Sequence or continuation of events, unfolding happening, or subsequent occurring
In a fascinating presentation, Peter Saunders and Farzana Masouleh of the Measurement Standards Laboratory of New Zealand (MSL) shared the story of metrology development, specifically focusing on the critical role of atomic clocks in modern technology. The presentation was filmed at the Faculty of Engineering, Auckland University, at a location called Unleash Space, and was produced by MSL to celebrate the redefinition of the International System of Units (SI), which occurred on 20 May 2019. The video was edited by Jonathon Potton of Chillbox Creative and published by Referencing Hub media.
The second is now defined based on the transition frequency of a caesium atom, and the precision of atomic clocks is astounding. These clocks, which use this technology, have an accuracy of 1 second per 30 billion years. This extraordinary precision is maintained by the atomic clocks onboard each GPS satellite, which provide the critical precise time reference that enables GPS to function as a global navigation and timing system.
These atomic clocks not only provide highly accurate timing signals but also enable synchronization of satellite signals to a common time reference (GPS time). This synchronization allows for multilateration by GPS receivers, a process that calculates the exact location on Earth. The atomic clocks account for relativistic effects, ensuring that the satellites' clocks are synchronized even with their high velocity and weaker gravitational field compared to Earth’s surface.
The high accuracy of atomic clocks enables technologies like GPS and the internet. GPS satellites transmit timestamps synchronized with GPS time, which is a continuous time scale that differs slightly from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) because GPS time does not incorporate leap seconds. GPS receivers convert these timestamps to UTC by applying offsets broadcast in the navigation message. Beyond positioning, these atomic clocks serve as the backbone for precise timing, supporting technologies such as telecommunications synchronization, financial transaction timestamping, and power grid management by providing timing accurate to within tens of nanoseconds.
The video produced by MSL offers a captivating insight into the world of metrology and the crucial role of atomic clocks in modern technology. It serves as a testament to the advancements made in this field and the continued importance of precision and accuracy in our increasingly interconnected world.
[1] European Space Agency. (2019). The GPS story: Precision time for positioning. Retrieved from https://www.esa.int/Science-Exploration/Space-Science/The-GPS-story-Precision-time-for-positioning
[2] National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2019). Atomic clocks. Retrieved from https://www.nist.gov/pml/atomic-clocks
[3] European Space Agency. (2019). How GPS works. Retrieved from https://www.esa.int/Science-Exploration/Space-Science/How-GPS-works
[4] National Physical Laboratory. (2019). The SI redefinition: A new definition of the second. Retrieved from https://www.npl.co.uk/news/2019/may/the-si-redefinition-a-new-definition-of-the-second
[5] United States Naval Observatory. (2019). GPS time. Retrieved from https://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-data/celestial-mechanics/gps-time-and-coordinates/gps-time
Science plays a pivotal role in health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, technology, education-and-self-development, and other fields by facilitating advancements in precision measurement tools such as atomic clocks. For instance, the accuracy of atomic clocks, specifically their implementation in GPS technology, has revolutionized our daily lives, from global navigation to communications synchronization, financial transactions, and power grid management.
Beyond just enabling technologies like GPS, the high precision of atomic clocks also supports scientific research in a broad range of disciplines, including space exploration, where they help navigate satellites and ensure their clocks are synchronized despite relativistic effects caused by high velocity and weaker gravitational fields.
