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Carter, W. E.

Publications and source records attributed to Carter, W. E..

9 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1986

Possible detection of the earth's free-core nutation

The 5.5 years of VLBI observations primarily collected under project IRIS are used to search for evidence of the free-core nutation (FCN). The observations are consistent with an irregular excitation process, and a model which assumes a step excitation in the FCN amplitude to about 2.0 milliseconds of arc in late 1985 fits the data well. Theoretical analysis appears to rule out the strong Mexican earthquake of September 19, 1985, as a cause of the excitation.

Robertson, D. S.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Comparison of earth rotation as inferred from radio interferometric, laser ranging and astrometric observations

Results of measurements of the earth's rotation vector for a 400-day period from late September 1980 to December 1981, for which date from VLBI, satellite laser ranging (SLR), and lunar laser ranging (LLR) were available, are compared. The acquisition of the data and their evaluation are described. VLBI, SLR, and classical astrometric determinations of the X-parameter required to describe the location of the rotation pole on the earth's surface are shown, and VLBI, LLR, and classical astrometric determinations of the angle of rotation about this pole (UT1) are presented. The results indicate that VLBI and SLR, at their present stages of development, yield standard errors under 20 cm in the determinations of X, about twofold smaller than obtained from classical measurements, and that VLBI and LLR yield determination of UT1 with standard errors less than 40 cm, somewhat smaller than that of the corresponding determinations from classical observations. Methods for improving these types of intercomparisons are suggested.

Robertson, D. S.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Earth rotation information derived from MERIT and POLARIS VLBI observations

Advanced methods involving observations of extraterrestrial objects, such as artificial satellites or quasars, may make it possible to monitor geometrical variations in survey networks of regional, continental, and global scale with a spatial resolution of a few centimeters and a temporal resolution of better than one day. However, in connection with a realization of this potential, it is necessary to account for variations in the orientation of the earth in space. The accuracy provided by the conventional approaches for determining the orientation of the earth is not sufficient in this case. However, an appropriate method could be based on the utilization of independent clock radio interferometry (commonly referred to as VLBI) observations of extragalactic radio sources. The project POLARIS (Polar-motion Analysis by Radio Interferometric Sampling) is concerned with an implementation of this method. The MERIT (Monitor Earth Rotation and Intercompare the Techniques of observation and analysis) observations represent an aid to project POLARIS. Attention is given to details regarding these programs and the results obtained thus far.

Robertson, D. S.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Project Polaris: A Report

The project was proposed to meet the developing demands for higher resolution and accuracy polar motion and Earth rotation data to support modern geodynamic studies. The basis for the selection of radio interferometry, rather than lunar or artifical satellite laser ranging or Doppler satellite tracking, is described.

Carter, W. E.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Recent results of radio interferometric determinations of a transcontinental baseline, polar motion, and earth rotation

Results are discussed for radio interferometric observations of extragalactic radio sources with antennas at Haystack Observatory in Massachusetts and the Owens Valley Radio Observatory in California (3900-km baseline) during 14 separate experiments distributed between September 1976 and May 1978. Simultaneous analysis of the data from several experiments yields estimates of changes in the x component of pole position and in earth's rotation (UT1). Comparison with the corresponding results obtained by the Bureau International de l'Heure (BIH) reveals systematic differences. In particular, the trends in the radio interferometric determinations of the changes in pole position are found to agree more closely with those from the International Polar Motion Service and from Doppler observations of satellites than with those from the BIH.

Robertson, D. S.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Earth rotation measured by lunar laser ranging

The estimated median accuracy of 194 single-day determinations of the earth's angular position in space is 0.7 millisecond (0.01 arc second). Comparison with classical astronomical results gives agreement to about the expected 2-millisecond uncertainty of the 5-day averages obtained by the Bureau International de l'Heure. Little evidence for very rapid variations in the earth's rotation is present in the data.

Stolz, A.↗
NASA NTRS1976

New test of the equivalence principle from lunar laser ranging

An analysis of six years of lunar-laser-ranging data gives a zero amplitude for the Nordtvedt term in the earth-moon distance yielding the Nordtvedt parameter eta = 0.00 plus or minus 0.03. Thus, earth's gravitational self-energy contributes equally, plus or minus 3%, to its inertial mass and passive gravitational mass. At the 70% confidence level this result is only consistent with the Brans-Dicke theory for omega greater than 29. We obtain the absolute value of beta - 1 less than about 0.02 to 0.05 for five-parameter parametrized post-Newtonian theories of gravitation with energy-momentum conservation.

Williams, J. G.↗
NASA NTRS1973

University of Hawaii Lure Observatory

The University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy is currently constructing a lunar laser ranging observatory at the 3050-meter summit of Mt. Haleakala, Hawaii. The Nd YAG laser system to be employed provides three pulses per second, each pulse being approximately 200 picoseconds in duration. The energy contained in one pulse at 5320 A lies in the range from 250 to 350 millijoules. Details of observatory construction are provided together with transmitter design data and information concerning the lunastat, the feed telescope, the relative pointing system, the receiver, and the event timer system.

Carter, W. E.↗