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- Title
On the secular recession of the Earth-Moon system as an azimuthal gravitational phenomenon.
- Authors
Nyambuya, G.; Makwanya, T.; Tuturu, B.; Tsoka, W.
- Abstract
We here apply the ASTG-model to the observed secular trend in the mean Sun-(Earth-Moon) and Earth-Moon distances thereby providing an alternative explanation as to what the cause of this secular trend may be. Within the margins of observational error; for the semi-major axis rate of the Earth-Moon system, in agreement with observations (of Standish and Kurtz, Proceedings IAU Colloquium, IAU, pp. 163-179, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, ), we obtain a value of about +(5.10±0.10) cm/yr. The ASTG-model predicts orbital drift as being a result of the orbital inclination and the Solar mass loss rate. The Newtonian gravitational constant G is assumed to be an absolute time constant. Krasinsky and Brumberg (Celest. Mech. Dyn. Astron. 90(3-4):267-288, ); Standish and Kurtz () reported for the Earth-Moon system, an orbital recession from the Sun of about +(15.00±4.00) cm/yr and +(7.00±2.00) cm/yr respectively; while Williams et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 93:261101, ); Williams and Boggs (Proceedings of 16th International Workshop on Laser Ranging, Space Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland, ), Williams et al. (Planet. Sci. 3(1):2, ) report for the Moon, a semi-major axis rate of about +(38.08±0.04) mm/yr from the Earth. The predictions of the ASTG-model for the Earth-Moon system agrees very well with those the findings of Standish and Kurtz (), Krasinsky and Brumberg (). The lost orbital angular momentum for the Earth-Moon system-which we here hypothesize to be gained as spin by the two body Earth-Moon system; this lost angular momentum accounts very well for the observed Lunar drift, therefore, one can safely say that the ASTG-model does to a reasonable degree of accuracy predict the observed Lunar semi-major axis rate of about +(38.08±0.04) mm/yr from the Earth.
- Subjects
EARTH-Moon physics; AZIMUTH; GRAVITATION; MASS loss (Astrophysics); SCIENTIFIC observation; GRAVITATIONAL constant
- Publication
Astrophysics & Space Science, 2015, Vol 358, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
0004-640X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s10509-015-2394-4