Optical Clocks in Space

S. Schiller; A. Goerlitz; A. Nevsky; J. C. J. Koelemeij; A. Wicht; P. Gill; H. A. Klein; H. S. Margolis; G. Mileti; U. Sterr; F. Riehle; E. Peik; Chr. Tamm; W. Ertmer; E. Rasel; V. Klein; C. Salomon; G. M. Tino; P. Lemonde; R. Holzwarth; T. W. Haensch

arXiv · gr-qc/0608081

Optical Clocks in Space

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Abstract

The performance of optical clocks has strongly progressed in recent years, and accuracies and instabilities of 1 part in 10^18 are expected in the near future. The operation of optical clocks in space provides new scientific and technological opportunities. In particular, an earth-orbiting satellite containing an ensemble of optical clocks would allow a precision measurement of the gravitational redshift, navigation with improved precision, mapping of the earth's gravitational potential by relativistic geodesy, and comparisons between ground clocks.

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S. Schiller, A. Goerlitz, A. Nevsky, J. C. J. Koelemeij, A. Wicht, P. Gill, H. A. Klein, H. S. Margolis, G. Mileti, U. Sterr, F. Riehle, E. Peik, Chr. Tamm, W. Ertmer, E. Rasel, V. Klein, C. Salomon, G. M. Tino, P. Lemonde, R. Holzwarth, T. W. Haensch. 2006-08-17. Optical Clocks in Space. https://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0608081

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