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The application of time and frequency standards to the Earth and Ocean Physics Applications Program (EOPAP) is discussed. The goals and experiments of the EOPAP are described. Methods for obtaining frequency stability and time synchronization are analyzed. The orbits, trajectories, and characteristics of the satellites used in the program are reported.
High precision frequency measurements with various integration times can be made with conventional counters by using variable gate times. The Hewlett-Packard (HP) computing counter allows such measurements over a wide range of frequencies and measurement times. This instrument can also convert period measurements into frequency by means of its arithmetic capabilities: The program library contains programs to facilitate frequency stability measurements in the most direct and convenient way. This method was used as the basis for all time scale computations, until requirements for highest resolution justified the development of an automatic data acquisition system. The phase measurements are now being made with the HP computing counter (with time interval plug-in unit) under program control from the HP System Programmer.
A comparison of the hydrogen and cesium hyperfine frequencies is made using a hydrogen maser calibrated directly against the Flexible Bulb Large Storage Box Hydrogen Maser and a Hewlett-Packard portable high performance cesium clock calibrated indirectly against the USNO Master Clock via a Loran-C link. The portable cesium clock is transported from the USNO to Harvard University in operating condition. This allows the evaluation of the portable clock's performance under transport. Data are presented on the epoch and frequency stability of the portable clock under transport as well as the usefulness of a closure measurement in determining clock drift.
A laser absorption spectrometer, using an IR laser transmitter and a heterodyne radiometer, can be used from an aircraft or spacecraft to measure altitude profiles of air pollutants and other atmospheric constituents. The technique involves measurement of differential absorption at several wavelengths, using the diffusely reflecting earth's surface to provide a return signal. The pressure broadening of absorption lines allows one to discriminate between high and low altitude absorbers. Application of the technique to measurements of ozone, nitric oxide, and water vapor are presented. CO2 and CO lasers are considered as transmitters. The discussion includes altitude resolution limitations, atmospheric temperature dependence, and frequency stability requirements of the instrument.
Four widely used self-oscillating dc-to-square-wave parallel inverters which employ an inductor-capacitor tuned network to determine the oscillation frequency are reduced to a common equivalent RLC network, The techniques of singular-point analysis and state-plane interpretations are employed to describe the steady-state and transient behavior of these circuits and to elucidate the three possible modes of operation: quasi-harmonic, relaxation, and discontinuous. Design guidelines are provided through a study of the influence of circuit parameter variations on the characteristics of oscillation and on frequency stability. Several examples are provided to illustrate the usefulness of this analysis when studying such problems as transistor emitter-to-base junction breakdown during oscillations and the design of starting circuits to insure self-excited oscillations in these inverters.
Ultrasonic generator/monitor, appropriate for lab and field use, is used to measure ultrasonic parameters and determine certain physical properties of test region. Reflection-oscillator ultrasonic spectrometer is sensitive, inexpensive, has no duty-cycle effects, is simple in construction and use, and for resonance measurements, takes advantage of sensitivity enhancement, and has high frequency stability.
A tunable high-repetition-rate oscillator-amplifier dye-laser system is reported. The dye laser described was longitudinally pumped with the second harmonic of a Nd-YAG laser operating at 10 Hz. Using three Faraday-Perot etalons and pressure tuning, a maximum fundamental output power of the order of 6 MW with a corresponding spectral width of less than 0.003 nm at 564 nm was obtained. The fundamental at 564 nm was frequency doubled to give a maximum power level of 0.6 MW of second-harmonic output power with a spectral width less than 0.0015 nm at 282 nm. Frequency stability could be maintained to within approximately 15% of the line-width.
The frequency stability of hydrogen masers in variable volume storage bulbs is discussed in terms of wall shift. Variable volume devices discussed include: Brenner flexible bulb, Debely device, and the concertina hydrogen maser. A flexible cone variable volume element outside the cavity is described.
A frequency stabilized CO2 laser was used for accurate determinations of the absorption coefficients of various gases in the wavelength region from 9 to 11 microns. The gases investigated were representative of the types of contaminants expected to build up in recycled atmospheres. These absorption coefficients were then used in determining the presence and amount of the gases in prepared mixtures. The effect of interferences on the minimum detectable concentration of the gases was measured. The accuracies of various methods of solution were also evaluated.
