A case study of diurnal variation of convection and mesoscale modeling during TOGA-COARE

• Main Author: Waring, Patrick L.
• Other Authors: Holt, Teddy R.
• Language: en_US
• Published: Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School 2014
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10945/42878

Approved for public release, distribution unlimited === This thesis provides students with a set of graphics tools allowing them to better visualize the effects of gravity-gradient torques on a rigid spacecraft in a low earth orbit. It allows the user to select from a variety of rigid bodies of different configurations, place them in any orientation at any altitude, apply the appropriate gravity-gradient moments to the body and immediately see the effect on the rigid body. This is accomplished through interactive computer graphics written to run on Silicon Graphics computers. The thesis includes a presentation of the theory involved in the programming of the physical properties and the discusses the basics of computer graphics including a more detailed look at the specific implementation for this thesis. A detailed user's guide is included to train students to use the tools as expeditiously as possible. It concludes with recommendations for further study in this area.