Earth rotation and network geometry optimization for very long baseline interferometers |
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Authors: | A Dermanis Ivan I Mueller |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Geodetic Science, The Ohio State University, 43210 Columbus, Ohio, USA |
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Abstract: | Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) is one of the new techniques which will probably dominate geodesy and geophysics
in the near future. Its main advantage lies in the fact that it brings the accuracy of direction measurements to a level previously
possible only for range measurements. This closes the gap between powerful range determination techniques such as laser ranging
and the much less accurate determination of directions through photographic tracking of artificial earth satellites.
The technique is geometric in the sense that the relevant observations are independent of the gravity field of the earth.
However, the “orbits” of the observed extragalactic radio sources with respect to an earth-fixed system are dominated and
perturbed by the rotation of the earth with respect to inertial frame. This allows the determination of polar motion, precession-nutation
and length-of-the-day variations, and the technique becomes also “dynamic” in this respect.
The capability of determining the geometry of a network of stations within a short time interval and with a centimeter level
accuracy also allows the study of the variation of network geometry with time caused by earth tides and other periodic or
secular station drifts.
The main objective of the present work is the exploration of the capabilities of VLBI for the recovery of earth rotation and
network geometry parameters. For this purpose, a number of characteristic experimental designs based on present and candidate
for the near future station locations is chosen. The results from the analysis of simulated observations for each particular
design are presented in the paper.
Presented at IAG International Symposium on “Optimization of Design and Computation of Control Networks”, Sopron, Hungary,
4–10 July 1977. |
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