Frequency stabilizing circuit controls output of multichannel microwave oscillator using passband filters and selector logic to eliminate need for separate crystal diode voltage controlled oscillator (VCO).
A computer model of the JPL hydrogen maser frequency standard was developed. This model allows frequency stability data to be generated, as a function of various maser parameters, many orders of magnitude faster than these data can be obtained by experimental test. In particular, the maser performance as a function of the various automatic tuning servo parameters may be readily determined. Areas of discussion include noise sources, first-order autotuner loop, second-order autotuner loop, and a comparison of the loops.
Two approaches to achieving reduced acceleration sensitivity of crystal oscillators are discussed. The first involves electronic compensation within the frequency control loop. The second utilizes two resonators of comparable acceleration sensitivity to compensate each other. Problems encountered in matching and tuning the resonators are discussed, as well as orientation symmetry of the frequency deviation patterns. Results on frequency stability which reflect an improved static sensitivity are presented.
The feasibility of mechanizing an adaptive array of independent laser oscillators for generation of a high power coherent output was experimentally investigated. Tests were structured to evaluate component/system requirements for delivery of energy to a low-earth orbit satellite. Initial experiments addressed the control issues of phase locking unstable resonators at low power levels. A successful phase lock demonstration formed the basis for the design and fabrication of the high power, water-cooled, control mirror subsequently installed in the NASA LeRC high power laser. Tests were performed to characterize the operational limits of the laser system and included quantitative assessment of the frequency stability, noise sources, and optical properties of the beam.
A collection of papers is presented on the characteristics and capabilities of phase-locked loops (PLLs), along with some applications of interest. The discussion covers basic theory (linear and nonlinear); acquisition; threshold; stability; frequency demodulation and detection; tracking; cycle slipping and loss of lock; phase-locked oscillators; operation and performance in the presence of noise; AGC, AFC, and APC circuits and systems; digital PLL; and applications and miscellaneous. With the rapid development of IC technology, PLLs are expected to be used widely in consumer electronics.
A time domain estimate for the NAVSTAR-4 SV clock offset was obtained for each SV pass over the GPS monitor sites, using a smoothed reference ephemeris, with corrections for ionospheric delay, tropospheric delay, earth rotation and relativistic effects. Conversion from the time domain to the frequency domain was made using the two sample Allan Variance; sigma-tau plots used to identify the noise processes. Estimates of flicker and white frequency noise for the NAVSTAR-4 rubidium frequency standard were obtained. The contribution of the reference ground clocks and other error sources to the frequency stability estimates were also considered.
A wavelength ID device which consists of an electronic show that the etalon has a finesse F 30 which is maintainable for several days. These tests also demonstrate that the etalon system is capable of resonance frequency stability during similar time periods. With currently available coatings, this level of performance is achievable over an optical bandwidth delta lambda = 3 micrometers centered at lambda = 10 micrometers.
Diagnostic results are given of the spectral features and the power conversion efficiency of submillimeter (SMM) laser local oscillators. Several criteria are obtained for the design of frequency stable and efficient smm lasers for local oscillator applications. Finally, a design is described and results on the power output and power and frequency stability are given. The mode pattern is very close to a Gaussian profile so that efficient coupling to a quasioptical mixer is possible. The laser provides sufficient output power at a large number of lines to drive the mixer into the low conversion loss regime. Radiometric integration times of several minutes with a spectral resolution of 1 MHz will be possible. With present state-of-the-art Schottky mixers and low noise preamplifiers a radiometric temperature resolution of a few K can be expected over a spectral range from 500to 900 GHz.
A mobile surveying instrument in support of the crustal dynamics program measures the length and direction of the distance between sites on the Earth's surface using VLBI techniques operating at microwave frequencies and extragalactic radio sources. The frequency and timing subsystem uses as a frequency standard the hydrogen maser. An important part of the subsystem is a sophisticated automatic system to monitor frequency stability and accumulated clock error.