Precise Acceleration Determination from Carrier-Phase Measurements

S. L. Kennedy

Peer Reviewed

Abstract:	This paper examines a method for precise acceleration determination based on carrier-phase derivatives, referred to herein as the carrier method. Typically, positions are differentiated twice to acquire precise accelerations. The carrier method is investigated to determine whether it can overcome certain limitations of the position method. Testing is conducted with kinematic data collected during an airborne gravimetry campaign. This application provides an independent reference, in the form of a reference gravity field computed from upward continued ground measurements. Computed aircraft accelerations are used to estimate gravity disturbances. The gravity disturbance estimates are compared with the reference field, providing a very accurate and sensitive measure of the acceleration accuracy. The carrier method is shown to accommodate visible constellation changes without degrading the estimated accelerations. The positioning accuracy requirement for the carrier method is verified to be at the several-meter level, which can easily be met by a differential code solution.
Published in:	NAVIGATION: Journal of the Institute of Navigation, Volume 50, Number 1
Pages:	9 - 20
Cite this article:	Kennedy, S. L., "Precise Acceleration Determination from Carrier-Phase Measurements", NAVIGATION: Journal of The Institute of Navigation, Vol. 50, No. 1, Spring 2003, pp. 9-20.
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