VGOS超宽带观测的首次UT1测量数据处理及分析

在国际甚长基线干涉测量（very long baseline interferometry, VLBI）大地测量与天体测量服务组织协调下,首次利用隶属于VLBI全球观测系统（VLBI global observing system, VGOS）的美国Kokee和德国Wettzell观测站及并置的传统VLBI观测站开展了世界时（universal time, UT1）联合测量试验,观测数据在上海VLBI中心进行了干涉处理。结果表明,VGOS超宽带观测系统的UT1测量精度约为7 μs,并置基线的传统S/X双频系统测量精度约为14 μs,VGOS系统的UT1解算结果优于S/X系统。通过试验建立了从相关处理、相关后处理到UT1参数解算的完整数据处理流程,验证了上海VLBI相关处理机的VGOS数据处理能力,为承担国内和国际VGOS观测数据的相关处理任务奠定了基础。     

基于VLBI观测的基线改正方法

针对甚长基线干涉测量(VLBI)技术中,测站坐标精度与高精度的VLBI宽带观测不相匹配的问题,该文提出一种利用VLBI本身观测结果分析测站坐标改正量的方法。利用观测得到的时延值扣除几何时延及各种已知误差项后,残余部分还存在由基线矢量误差引起的时延、两地原子钟同步误差和系统误差引起的时延,给出残余时延与基线矢量误差等的计算模型。采用国家授时中心VLBI2010系统观测数据,计算结果表明,吉林-喀什基线的基线长度改正量约为11.467 7cm,观测值与拟合值的对比表明这种方法的可行性。     

利用中国VGOS站开展国际联测的EOP精度仿真分析

甚长基线干涉测量(very long baseline interferometry, VLBI)是测量地球定向参数（earth orientation parameters,EOP）的主要空间测地技术之一,中国正在建设名为VLBI全球观测系统（VLBI global observing system, VGOS）的新一代测地VLBI站,通过国际联测优化站网构型是实现高精度EOP测量的必由之路。以3个中国VGOS站为核心站,通过引入2个国外站构建5站联合观测网,分析评估了不同站网构型的EOP测量能力。针对每个站网构型,通过调整4个约束条件的权重因子批量生成相应的观测纲要,采用蒙特卡洛仿真方法选择最优的观测纲要,评价指标为EOP解算值的可重复性。仿真结果表明,由中国站、南非哈特比站以及澳大利亚霍巴特站组成的网型EOP测量能力最强,相对于中国3站组成的网型,dUT1测量精度提高5.7倍,极移的X、Y分量的测量精度分别提高2.8倍和18.3倍。仿真结果可为后续开展高精度EOP组网观测提供参考依据。     

VLBI全球观测系统(VGOS)研究进展

甚长基线干涉测量(VLBI)因其独具的超高空间分辨率和定位精度,使其从20世纪70年代末开始就一直是各国的大地测量学研究热点。然而目前VLBI的测量水平依旧不能满足许多需要毫米级精度的科学和工程领域的需求。为促进实现全球尺度下1mm位置精度的目标,国际VLBI大地测量与天体测量服务组织(IVS)正在推进新一代VLBI全球观测系统,即VGOS。本文从组成VGOS测站的各个子系统入手,介绍了国内外当前的进展情况及未来VGOS的发展趋势,并在最后列出了现阶段依旧面临的问题和挑战。     

小波去噪与北斗三频信号周跳探测与修复

传统的三频伪距相位组合方法易受到伪距观测噪声的影响,难以检测不敏感的小周跳.三个频率的载波相位观测数据组成的无几何距离组合(GF)方法具有检测敏感小周跳的能力,但存在病态方程组的问题.鉴于此,提出了一种利用小波去噪的无几何伪距相位组合与GF组合建立组合模型的方法,即利用小波变换对伪距观测值进行去噪,通过选择最优组合系数,构建优化的组合模型.该方法通过小波去噪保证了源数据的质量,采用无几何伪距相位组合与GF组合模型提高了周跳检测和修复的准确性,同时病态方程组问题得到解决.最后利用最小二乘方法结合正交三角(QR)分解算法,以及用空间搜索和L1范数最小原理固定周跳的最优整数并修复周跳,采集北斗卫星导航系统(BDS)三频测量数据用于实验验证.实验结果表明：小波变换去噪的优化组合模型可以检测和修复各种周跳,尤其是对不敏感的小周跳.     

