Can Atmospheric Pressure be Accurately Modeled at 300km Altitude?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around modeling atmospheric pressure at altitudes up to 300 km, particularly in the context of a vehicle's descent after being launched by a rocket. Participants explore the challenges of accurately calculating pressure and density in the upper atmosphere, beyond the commonly understood layers of the atmosphere.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant mentions a method for calculating atmospheric pressure up to 50 km but expresses uncertainty about modeling pressure at 300 km, suggesting that pressure declines rapidly and may follow either a logarithmic or exponential scale.
  • Another participant provides context about their project, detailing the use of a specific equation for pressure and expressing the need for assumptions regarding pressure and density above 50 km.
  • Links to various resources and models related to atmospheric measurements and calculations are shared, including NASA's plans to measure the atmosphere up to 400 km and specific atmospheric models like NRLMSISE-00.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on how to model atmospheric pressure at 300 km, and multiple viewpoints regarding the nature of pressure decline and the necessary assumptions remain present.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight limitations in their models, particularly the complexity of fluid dynamics and the need for computational fluid dynamics for accurate results. There is also an acknowledgment that the equations used are simplified.

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hi I'm new here and i need some help regarding atmospheric pressures.
i have a way of calculating it up until about 50 km above sea level.
is there a way to accurately model the pressure at an altitude up to 300km?
 
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Hi there, I hope I can be of assistance. i don't know how to model the pressure at an altitude up to 300 km. But remember that the pressure declines quite rapidly, I don't recall if it was an logarithmic scale proportional to the heigh above sea level, or perhaps an exponential scale, but above the stratosphere there is no weather (in the general terms we are accustomed to) and above the mesosphere you can pretty much say that you are in space, imo. Of course, it depends on how accurate you want the model to be, perhaps that is still of interest to your project.

I hope I helped, at least somewhat :P
 
thanks for your help.
i'll give you a bit more background to the problem.
i am actually trying to calculate the surface pressure of a vehicle that has been shot up in a rocket and detaches. it reaches a height of 300km and begins its descent. i have already modeled its velocity with python and wanted to do the same for the surface pressure for the entire trajectory.
i'm using the equation:

p-p1 = rho*v^2*sin^2theta

where p1 is the upstream pressure.
i have said that p1 is:

p1 = p0(1-(L*h/T0))^(g*M/R*L)
this only holds true up until 50 km.

all of this has been simplified down especially the fluid dynamics as the 'real' equations are far too complex and i think to solve it properly computation fluid dynamics is needed.

i am not sure what i should assume for altitudes above 50 km? i will also need to do the same with the density.
any ideas?
thanks again
 
Last edited:
thank you very much.
it is exactly what i needed.
 

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