Search

The development of remote frequency transfer techniques, especially the appearance of optical clocks with unprecedented stability, has prompted geoscientists to study their applications in geodesy. Using remote frequency transfer technique, by frequency comparison of two optical clocks at two points P and Q connected by optical fibers, one can measure the signal's frequency shift between them, and the geopotential difference between them can be determined based on the gravity frequency shift equation. Given the orthometric height of P, the orthometric height of Q can be determined. Since the present stability of the optical clock has achieved 1 × 10−18 or better and comparing the frequency transfer via optical fiber provides stability at 10−19 level, the optical clock network enables determining the orthometric height at centimeter-level. This study provides a formulation to determine the height difference at one-centimeter level between two points on the ground based on the optical fiber frequency transfer technique.

We propose a novel approach for testing the gravitational redshift based on frequency signals transmitted between a spacecraft and a ground station. The main idea is integrating one uplink signal from ground to spacecraft and two downlink signals from spacecraft to ground. Based on the integration and certain correction models, the gravitational shift of the signals between spacecraft and ground station can be detected at high precision level. The gravitational redshift effect can be used to validate the Einstein equivalence principle (EEP), which can be tested at about 10 - 6 ∼ 10 - 8 levels in different cases for a short period (less than a month) if the stability of on-board atomic clock reach 10 - 17 /day. Compared to the scheme of Gravity Probe-A (GP-A) experiment conducted in 1976, in the new approach, any on-board signal transponders is not required, and the frequency values of the three links can be arbitrary. Since the hardware requirement is decreased, a number of spacecrafts can be candidates for a gravitational redshift experiment provided that they are able to emit two different frequency signals and receive a frequency signal from the ground.

General relativity theory (GRT) concludes that a precise clock ticks at different running rates if it is under the influence of different geopotentials. Therefore, by comparing the running rates of clocks at arbitrary two stations, the geopotential difference between them can be determined. In this study, with the help of two hydrogen atomic clocks (noted as H-masers), using the two-way satellite time and frequency transfer (TWSTFT) technique, we carried out experiments of the geopotential difference determination at the China Aerospace Science & Industry Corporation (CASIC), Beijing. Here the ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) method is adopted to remove periodic signals included in the original observations. Finally, the clock-comparison-determined geopotential difference in the experiments is determined. Results show that the difference between the geopotential difference determined by GRT and that determined by measuring tape is about 1316.1 ± 931.0 m2s-2, which is equivalent to 134.3 ± 95.0 m in height, and in consistence with the stability of the H-masers applied in the experiments (at the level of 10−15/day). With the rapid improvement of atomic clocks' accuracy, the geopotential determination by accurate clocks is prospective, and it is promising to realize the unification of the world vertical height system (WVHS).

According to the general theory of relativity, two clocks placed at two different positions with different geopotentials run at different rates. Thus one can determine the geopotential difference between these two points by comparing the running rates of the two clocks. Using the most precise optic-atomic clocks whose stability achieves 10−18 level and the time transfer technique with comparison accuracy higher than 10ps level by 100 m coaxial cable, the relativistic geodesy method for determining the geopotential may be realizable in the near future. In this paper, we propose, design and describe in detail an approach for determining the geopotential difference between two points based upon a simulation experiment. We select two stations A and B whose ground distance is within 100 m, height difference being about 30 m. Each station is equipped with an atomic clock whose instability is 3.2 × 10 − 16 / τ (where τ is time in second). And the two stations are connected with a coaxial cable for time transfer. Our simulation experiment results show that the accuracy could reach 0.16 m2/s2 (equivalent to 1.6 cm in height) level after a four-hour period of observation.

Background In an EQA scheme, peer group mean is conventionally regarded as the target after removing values exceeding the mean ± 3SD. However, this computation fails if there are some outliers. Methods The outliers in each original data set were separately deleted by traditional and robust statistical methods. The data distributions of original and trimmed data sets were separately tested by Shapiro–Wilks or Kolmogorov–Smirnov Z test. The means of peer groups were used to set IgE targets. The difference between targets set by both methods was tested by 1-sample t test. Results The original data sets were not all Gaussian distributed. After deletion of outliers using robust statistical method, the modified data sets of all tested groups were normally distributed. IgE targets established by robust and traditional methods were significantly different in some groups. The incompatible IgE targets derived all from the original and trimmed data sets which were not Gaussian distributed. Conclusions The premise for choosing a traditional method to delete outliers and using peer group means as targets was that the data sets must be Gaussian distributed. The reasons that caused the targets to be incompatible possibly were the 2 rules to be broken. Robust statistical method was used for deletion of outliers due to the distorted distribution.