基于非组合精密单点定位的区域电离层建模

电离层是地球空间的重要组成部分,电离层延迟是全球导航卫星系统(global navigation satellite system,GNSS)数据处理的重要误差源,电离层的影响主要表现为地面站接收到的卫星载波和伪距信号的附加时延效应,最大可达几十米,精确的电离层模型可以有效提高GNSS单频数据处理的精度。利用GNSS观测值研究电离层,一般采用无几何距离组合的码和相位观测值,使用相位平滑伪距方法得到平滑电离层观测值,但是该方法容易受到伪距多路径和观测噪声的影响,导致电离层估计不准确。因此,先基于非组合精密单点定位(precise point positioning,PPP)提取电离层,利用国际GNSS服务的轨道、钟差等产品,有效减少待估参数个数,提高电离层延迟的估计精度;再使用纬度差和太阳时角差的多项式拟合进行区域电离层建模。利用某省连续运行参考站系统数据提取了天顶方向总电子含量信息进行建模,与PPP解算结果进行比较,在测站天顶方向上的模型值和解算值差异较小(除个别卫星外),可达到2 TECU左右。     

高频动态多星座GNSS数据的周跳低时延解算方法

对于高频高动态的连续实时动态(RTK)定位,快速低时延的周跳探测与修复至关重要.基于高频数据误差特征和改进的几何无关相位组合MGF(modified geometry-free combination),本文提出了一种观测值域的动态GNSS周跳低时延解算方法OMGF(observation based MGF).首先基于高频观测数据的噪声特性,利用伪距与相位组合得到周跳初始修复量,再结合MGF对初始修复量进行精确修复.推导了不同卫星系统的伪距和相位噪声水平对OMGF方法周跳修复成功率的影响,以及OMGF方法适用的观测值噪声边界条件.OMGF方法仅需利用单颗卫星的观测数据进行周跳探测与修复,且降低了周跳修复对伪距观测值的精度要求.利用实测的20 Hz三星座GNSS(GPS/BDS/GLONASS)动态数据进行试验分析,结果表明:OMGF方法的成功率约为99.998％;与GF(geometry-free combination)和HMW(Hatch-Melbourne-Wübbena combination)组合方法相比,OMGF方法解算速度提高了60倍.OMGF方法的算法复杂度低,计算效率高,有利于算力资源受限的移动端超高频实时动态定位数据的在线快速处理.     

中国VLBI网软件相关处理机测地应用精度分析

为支持国际VLBI大地测量数据处理,中国VLBI网(CVN)软件相关处理机完成了功能、性能升级,提高了信噪比,实现了以国际测地通用Mk4格式数据输出结果,可以直接被VLBI通用测地后处理软件用于时延数据解算。本文通过与国外软件相关处理机DiFX的实测数据比对,系统地分析了CVN软件处理机带宽综合残余时延和时延率精度、带宽综合总时延和时延率精度、信噪比和VLBI站坐标解算值。数据显示,CVN软件相关处理机已经达到了测地数据处理的精度要求,可以用于IVS国际联测数据处理。     

差分VLBI测量的一种实现方案

差分VLBI通过交替观测目标天体和参考天体,将共同的误差因素从观测量中扣除,能够实现高精度的相对定位,因而在深空探测中有重要作用。然而,差分VLBI高精度的实现要求目标天体和参考天体的角距很近,这大大限制了其应用。讨论设计了差分VLBI测量的一种实现方案,利用多颗参考源的观测内插出目标源的非几何时延修正,放宽了对目标源和参考源的角距限制。该方案在S波段对目标源非几何时延的修正精度可以达到1 ns水平。     

差分VLBI测量的一种实现方案

差分VLBI通过交替观测目标天体和参考天体,将共同的误差因素从观测量中扣除,能够实现高精度的相对定位,因而在深空探测中有重要作用.然而,差分VLBI高精度的实现要求目标天体和参考天体的角距很近,这大大限制了其应用.讨论设计了差分VLBI测量的一种实现方案,利用多颗参考源的观测内插出目标源的非几何时延修正,放宽了对目标源和参考源的角距限制.该方案在S波段对目标源非几何时延的修正精度可以达到1 ns水平.     

