The impact of celestial pole offset modelling on VLBI UT1 Intensive results

Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) Intensive sessions are scheduled to provide operational Universal Time (UT1) determinations with low latency. UT1 estimates obtained from these observations heavily depend on the model of the celestial pole motion used during data processing. However, even the most accurate precession-nutation model, IAU 2000/2006, is not accurate enough to realize the full potential of VLBI observations. To achieve the highest possible accuracy in UT1 estimates, a celestial pole offset (CPO), which is the difference between the actual and modelled precession-nutation angles, should be applied. Three CPO models are currently available for users. In this paper, these models have been tested and the differences between UT1 estimates obtained with those models are investigated. It has been shown that neglecting CPO modelling during VLBI UT1 Intensive processing causes systematic errors in UT1 series of up to 20 microarcseconds. It has been also found that using different CPO models causes the differences in UT1 estimates reaching 10 microarcseconds. Obtained results are applicable to the satellite data processing as well.Comment: 8 pp., accepted for publication in Journal of Geodes

Analysis of the Accuracy of Prediction of the Celestial Pole Motion

VLBI observations carried out by global networks provide the most accurate values of the precession-nutation angles determining the position of the celestial pole; as a rule, these results become available two to four weeks after the observations. Therefore, numerous applications, such as satellite navigation systems, operational determination of Universal Time, and space navigation, use predictions of the coordinates of the celestial pole. In connection with this, the accuracy of predictions of the precession- nutation angles based on observational data obtained over the last three years is analyzed for the first time, using three empiric nutation models---namely, those developed at the US Naval Observatory, the Paris Observatory, and the Pulkovo Observatory. This analysis shows that the last model has the best of accuracy in predicting the coordinates of the celestial pole. The rms error for a one-month prediction proposed by this model is below 100 microarcsecond.Comment: 13 p

The influence of Galactic aberration on precession parameters determined from VLBI observations

The influence of proper motions of sources due to Galactic aberration on precession models based on VLBI data is determined. Comparisons of the linear trends in the coordinates of the celestial pole obtained with and without taking into account Galactic aberration indicate that this effect can reach 20 $\mu$as per century, which is important for modern precession models. It is also shown that correcting for Galactic aberration influences the derived parameters of low-frequency nutation terms. It is therefore necessary to correct for Galactic aberration in the reduction of modern astrometric observations

Higher order approximation of isochrons

Phase reduction is a commonly used techinque for analyzing stable oscillators, particularly in studies concerning synchronization and phase lock of a network of oscillators. In a widely used numerical approach for obtaining phase reduction of a single oscillator, one needs to obtain the gradient of the phase function, which essentially provides a linear approximation of isochrons. In this paper, we extend the method for obtaining partial derivatives of the phase function to arbitrary order, providing higher order approximations of isochrons. In particular, our method in order 2 can be applied to the study of dynamics of a stable oscillator subjected to stochastic perturbations, a topic that will be discussed in a future paper. We use the Stuart-Landau oscillator to illustrate the method in order 2

Evaluation of superalloy heavy-duty grinding based on multivariate tests

The quality and economy of grinding depend on proper selection of grinding conditions for the materials to be ground. In order to evaluate the effect of heavy-duty grinding, a new performance index, which includes specific material removal rate, size accuracy, and grinding forces, was proposed. Robust design of experiment, including orthogonal arrays, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) method, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) for multivariate data, was employed to estimate the effect of uniform experimental design and to optimize grinding parameters. Empirical models of grinding force were investigated for finite element analysis of new fixture design. These empirical models, based on robust design of experiments and multiple regression methodology, have been confirmed through further verification experiments. Correlation coefficients from 0.87 to 0.96 were achieved

Spin-Orbit Qubits of Rare-Earth-Metal Ions in Axially Symmetric Crystal Fields

Contrary to the well known spin qubits, rare-earth qubits are characterized by a strong influence of crystal field due to large spin-orbit coupling. At low temperature and in the presence of resonance microwaves, it is the magnetic moment of the crystal-field ground-state which nutates (for several $\mu$s) and the Rabi frequency $\Omega_R$ is anisotropic. Here, we present a study of the variations of $\Omega_R(\vec{H}_{0})$ with the magnitude and direction of the static magnetic field $\vec{H_{0}}$ for the odd $^{167}$Er isotope in a single crystal CaWO$_4$:Er$^{3+}$. The hyperfine interactions split the $\Omega_R(\vec{H}_{0})$ curve into eight different curves which are fitted numerically and described analytically. These "spin-orbit qubits" should allow detailed studies of decoherence mechanisms which become relevant at high temperature and open new ways for qubit addressing using properly oriented magnetic fields

Parity doubling in particle physics

Parity doubling in excited hadrons is reviewed. Parity degeneracy in hadrons was first experimentally observed 40 years ago. Recently new experimental data on light mesons caused much excitement and renewed interest to the phenomenon, which still remains to be enigmatic. The present retrospective review is an attempt to trace the history of parity doubling phenomenon, thus providing a kind of introduction to the subject. We begin with early approaches of 1960s (Regge theory and dynamical symmetries) and end up with the latest trends (manifestations of broader degeneracies and AdS/QCD). We show the evolution of various ideas about parity doubling. The experimental evidence for this phenomenon is scrutinized in the non-strange sector. Some experiments of 1960s devoted to the search for missing non-strange bosons are re-examined and it is argued that results of these experiments are encouraging from the modern perspective.Comment: Version to appear in Int. J. Mod. Phys. A, 63 pages, 9 figure

Cross-relaxation and phonon bottleneck effects on magnetization dynamics in LiYF4:Ho3+

Frequency and dc magnetic field dependences of dynamic susceptibility in diluted paramagnets LiYF$_4$:Ho$^{3+}$ have been measured at liquid helium temperatures in the ac and dc magnetic fields parallel to the symmetry axis of a tetragonal crystal lattice. Experimental data are analyzed in the framework of microscopic theory of relaxation rates in the manifold of 24 electron-nuclear sublevels of the lowest non-Kramers doublet and the first excited singlet in the Ho$^{3+}$ ground multiplet $^5I_8$ split by the crystal field of S$_4$ symmetry. The one-phonon transition probabilities were computed using electron-phonon coupling constants calculated in the framework of exchange charge model and were checked by optical piezospectroscopic measurements. The specific features observed in field dependences of the in- and out-of-phase susceptibilities (humps and dips, respectively) at the crossings (anti-crossings) of the electron-nuclear sublevels are well reproduced by simulations when the phonon bottleneck effect and the cross-spin relaxation are taken into account