INRIM Time and Frequency Laboratory: An Update on the Status and on the Ongoing Enhancement Activities

G. Cerretto, R. Costa, G. Fantino, E. Cantoni, I. Sesia, G. Signorile, P. Tavella

Abstract:	INRIM Time and Frequency Laboratory (here after indicated as TFL), realizes and makes available to the users the UTC(IT) time scale, the legal time scale for Italy. Generated by means of an Active Hydrogen Maser (AHM) and supported by an ensemble of cesium beam frequency standards, hydrogen masers and cesium atomic fountains, UTC(IT) is synchronized via satellite (GPS and TWSFT, Two Way Satellite Time and Frequency Transfer) with the timescales generated by other international NMIs (National Metrological Institutes) and it is kept in agreement with the international time scale UTC (Universal Time Coordinated) computed by BIPM. Also, TFL regularly contributes to the realization of the TAI (International Atomic Time) time scale, sending to BIPM the measurements results carried out following protocols defined at international level. In this paper the status of the TFL is presented, highlighting for the wide range ongoing activities that are carried out in order to enhance its robustness and performances, with the aim to better solve the task of national NMI as well as for providing accurate and reliable services to the European navigation system Galileo.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 46th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting December 1 - 4, 2014 Seaport Boston Hotel Boston, Massachusetts
Pages:	33 - 40
Cite this article:	Cerretto, G., Costa, R., Fantino, G., Cantoni, E., Sesia, I., Signorile, G., Tavella, P., "INRIM Time and Frequency Laboratory: An Update on the Status and on the Ongoing Enhancement Activities," Proceedings of the 46th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts, December 2014, pp. 33-40.
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