New VLBI2010 scheduling strategies and implications on the terrestrial reference frames

In connection with the work for the next generation VLBI2010 Global Observing System (VGOS) of the International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry, a new scheduling package (Vie_Sched) has been developed at the Vienna University of Technology as a part of the Vienna VLBI Software. In addition to the classical station-based approach it is equipped with a new scheduling strategy based on the radio sources to be observed. We introduce different configurations of source-based scheduling options and investigate the implications on present and future VLBI2010 geodetic schedules. By comparison to existing VLBI schedules of the continuous campaign CONT11, we find that the source-based approach with two sources has a performance similar to the station-based approach in terms of number of observations, sky coverage, and geodetic parameters. For an artificial 16 station VLBI2010 network, the source-based approach with four sources provides an improved distribution of source observations on the celestial sphere. Monte Carlo simulations yield slightly better repeatabilities of station coordinates with the source-based approach with two sources or four sources than the classical strategy. The new VLBI scheduling software with its alternative scheduling strategy offers a promising option with respect to applications of the VGOS.     

Ultra-rapid earth rotation determination with VLBI during CONT11 and CONT14

We present earth rotation results from the ultra-rapid operations during the continuous VLBI campaigns CONT11 and CONT14. The baseline Onsala–Tsukuba, i.e., using two out of the 13 and 17 stations contributing to CONT11 and CONT14, respectively, was used to derive UT1-UTC in ultra-rapid mode during the ongoing campaigns. The latency between a new observation and a new UT1-UTC result was less than 10 min for more than 95% of the observations. The accuracy of the derived ultra-rapid UT1-UTC results is approximately a factor of three worse than results from optimized one-baseline sessions and/or complete analysis of large VLBI networks. This is, however, due to that the one-baseline picked from the CONT campaigns is not optimized for earth rotation determination. Our results prove that the 24/7 operation mode planned for VGOS, the next-generation VLBI system, is possible already today. However, further improvements in data connectivity of stations and correlators as well in the automated analysis are necessary to realize the ambitious VGOS plans.     

Ionospheric calibration of single frequency VLBI and GPS observations using dual GPS data

Summary The ionospheric effect is one of the main sources of error in Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) and Global Positioning System (GPS) high precision geodesy. Although the use of two frequencies allows the estimation of this effect, in some cases dual observations are not possible due to the available equipment or the type of observation. This paper presents the ionospheric calibration of single frequency VLBI and GPS observations based on the ionospheric electron content estimated from dual frequency GPS data. The ionospheric delays obtained with this procedure and the VLBI baseline length results have been compared with those obtained with dual frequency data. For the European geodetic VLBI baselines, both solutions agree at the 3–5 parts in 10^–9 level. The noise introduced by the GPS-based calibration is in the order of 3 cm for the VLBI observables and of 10 cm for the GPS observables.     

Is there utility in rigorous combinations of VLBI and GPS Earth orientation parameters?

Combinations of station coordinates and velocities from independent space-geodetic techniques have long been the standard method to realize robust global terrestrial reference frames (TRFs). In principle, the particular strengths of one observing method can compensate for weaknesses in others if the combination is properly constructed, suitable weights are found, and accurate co-location ties are available. More recently, the methodology has been extended to combine time-series of results at the normal equation level. This allows Earth orientation parameters (EOPs) to be included and aligned in a fully consistent way with the TRF. While the utility of such multi-technique combinations is generally recognized for the reference frame, the benefits for the EOPs are yet to be quantitatively assessed. In this contribution, which is a sequel to a recent paper on co-location ties (Ray and Altamimi in J Geod 79(4–5): 189–195, 2005), we have studied test combinations of very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) and Global Positioning System (GPS) time-series solutions to evaluate the effects on combined EOP measurements compared with geophysical excitations. One expects any effect to be small, considering that GPS dominates the polar motion estimates due to its relatively dense and uniform global network coverage, high precision, continuous daily sampling, and homogeneity, while VLBI alone observes UT1-UTC. Presently, although clearly desirable, we see no practical method to rigorously include the GPS estimates of length-of-day variations due to significant time-varying biases. Nevertheless, our results, which are the first of this type, indicate that more accurate polar motion from GPS contributes to improved UT1-UTC results from VLBI. The situation with combined polar motion is more complex. The VLBI data contribute directly only very slightly, if at all, with an impact that is probably affected by the weakness of the current VLBI networks (small size and sparseness) and the quality of local ties relating the VLBI and GPS frames. Instead, the VLBI polar motion information is used primarily in rotationally aligning the VLBI and GPS frames, thereby reducing the dependence on co-location tie information. Further research is needed to determine an optimal VLBI-GPS combination strategy that yields the highest quality EOP estimates. Improved local ties (including internal systematic effects within the techniques) will be critically important in such an effort.     

