Increasing the Resilience of a UTC Realization by Steering Multiple Ensembles

Jeffrey Zhu and Michael J. Coleman

Abstract: For years, The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Advanced PNT branch has been operating an ensemble timescale to achieve a realization of UTC. Recently, NRL developed a second timescale using a separate measurement system. Having a second timescale increases the resilience of NRL’s UTC realization. Each timescale can be used to cover gaps or correct anomalies in the other. A second timescale will allow NRL to provide a continuous UTC realization even if one timescale has to be interrupted for maintenance or transportation. To make the second timescale a viable alternative, NRL uses a LQC Gaussian steering algorithm to steer the two timescales together. This paper describes the formation of a timescale from an ensemble of atomic clocks. Two timescales derived from different measurement systems are presented and compared to demonstrate the steering algorithm and general ensemble stability.
Published in: Proceedings of the 53rd Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting
January 25 - 27, 2022
Hyatt Regency Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Pages: 243 - 258
Cite this article: Zhu, Jeffrey, Coleman, Michael J., "Increasing the Resilience of a UTC Realization by Steering Multiple Ensembles," Proceedings of the 53rd Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting, Long Beach, California, January 2022, pp. 243-258. https://doi.org/10.33012/2022.18279
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