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The physics of the environmental sensitivity of rubidium gas cell atomic frequency standardsEnvironmental sensitivity is often the most significant limitation to the practical stability of rubidium frequency standards (RFS). For example, temperature sensitivity can cause a rapid frequency change of several parts in 10(exp 10) for a tactical RFS that has an aging of only 1 times 10(exp -11)/month. Other important environmental factors are barometric pressure, vibration, magnetic field, and nuclear radiation. The physical mechanisms that lie behind these environmental sensitivities are considered. These physical mechanisms are related to the performance of actual rubidium frequency standards. For the user of these devices, a better knowledge of the causes for Rb clock instability will aid in their testing and proper application. For the time frequency specialist, a review of these factors may prove useful toward improving RFS design. Some of the RFS environmental sensitivities are due to simple physical mechanisms like the effect of dc magnetic field on the Rb hyperfine resonance frequency. For these, an analysis can be based on physical principles and straightforward design factors. Other environment factors, like temperature sensitivity, are more complex combinations of many effects, both physical and practical, and the analysis often takes the form of an error budget with large unit-to-unit variations. Today's rubidium frequency standards span a wide performance range from small, inexpensive units with pp 10(exp 10) error budgets to larger, higher performance versions offering pp 10(exp 10) stabilities. For both extremes, however, environmental sensitivity can be the most significant performance limitation. Why this is the case and how to make improvements are discussed.
Document ID
19910016481
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Riley, William J.
(Edgerton, Germeshausen and Grier, Inc. Salem, MA, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
May 1, 1990
Publication Information
Publication: JPL, The 22nd Annual Precise Time and Time Interval (PITI) Applications and Planning Meeting
Subject Category
Physics (General)
Accession Number
91N25795
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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