Effects on geodetic VLBI measurements due to polarization leakage in S/X receivers

Geodetic very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) delivers time series of station positions and Earth orientation parameters. These series offer a viable and precise way to study Earth crustal and core dynamics and to support space navigation. Their accuracy is degraded by instrumental errors, of which polarization leakage is considered to be one of the largest that is not yet being addressed. Its effect on the data can be corrected, provided one knows the leakage characteristics of the receivers. For this purpose, we designed a VLBI session to measure the polarization leakage at 15 geodetic and very long baseline array stations over the frequency range from 8,212.99 to 8,932.99 MHz. We describe the polarization leakage measurements and the algorithm that was implemented to correct for its effect on the geodetic delay observables. Subsequently, we applied the correction for polarization leakage to the same data that were used to determine the leakage and checked for the resulting improvement. From the measured leakage terms, one would expect polarization leakage to affect the group delay measurements in 90% of the cases by 1.6 ps or less. This proved to be below the statistical noise in our single VLBI session, and hence, an improvement from the correction could not be detected. Applying this analysis in the context of VLBI2010, we provide a specification for the allowable polarization leakage to achieve the target submillimetre accuracy.     

GGOS-D: homogeneous reprocessing and rigorous combination of space geodetic observations

In preparation of activities planned for the realization of the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS), a group of German scientists has carried out a study under the acronym GGOS-D which closely resembles the ideas behind the GGOS initiative. The objective of the GGOS-D project was the investigation of the methodological and information-technological realization of a global geodetic-geophysical observing system and especially the integration and combination of the space geodetic observations. In the course of this project, highly consistent time series of GPS, VLBI, and SLR results were generated based on common state-of-the-art standards for modeling and parameterization. These series were then combined to consistently and accurately compute a Terrestrial Reference Frame (TRF). This TRF was subsequently used as the basis to produce time series of station coordinates, Earth orientation, and troposphere parameters. In this publication, we present results of processing algorithms and strategies for the integration of the space-geodetic observations which had been developed in the project GGOS-D serving as a prototype or a small and limited version of the data handling and processing part of a global geodetic observing system. From a comparison of the GGOS-D terrestrial reference frame results and the ITRF2005, the accuracy of the datum parameters is about 5?C7?mm for the positions and 1.0?C1.5?mm/year for the rates. The residuals of the station positions are about 3?mm and between 0.5 and 1.0?mm/year for the station velocities. Applying the GGOS-D TRF, the offset of the polar motion time series from GPS and VLBI is reduced to 50 ??as (equivalent to 1.5?mm at the Earth??s surface). With respect to troposphere parameter time series, the offset of the estimates of total zenith delays from co-located VLBI and GPS observations for most stations in this study is smaller than 1.5?mm. The combined polar motion components show a significantly better WRMS agreement with the IERS 05C04 series (96.0/96.0???as) than VLBI (109.0/100.7???as) or GPS (98.0/99.5???as) alone. The time series of the estimated parameters have not yet been combined and exploited to the extent that would be possible. However, the results presented here demonstrate that the experiences made by the GGOS-D project are very valuable for similar developments on an international level as part of the GGOS development.     

Troposphere gradients from the ECMWF in VLBI analysis

Modeling path delays in the neutral atmosphere for the analysis of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations has been improved significantly in recent years by the use of elevation-dependent mapping functions based on data from numerical weather models. In this paper, we present a fast way of extracting both, hydrostatic and wet, linear horizontal gradients for the troposphere from data of the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model, as it is realized at the Vienna University of Technology on a routine basis for all stations of the International GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) Service (IGS) and International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS) stations. This approach only uses information about the refractivity gradients at the site vertical, but no information from the line-of-sight. VLBI analysis of the CONT02 and CONT05 campaigns, as well as all IVS-R1 and IVS-R4 sessions in the first half of 2006, shows that fixing these a priori gradients improves the repeatability for 74% (40 out of 54) of the VLBI baseline lengths compared to fixing zero or constant a priori gradients, and improves the repeatability for the majority of baselines compared to estimating 24-h offsets for the gradients. Only if 6-h offsets are estimated, the baseline length repeatabilities significantly improve, no matter which a priori gradients are used.     

流动VLBI观测频率窗口的选择

为即将启动的流动ＶＬＢＩ系统选取了频率窗口, 并对我国ＶＬＢＩ站所组成基线的系统性能和观测精度进行了估计。结果表明该频窗的选取是可行的。