An Approach of Tropospheric Correction for VLBI Phase-Referencing using GPS Data

The dominant source of error in VLBI phase-referencing is the troposphere at observing frequencies above 5 GHz. We compare the tropospheric zenith delays derived from VLBI and GPS data at VLBA stations collocated with GPS antennas. The systematic biases and standard deviations both are at the level of sub-centimeter. Based on this agreement, we suggest a new method of tropospheric correction in phase-referencing using combined VLBI and GPS data.     

Tropospheric Delay from VLBI and GNSS Measurements

Using an updated version of the QUASAR software package developed at the Institute of Applied Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, we have processed the VLBI observations within the international CONT14 program (May 6–20, 2014), in which a global network of 17 stations was involved (a total of ~250 000 observations). The package update concerned the optimization of data structure and the refinement of stochastic models for the random variations in wet tropospheric delay and atomic clock difference. The main goal of this paper is to compare the VLBI determinations of the tropospheric delay with its independent determinations using global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). We show that both these determinations agree well between themselves only in the case of a global analysis of the VLBI observations, where the VLBI station coordinates are also refined, along with the tropospheric delay and the clock synchronization and Earth orientation parameters. If, alternatively, the station coordinates are insufficiently accurate and are not refined from VLBI observations, then it is appropriate not to determine the tropospheric delay from these observations, but to take it from the publicly accessible independent GNSS data. However, this requires that the VLBI and GNSS techniques operate simultaneously at a common observing site. We have established the shortcomings of the universally accepted method of stabilizing the global solution associated with the absence of a criterion for choosing reference stations and radio sources. Two ways of their elimination are proposed: (i) introducing a coordinated list of weight factors for the errors in the coordinates of such stations and sources into the stabilization algorithm and (ii) adopting a coordinated list of stations and sources the refinement of whose coordinates is not required at all for a certain time.     

Multifrequency VLBI observations of faint gigahertz peaked spectrum sources

We present the data and analysis of VLBI observations at 1.6, 5 and 15 GHz of a sample of faint gigahertz peaked spectrum (GPS) sources selected from the Westerbork Northern Sky Survey. The 5-GHz observations involved a global array of 16 stations and yielded data on the total sample of 47 sources. A subsample of 26 GPS sources with peak frequencies     and/or peak flux densities     was observed with the VLBA at 15 GHz. A second subsample of 29 sources, with     was observed at 1.6 GHz using a 14-station global VLBI array. In this way, 44 of the 47 sources (94 per cent) in the sample were observed above and at or below their spectral peak. Spectral decomposition allowed us to identify three, 11, seven and two objects as compact symmetric objects, compact doubles, core–jet and complex sources, respectively. However, many of the sources classified as compact double or core–jet sources show only two components making their classification rather tentative. This may explain why the strong morphological dichotomy of GPS quasars and galaxies found for radio-bright GPS sources is not as clear in this faint sample.     

VLBI资料处理软件系统CALC/SOLVE中的USER_PARTIAL功能

结合天测与测地VLBI资料处理中的实际工作需求 ,介绍了CALC SOLVE中的USERPARTIAL功能 ,并给出应用实例     

Evaluation of the Precision of Three Tropospheric Delay Correction Models

Using the annual GPS observational tropospheric zenith delay data and meteorological data obtained at 36 globally distributed IGS stations in 2003, we have estimated the accuracy and range of application of two often-used models of tropospheric delay correction (the Hopfield and Saastamoinen models), and of a more recent model (the EGNOS model). We point out some defects in the Hopfield model and show that the EGNOS model can be used as the correction model of the tropospheric zenith delay for the GNSS real-time positioning and navigation.     

VLBI数据软件相关处理方法研究

VLBI技术是 2 0世纪 6 0年代后期发展起来射电干涉新技术 ,自 2 0世纪 70年代至今VLBI数据预处理主要采用硬件相关处理机。近年来随着通用计算机性能的大幅度提高 ,利用软件方法对VLBI数据进行相关处理逐渐成为可能。介绍了国内外VLBI软件相关处理机的研究进展情况和VLBI数据相关处理的基本数学模型。针对实际软件相关处理方法研究中数学模型应用和各类参数选取等情况作了详细介绍。根据现有数据处理精度和处理速度 ,进一步分析了提高软件相关处理速度的可能性。     

Determination of zenith tropospheric path delay for the Ukrainian permanent GPS stations using observation data for GPS weeks 1236–1399

Observations of GPS satellites for GPS weeks 1236–1399 at permanent stations located in Ukraine and Eastern Europe were processed with the Bernese GPS Software package ver. 4.2 in the GPS Data Analysis Center of the Main Astronomical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Obtained values of the tropospheric path delay for the Ukrainian permanent GPS stations are presented.     

