Abstract
THE life-time of the copper needles which were to be placed in orbit for the West Ford experiment is a matter of great concern. It is generally believed that the pressure of solar radiation (not drag) will bring the needles down in about seven years provided they are launched into a ‘resonant’ orbit (for example, a polar orbit at altitude 3,800 km.); for a good description of the resonance effect, see I. I. Shapiro and H. M. Jones1. These authors also show that if the semi-major axis of the orbit is changed by more than 150 km., the resonance would be destroyed and the life-time greatly increased.
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References
Shapiro, I. I., and Jones, H. M., Science, 134, 973 (1961).
Singer, S. F., Nature, 192, 303 (1961).
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SINGER, S. Interaction of West Ford Needles with the Earth's Magnetosphere and their Life-time. Nature 192, 1061 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1038/1921061a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1921061a0
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