North-polar quantum level based on polar low-orbit nanosatellites

A.V. Naumov, F.R. Smirnov, V.F. Fateev

FSUE “VNIIFTRI”, Moscow region, Mendeleevo, Russia
calypso@vniiftri.ru,
frsmirnov@vniiftri.ru,
generalfat@mail.ru

Al’manac of Modern Metrology № 3 (35) 2023, pages 96–105

Abstract. The purpose of the study was to develop directions for the use of a low-orbit grouping of nanosatellites in near-polar orbits to measure the difference in gravitational poten­tials and orthometric heights between points located on the mainland and on remote Arctic islands. The measurements are based on the use of the gravitational effect of time dilation in the gravita­tional field of the Earth. The use of two one-way radio lines connecting a satellite and a pair of spa­tially spaced ground-based highly stable hydrogen quantum clocks with double atom sorting is proposed. A miniature rubidium quantum clock is placed on board the nanosatellite, the measu­ring radio line uses a transmitter in the Ku- or Ka-bands. With an interval of accumulation of the gravitational effect up to 10 days, the expected error in measuring the height difference is about 1 m.

Keywords: quantum level, nanosatellite, Earth’s gravitational field, Arctic.

Full texts of articles are available only in Russian in printed issues of the magazine.