稀疏矩阵技术及其在天测与测地VLBI数据处理中的应用

介绍了稀疏矩阵的四种常见形式以及稀疏矩阵技术在天测与测地VLBI数据处理中的应用。推演了天测与测地VLBI数据综合解算中所用稀疏矩阵形式下待估参数求解和协方差矩阵估算的算法。通过对是否采用稀疏矩阵技术时方程求解 (乘法和加法 )运算对数的估算和比较 ,表明普通最小二乘方法的运算对数约为参数总数的 3次方 ,而采用稀疏矩阵技术时的运算对数近似与参数总数成线性关系 ,从而能够在现代空间对地观测技术的大样本数据处理中显著缩短计算时间。     

VLBI观测信号相关处理中的小波保角变换

Daubechies小波可以表征为幂函数或e指数函数的形式 ,保持相关相位条纹的幅角不变。在VLBI观测信号相关处理过程中引入了小波分析方法 ,以探讨小波理论在VLBI技术中的应用特点。两个台站的VLBI观测信号经过时间补偿和干涉条纹旋转后 ,利用静态小波算法在线性空间中的保角变换特征可提取VLBI信号的干涉相位特征 ,并完整保留相位的时序关系。     

利用GPS时间传递数据修正接收机天线坐标

在采用ＧＰＳ进行共视时问比对过程中，当两站位置相隔不大长（小于１０００ｋｍ）时，由于卫星轨道误差、电离层和对流层延迟修正的误差可减少至只有几纳秒，可以主为接收天线位置的误差是其主要误差来源．利用ＧＰＳ本身的时间比对数据，不必增加别的数据来源和设备，采用相对定位的方法可提高定位精度，从而提高时间比对的精度．本文利用日本（ＣＲＬ）和北京天文台（ＢＡＯ）之间五天的共视时间比对数据，对（ＢＡＯ）的天线坐标进行修正．在水平方向和高程方向的修正偏差分别为２．９ｍ和５．６ｍ．如果试验数据足够，修正６４效果会更好．     

VLBI标准接口的发展

VLBI标准接口是近年来在VLBI技术中诞生的一个新概念,它旨在解决多年来各VLBI数据传输系统不兼容的问题．该文阐述了VLBI数据传输系统的发展历史,包括传统的记录／回放系统和新兴的网络数据传输两方面的内容;说明了VLBI标准接口的作用和意义;并分别介绍了VLBI标准接口规范3方面的内容:VLBI标准接口件规范(VSI-H)、VLBI标准接口软件规范(VSI-S)和VLBI标准接口网络规范(VSI-E)．     

Investigation of the positional instability of reference points for the Simeiz-Katziveli collocation station

We analyze the local geodetic ties between the VLBI, LLR, and GPS reference points of the Simeiz-Katziveli collocation station. The conclusion about the instability of this geodynamic test area is confirmed. We conclude that regular, with a period of 1–2.5 years, redeterminations of the local geodetic ties at this collocation station are necessary. A linear model of the time variation in the estimates of the local geodetic ties is constructed for this test area. The estimates of the local geodetic ties are compared with the differences between the corresponding coordinates of the reference points specified in ITRF2000. We conclude that there are systematic errors in ITRF2000 related to an incorrect determination of the velocities for the reference points of the collocation station with identical DOMES numbers. We suggest assigning different DOMES numbers to the reference points of unstable geodynamic test areas. The estimates of the local geodetic ties are compared with the differences between the corresponding coordinates of the reference points obtained from individual VLBI, LLR, and GPS solutions. These were found to be in disagreement.     

以基线长度变化率为约束估算VLBI站的垂直形变率

基于NNR-NUVEL-1A地球板块运动模型和ITRF2000地球参考架的三维VLBI站速度矢量,采用实测的VLBI基线长度变化率作为约束,重新估计了部分国际VLBI站的局部或区域性地壳的垂直形变,并与国际地球参考架ITRFs解和VLBI全球解GLB2003,VTRF2003和VTRF2005的结果进行了比较。结果表明,欧亚板块的URUMQI站和太平洋板块的KWAJAL26站,南极OHIGGINS站的垂直形变率、ITRFs解和VLBI全球解存在6-15mm/a的差异,北美YUMA站可能有15-31mm/a 的垂直形变率,而美国西部太平洋板块的San Francisco(PRESIDIO)站的垂直形变率还有待进一步的研究。此外,SC-VLBA,CRIMEA和EFLSBERG站的垂直形变率、ITRFs解和VLBI全球解的差约为1-6mm/a。用不同方法得到的VLBI站的水平形变率解有较好的一致性。     

