The Implications of Precise Timekeeping for Doppler Gravitational Wave Observations

John D. Anderson, F.B. Estabrook, J.W. Armstrong

Abstract:	Gravitational radiation from galactic and extragalactic astrophysical sources will induce spatial strains in the solar system, strains which can be measured directly by the Doppler radio link to distant spacecraft.We delineate current noise sources in Pioneer and Voyager Doppler data and make a comparison with expected signal levels from gravitational wave sources. The main conclusion is that it is possible to detect Gravitational radiation with current DSN hydrogen baser systems stable infractional frequency to 2 x 10-14 over 1000 sec. In the future, however, a serious Doppler observational program in gravitational wave astronomy will require frequency systems stable to at least 10-16, but at the same time the current single frequency S-band uplink transmission will have to be replaced by a dual frequency capability. In the meantime it is more likely that the S-band uplink will be replaced by a single X-band link, thereby improving the overall system frequency stability to the limit of the hydrogen maser system itself. This option, though attractive, seems more limited by the lack of X-band transponders on distant spacecraft than by the development of ground systems by the DSN. Earth tropospheric effects will not be a problem until stabilities of .5 x 10-15 or better are realized.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 13th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting December 1 - 3, 1981 Naval Research Laboratory Washington, DC
Pages:	757 - 766
Cite this article:	Anderson, John D., Estabrook, F.B., Armstrong, J.W., "The Implications of Precise Timekeeping for Doppler Gravitational Wave Observations," Proceedings of the 13th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting, Washington, DC, December 1981, pp. 757-766.
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