Fiber optic frequency transfer link

A reference frequency distribution system is disclosed for transmitting a reference frequency from a reference unit to a remote unit while keeping the reference frequency at the reference unit and the remote unit in phase. A fiber optic cable connects the reference unit to the remote unit. A frequency source at the reference unit produces a reference frequency having an adjustable phase. A fiber optic transmitter at the reference unit modulates a light beam with the reference frequency and transmits the light beam into the fiber optic cable. A 50/50 reflector at the remote unit reflects a first portion of the light beam from the reference unit back into the fiber optic cable to the reference unit. A first fiber optic receiver disposed at the remote unit receives a second portion of the light beam and demodulates the reference frequency to be used at the remote unit. A second fiber optic receiver disposed at the reference unit receives the first portion of the light beam and demodulates a reference frequency component. A phase conjugator is connected to the frequency source for comparing the phase of the reference frequency component to the phase of the reference frequency modulating the light beam being transmitted from the reference unit to maintain a conjugate (anti-symmetric) relationship between the reference frequency component and the reference frequency modulating the light beam where virtually no phase difference exists between the phase of the reference frequency component and the phase of the reference frequency modulating the light beam

Precision measurement of the neutrino velocity with the ICARUS detector in the CNGS beam

During May 2012, the CERN-CNGS neutrino beam has been operated for two weeks for a total of 1.8 10^17 pot in bunched mode, with a 3 ns narrow width proton beam bunches, separated by 100 ns. This tightly bunched beam structure allows a very accurate time of flight measurement of neutrinos from CERN to LNGS on an event-by-event basis. Both the ICARUS-T600 PMT-DAQ and the CERN-LNGS timing synchronization have been substantially improved for this campaign, taking ad-vantage of additional independent GPS receivers, both at CERN and LNGS as well as of the deployment of the "White Rabbit" protocol both at CERN and LNGS. The ICARUS-T600 detector has collected 25 beam-associated events; the corresponding time of flight has been accurately evaluated, using all different time synchronization paths. The measured neutrino time of flight is compatible with the arrival of all events with speed equivalent to the one of light: the difference between the expected value based on the speed of light and the measured value is tof_c - tof_nu = (0.10 \pm 0.67stat. \pm 2.39syst.) ns. This result is in agreement with the value previously reported by the ICARUS collaboration, tof_c - tof_nu = (0.3 \pm 4.9stat. \pm 9.0syst.) ns, but with improved statistical and systematic errors.Comment: 21 pages, 13 figures, 1 tabl

New method for the time calibration of an interferometric radio antenna array

Digital radio antenna arrays, like LOPES (LOFAR PrototypE Station), detect high-energy cosmic rays via the radio emission from atmospheric extensive air showers. LOPES is an array of dipole antennas placed within and triggered by the KASCADE-Grande experiment on site of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany. The antennas are digitally combined to build a radio interferometer by forming a beam into the air shower arrival direction which allows measurements even at low signal-to-noise ratios in individual antennas. This technique requires a precise time calibration. A combination of several calibration steps is used to achieve the necessary timing accuracy of about 1 ns. The group delays of the setup are measured, the frequency dependence of these delays (dispersion) is corrected in the subsequent data analysis, and variations of the delays with time are monitored. We use a transmitting reference antenna, a beacon, which continuously emits sine waves at known frequencies. Variations of the relative delays between the antennas can be detected and corrected for at each recorded event by measuring the phases at the beacon frequencies.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, 1 table, pre-print of article published in Nuclear Inst. and Methods in Physics Research, A, available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TJM-4Y9CF4B-4/2/37bfcb899a0f387d9875a5a0729593a

On the Calibration of Full-polarization 86GHz Global VLBI Observations

We report the development of a semi-automatic pipeline for the calibration of 86 GHz full-polarization observations performed with the Global Millimeter-VLBI array (GMVA) and describe the calibration strategy followed in the data reduction. Our calibration pipeline involves non-standard procedures, since VLBI polarimetry at frequencies above 43 GHz is not yet well established. We also present, for the first time, a full-polarization global-VLBI image at 86 GHz (source 3C 345), as an example of the final product of our calibration pipeline, and discuss the effect of instrumental limitations on the fidelity of the polarization images. Our calibration strategy is not exclusive for the GMVA, and could be applied on other VLBI arrays at millimeter wavelengths. The use of this pipeline will allow GMVA observers to get fully-calibrated datasets shortly after the data correlation.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in A&