16339–16359
Lemoine FG, Goossens S, Sabaka TJ et al (2013) High degree gravity models from GRAIL primary mission data. J Geophys Res 118(8):1676–1698
Lemoine FG, Goossens S, Terence JS et al (2014) GRGM900C: a degree 900 lunar gravity model from GRAIL primary and extended mission data. Geophys Res Lett 41:3382–3389
Matsumoto K, Goossens S, Ishihara Y et al (2010) An improved lunar gravity model from SELENE and historical tracking data: revealing the farside gravity features. J Geophys Res 115(E6). doi:10.1029/2009JE003499
Mazarico E, Lemoine FG, Han SC et al (2010) GLGM-3: a degree 150 lunar gravity model from the historical tracking data of NASA Moon orbiters. J Geophys Res 115. doi:10.1029/2009JE003472
Muller PM, Sjogren WL (1968) Mascons: Lunar Mass Concentrations. Science 161(3842):680–684
Sinha M, Gopinath NS, Malik NK (2010) Lunar gravity field modeling critical analysis and challenges. Adv Space Res 45:322–349
Yan JG, Ping JS, Li F et al (2010) Chang’E-1precision orbit determination and lunar gravity field solution. Adv Space Res 46:50–57
Yan JG, Goossens S, Matsumoto K et al (2012) CEGM02: An improved lunar gravity model using Chang’E-1 orbital tracking data
Zuber MT, Smith DE, Watkins MM et al (2013) Gravity field of the moon from the gravity recovery and interior laboratory (GRAIL) mission. Science 339. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitation_of_the_Moon
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Meng, Z., Ping, J. (2017). Lunar Surface, Gravity Field. In: Cudnik, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Lunar Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05546-6_64-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05546-6_64-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-05546-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-05546-6
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics