Reconstruction of the Instantaneous Earth Rotation Vector with Sub-Arcsecond Resolution Using a Large Scale Ring Laser Array

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Reconstruction of the Instantaneous Earth Rotation Vector with Sub-Arcsecond Resolution Using a Large Scale Ring Laser Array

André Gebauer, Monika Tercjak, Karl Ulrich Schreiber, Heiner Igel, Jan Kodet, Urs Hugentobler, Joachim Wassermann, Felix Bernauer, Chin-Jen Lin, Stefanie Donner, Sven Egdorf, Andrea Simonelli, and Jon-Paul R. Wells

Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 033605 – Published 17 July 2020

See Focus story: Real-Time Measurements of Earth’s Spin and Tilt

Abstract

Absolute rotation rate sensing with extreme sensitivity requires a combination of several large scale gyroscopes in order to obtain the full vector of rotation. We report on the construction and operation of a four-component, tetrahedral laser gyroscope array as large as a five story building and situated in a near surface, underground laboratory. It is demonstrated that reconstruction of the full Earth rotation vector can be achieved with sub-arcsecond resolution over more than six weeks.

Received 3 February 2020
Accepted 18 June 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.033605

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Lasers Optical coherence

Atomic, Molecular & Optical

Focus

Real-Time Measurements of Earth’s Spin and Tilt

Published 17 July 2020

An array of ring lasers provides the first continuous measurement of Earth’s motion from a single location.

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Authors & Affiliations

André Gebauer^1,2, Monika Tercjak ³, Karl Ulrich Schreiber ^2,4,5,*, Heiner Igel¹, Jan Kodet ², Urs Hugentobler ², Joachim Wassermann¹, Felix Bernauer¹, Chin-Jen Lin ¹, Stefanie Donner ¹, Sven Egdorf ¹, Andrea Simonelli ¹, and Jon-Paul R. Wells ^4,5

¹Ludwig Maximilians University, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Theresienstrasse 41, 80333 Munich, Germany
²Technical University of Munich, Research Facility Satellite Geodesy, Arcisstrasse 21, 80333 Munich, Germany
³Warzaw University of Technology, Department of Geodetic Astronomy, Warsaw 00-661, Poland
⁴Dodd Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies, Duniden 9054, New Zealand
⁵School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of Canterbury, PB 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand

^*Corresponding author. ulrich.schreiber@tum.de

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Issue

Vol. 125, Iss. 3 — 17 July 2020

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