Development of a pulsar-based time-scale

George Hobbs; William Coles; Richard Manchester; M Keith; Ryan M Shannon; D Chen; M Bailes; N D R Bhat; Sarah Burke-Spolaor; D Champion; A Chaudhary; A Hotan; J Khoo; Jonathon Kocz; Yuri Levin; Stefan Oslowski; B Preisig; Vikram Ravi; J Reynolds; John Sarkissian; Willem van Straten; J P W Verbiest; D R B Yardley; X P You

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21946.x

Development of a pulsar-based time-scale

George Hobbs, William Coles, Richard Manchester, M Keith, Ryan M Shannon, D Chen, M Bailes, N D R Bhat, Sarah Burke-Spolaor, D Champion, A Chaudhary, A Hotan, J Khoo, Jonathon Kocz, Yuri Levin, Stefan Oslowski, B Preisig, Vikram Ravi, J Reynolds, John SarkissianWillem van Straten, J P W Verbiest, D R B Yardley, X P You

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Abstract

Using observations of pulsars from the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array (PPTA) project we develop the first pulsar-based time-scale that has a precision comparable to the uncertainties in International Atomic Time-scales (TAI). Our ensemble of pulsars provides an Ensemble Pulsar Scale (EPS) analogous to the free atomic time-scale Echelle Atomique Libre. The EPS can be used to detect fluctuations in atomic time-scales and therefore can lead to a new realization of Terrestrial Time, TT(PPTA11). We successfully follow features known to affect the frequency of the TAI, and we find marginally significant differences between TT(PPTA11) and TT(BIPM11). We discuss the various phenomena that lead to a correlated signal in the pulsar timing residuals and therefore limit the stability of the pulsar time-scale.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2780-2787
Number of pages	8
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	427
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21946.x
Publication status	Published - 2012

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10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21946.x

Cite this

Hobbs, G., Coles, W., Manchester, R., Keith, M., Shannon, R. M., Chen, D., Bailes, M., Bhat, N. D. R., Burke-Spolaor, S., Champion, D., Chaudhary, A., Hotan, A., Khoo, J., Kocz, J., Levin, Y., Oslowski, S., Preisig, B., Ravi, V., Reynolds, J., ... You, X. P. (2012). Development of a pulsar-based time-scale. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 427(4), 2780-2787. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21946.x

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title = "Development of a pulsar-based time-scale",

abstract = "Using observations of pulsars from the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array (PPTA) project we develop the first pulsar-based time-scale that has a precision comparable to the uncertainties in International Atomic Time-scales (TAI). Our ensemble of pulsars provides an Ensemble Pulsar Scale (EPS) analogous to the free atomic time-scale Echelle Atomique Libre. The EPS can be used to detect fluctuations in atomic time-scales and therefore can lead to a new realization of Terrestrial Time, TT(PPTA11). We successfully follow features known to affect the frequency of the TAI, and we find marginally significant differences between TT(PPTA11) and TT(BIPM11). We discuss the various phenomena that lead to a correlated signal in the pulsar timing residuals and therefore limit the stability of the pulsar time-scale.",

author = "George Hobbs and William Coles and Richard Manchester and M Keith and Shannon, {Ryan M} and D Chen and M Bailes and Bhat, {N D R} and Sarah Burke-Spolaor and D Champion and A Chaudhary and A Hotan and J Khoo and Jonathon Kocz and Yuri Levin and Stefan Oslowski and B Preisig and Vikram Ravi and J Reynolds and John Sarkissian and {van Straten}, Willem and Verbiest, {J P W} and Yardley, {D R B} and You, {X P}",

year = "2012",

doi = "10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21946.x",

language = "English",

volume = "427",

pages = "2780--2787",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

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Hobbs, G, Coles, W, Manchester, R, Keith, M, Shannon, RM, Chen, D, Bailes, M, Bhat, NDR, Burke-Spolaor, S, Champion, D, Chaudhary, A, Hotan, A, Khoo, J, Kocz, J, Levin, Y, Oslowski, S, Preisig, B, Ravi, V, Reynolds, J, Sarkissian, J, van Straten, W, Verbiest, JPW, Yardley, DRB & You, XP 2012, 'Development of a pulsar-based time-scale', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 427, no. 4, pp. 2780-2787. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21946.x

TY - JOUR

T1 - Development of a pulsar-based time-scale

AU - Hobbs, George

AU - Coles, William

AU - Manchester, Richard

AU - Keith, M

AU - Shannon, Ryan M

AU - Chen, D

AU - Bailes, M

AU - Bhat, N D R

AU - Burke-Spolaor, Sarah

AU - Champion, D

AU - Chaudhary, A

AU - Hotan, A

AU - Khoo, J

AU - Kocz, Jonathon

AU - Levin, Yuri

AU - Oslowski, Stefan

AU - Preisig, B

AU - Ravi, Vikram

AU - Reynolds, J

AU - Sarkissian, John

AU - van Straten, Willem

AU - Verbiest, J P W

AU - Yardley, D R B

AU - You, X P

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - Using observations of pulsars from the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array (PPTA) project we develop the first pulsar-based time-scale that has a precision comparable to the uncertainties in International Atomic Time-scales (TAI). Our ensemble of pulsars provides an Ensemble Pulsar Scale (EPS) analogous to the free atomic time-scale Echelle Atomique Libre. The EPS can be used to detect fluctuations in atomic time-scales and therefore can lead to a new realization of Terrestrial Time, TT(PPTA11). We successfully follow features known to affect the frequency of the TAI, and we find marginally significant differences between TT(PPTA11) and TT(BIPM11). We discuss the various phenomena that lead to a correlated signal in the pulsar timing residuals and therefore limit the stability of the pulsar time-scale.

AB - Using observations of pulsars from the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array (PPTA) project we develop the first pulsar-based time-scale that has a precision comparable to the uncertainties in International Atomic Time-scales (TAI). Our ensemble of pulsars provides an Ensemble Pulsar Scale (EPS) analogous to the free atomic time-scale Echelle Atomique Libre. The EPS can be used to detect fluctuations in atomic time-scales and therefore can lead to a new realization of Terrestrial Time, TT(PPTA11). We successfully follow features known to affect the frequency of the TAI, and we find marginally significant differences between TT(PPTA11) and TT(BIPM11). We discuss the various phenomena that lead to a correlated signal in the pulsar timing residuals and therefore limit the stability of the pulsar time-scale.

U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21946.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21946.x

M3 - Article

SN - 0035-8711

VL - 427

SP - 2780

EP - 2787

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 4

ER -