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Active and Passive Hydrogen Maser
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The Passive Maser principle of operation
is based on a 5 MHz quartz crystal oscillator, frequency
locked to the hyperfine transition of the hydrogen atom. The
Passive Maser is specifically designed to provide an
alternative technology to the high performance option cesium
oscillators - the Maser's stability specification is at
least a factor of 3 better than the best known cesium
oscillator. The Maser's 5-year overall accuracy of
<1.5×10-12, exceeds the best cesium specifications of
1.5×10-12 accuracy in light of the 3-year life warranty of
the beam tube.
Replacement costs of a cesium beam tube generally exceed
$20K. Hydrogen Masers, however, have no physics wear-out
mechanism. The maser has the intrinsic capability to operate
for ten years, although failures earlier than 10 years are
sometimes related to ion pumps, the dissociator, and the
hydrogen source. Even if replacement of these components
should prove necessary, they would cost a factor of 10 less
than cesium beam tube replacement. In light of the above,
the Passive Maser may be the number one choice over high
performance option cesium oscillators when better stability
and competitive accuracy are needed at a comparable sales
price, while at the same time reducing the 10-year life
cycle costs. |
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Astro Laser Range finding
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Space Navigation
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Defence
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Intelligence
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Gravity Prospecting
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Support of Radar Imaging
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Determination of Earth Rotation
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Geo-Dynamics
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Heat Transport
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Telecommunications
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Fast Missile Tracking
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Baseline Definition
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National Timekeeping
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National Frequency Standards
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Geodesy
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- Geodesy
- Glacial Movement
- GPS Satellite Mounting
- Navigation
- Climatology
- Calibration
- Position Fixing
- Earthquake Research
- Calibration of Cesium &
Rubidium
- VLBI
- Astronomy
- Plate Tectonics
- Secure Communications
- GNS Ground Control
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ACTIVE HYDROGEN MASER
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The Active Hydrogen
Maser technology provides the best known frequency stability
for a frequency generator commercially available today.
Active masers will be used when the best stability is needed
in a time domain of 1 sec. to a day. At a 1-hour averaging
time, the Active Maser exceeds the stability of the best
known cesium oscillators by a factor of at least 100. Unlike
cesium oscillators, Hydrogen Masers have no physics wear-out
mechanism. They have the inherent ability to operate for 10
years, although failures earlier than 10 years can be
attributed to ion pumps, the dissociator, and the hydrogen
source. Even if such maintenance is needed, the costs will
be a factor of 10 less than the cesium beam tube
replacement, which will occur in the five to ten years life
of the equipment.
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Calibration
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Fountain caesium
reference
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National Frequency
Standards
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Defence
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Earthquake Research
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Plate tectonics
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National
timekeeping
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Gravity prospecting
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Navigation
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Position fixing
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Glacial movement
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Space navigation
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Fast missile
tracking
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Support of radar
imaging missiles
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Telecommunications
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Telecommunications
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Determination of
Earth Rotation
-
Baseline Definition
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Geodesy
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Geodynamics
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VLBI
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Intelligence
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Astro laser range
finding
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Secure
communications
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Heat transport
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Climatology
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Calibration of
cesium and rubidium
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GPS satellite
monitoring
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Astronomy
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