Phaseless VLBI mapping of compact extragalactic radio sources

The problem of phaseless aperture synthesis is of current interest in phase-unstable VLBI with a small number of elements when either the use of closure phases is not possible (a two-element interferometer) or their quality and number are not enough for acceptable image reconstruction by standard adaptive calibration methods. Therefore, we discuss the problem of unique image reconstruction only from the spectrum magnitude of a source. We suggest an efficient method for phaseless VLBI mapping of compact extragalactic radio sources. This method is based on the reconstruction of the spectrum magnitude for a source on the entire UV plane from the measured visibility magnitude on a limited set of points and the reconstruction of the sought-for image of the source by Fienup's method from the spectrum magnitude reconstructed at the first stage. We present the results of our mapping of the extragalactic radio source 2200+420 using astrometric and geodetic observations on a global VLBI array. Particular attention is given to studying the capabilities of a two-element interferometer in connection with the putting into operation of a Russian-made radio interferometer based on Quasar RT-32 radio telescopes.     

Early VLBI in the USSR

This article gives story of interferometer with independent elements (Very Long Baseline Interferometer) in Russia. At the end of February 1962 the author discussed with G.Ya. Gus'kov, DSN Station, Evpatorija a new type of radio interferometer and proposed an experiment between two DSN stations. In September 1962 he reported the new method and proposed a VLBI experiment at seminar of Radio Astronomical Laboratory, Pushino, and then at a seminar of Astronomical Institute GAISH which recommended to take out a Patent. In December GAISH sent documents to the Patent Bureau. In summer 1963 the author discussed with B. Lovell in Evpatorija the VLBI method of and we signed memorandum an Ev‐JB experiment at λ = 32 cm. In December 1963 the Patent Bureau permitted publication, and the paper was sent to Radiofizika. Really VLBI in the USSR began with the proposal of M. Cohen and K. Kellermann, February 1968, to do an experiment between 22‐m antenna Pushino and 43‐m Green Bank. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The Two Mini-lobes of the CSO OQ208—— VLBI Observations at 5 GHz and 8.4 GHz

We present the results of VLBI observations at 5 GHz and 8.4 GHz of the compact symmetric object (CSO) OQ208. Images taken on four epochs at 5GHz and one at 8.4GHz show that the parsec radio structure of the source consists of two mini-lobes, both of them are resolved into two hot-spots. We note that the component D is stronger than the component C in the south-west region at 5 GHz, indicating that component D is less free-free absorbed than C at low frequency. On the basis of the separation of components A and D, a proper motion of 0.032±0.02 mas yr~(-1) between the two mini-lobes is estimated. This value is about half the previous estimates based on the separation of components A and C with 8.4 GHz VLBI data. The reason for the decrease in the expansion velocity is discussed.     

Study of a Bistatic Radar System Using VLBI Technologies for Detecting Space Debris and the Experimental Verification of its Validity

Space debris are increasing around the Earth. The observation of space debris is a key issue for the investigation and monitoring of space environment. But the observation opportunities and the detection ability are limited in existing monostatic radar systems. This paper proposes a bistatic radar which is composed of a transmitting station and a receiving-only station. A carrier wave modulated by PN-PSK signals is used in combination with a VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) recorder for range measurement between space debris and stations. The receiving radio wave is processed on the basis of VLBI techniques. Accordingly, the system is shown to have significant advantages over a monostatic radar. We actually formed a bistatic radar system, and observed a satellite in order to experimentally verify the validity. The configuration of the system, data analysis and the experimental results are described.     

Variability of GPS Radio Sources at 5 GHz

We carry out flux monitoring on a sample of 169 Gigahertz Peaked Spectrum (GPS) radio sources at 5 GHz and find that about one-third of them show considerable Inter-Month Variability (IMV), and these IMV phenomena are likely to be caused by interstellar scintillation (ISS). Furthermore, we find that those showing IMV tend to be point-like or core-jet structures at VLBI scale.     

Method for obtaining the combined solution for geodynamical parameters from modern space geodesy technique observation

Combined method for VLBI, GPS and SLR observation was presented. The method is based on combination of normal equation systems and local ties information for sites with collocated techniques provided by analysis centres. The combined solution for CONT02 geodesy experiment is considered.     

GPS无线电掩星数据处理系统

GPS无线电掩星技术能提供高精度、高分辨率、全球覆盖的地球电离层和中性层大气剖面。它具有全天候、低费用、无系统长期漂移等优点。从1995年4月至1997年3月,首次GPS／MET试验的成功显示了GPS掩星技术对监测全球大气能够发挥重要的作用,从而成为当前空间探测技术的研究热点之一。该文主要叙述了无线电掩星技术的数据处理系统的有关情况,并介绍了美国UCAR的掩星数据处理系统CDAAC的概况,可作为我国开展无线电掩星计划有关工作的借鉴。