LAGEOS II perigee rate and eccentricity vector excitations residuals and the Yarkovsky–Schach effect

We have analysed LAGEOS II perigee rate and eccentricity vector excitation residuals over a period of about 7.8 years, adjusting and computing the satellite orbit with the full set of dynamical models included in the GEODYN II software code. The long-term behaviour of these orbital residuals appears to be characterised by several distinct frequencies which are a clear signature of the Yarkovsky-Schach perturbing effect. This non-gravitational perturbation is not included in the GEODYN II models for the orbit determination and analysis. Through an independent numerical analysis, and using the new LOSSAM model to represent the spin-axis behaviour of the satellite, we propagated the Yarkovsky-Schach effect on LAGEOS II perigee rate and compared the results obtained with the orbital residuals. We have thus been able to satisfactorily fit the amplitude of the Yarkovsky-Schach effect to the observed residuals. Our approach here has proven very successful with very positive results. We have been able to obtain a fractional reduction of about 40% of the post-fit rms with respect to the pre-fit value. When analysing the eccentricity vector residuals, we have been able to obtain a better result in the case of the real component, with a fractional reduction of the post-fit rms of about 49% of the initial value. The analysis of the effect's imaginary component in the eccentricity vector rate is more complicated and deserves additional scrutiny. In this case we need a deeper study which includes the analysis of other unmodelled and mismodelled effects acting on the imaginary component. The study performed in this paper will be of significant relevance not only for the geophysical applications involving LAGEOS II orbit analysis, but also for a refined re-analysis of the general relativistic precession produced by the Earth angular momentum, i.e., the Lense-Thirring effect.