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NASA NTRS1985

Precision geodesy using the Mark-III very-long-baseline interferometer system

Very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) has been used to make precise measurements of the vector separation between widely separated antennas. The system for acquiring and processing VLBI data known as Mark-III is described. Tests of the system show it to have millimeter-level accuracy on short baselines; measurements of baselines longer than a few hundred kilometers suggest that accuracy is limited by the uncertainty in the calibration of tropospheric path delay to the level of a few centimeters. VLBI experiments conducted between 1976 and 1983 have demonstrated the stability of the North American plate by showing that there is no change in the distance between eastern California and Massachusetts at the level of a few millimeters per year or greater. Experiments made from 1980 to 1984 indicate that the distance from Massachusetts to Sweden is increasing by 1.7 + or - 1 cm/year where the quoted standard deviation includes the estimated effects of systematic errors.

Clark, T. A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

The Venus Balloon Project

On June 11 and 15, 1985, two instrumental balloons were released from the Soviet VEGA 1 and VEGA 2 spacecraft and deployed in the atmosphere of Venus. The VEGA probes flew by the planet on their way to a rendezvous with comet Halley in March 1986. Drifting with the wind at altitudes of 54 km, the balloons traveled one-third of the way around the planet during their 46-hour lifetimes. Sensors on-board the gondolas made periodic measurements of pressure, temperature, vertical wind velocity, cloud particle density, ambient light level, and frequency of lightning. The data were transmitted to Earth and received at the Deep Space Network (DSN) 64-m stations and at several large antennas in the USSR. Approximately 95 percent of the telemetry data were successfully decoded at the DSN complexes and in the Soviet Union, and were provided to the international science team for analysis. Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) data were acquired by 20 radio observatories around the world for the purpose of monitoring the Venus winds. The DSN 64-m subnet was part of a 15-station VLBI network organized by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) of France. In addition, five antennas of the Soviet network participated. VLBI data from the CNES network are currently being processed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Stelzried, C. T.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Challenges in navigation of the Venus Radar Mapper (VRM) spacecraft

The subject of navigation of the Venus Radar Mapper (VRM) spacecraft is presented in the light of challenges to the accomplishment of a high accuracy in spacecraft navigation, within operational constraints, in support of quality science return (sensor performance) for the VRM mission. The paper addresses major navigational challenges arising from inherent mission constraints and describes current navigational plans as well as expected performance. The VRM mission will be the first mission to use radio interferometric data on a daily basis for spacecraft navigation. While the dependency on narrowband Delta-VLBI data for navigation accuracy has been shown in this paper, aspects of scheduling, transmission, correlation, and reliability of VLBI observations for VRM operational use remain complex. Implementation of such a system for successful VRM navigation will constitute a significant advance in application of VLBI technology.

Mohan, S. N.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Radio interferometry from space platforms

While current VLBI observations are limited in their resolution by the earth diameter magnitude, which is the largest antenna separation available, as well as in their information content, because of the small number of antennas in use at a given time, the extension of VLBI to include one or more antennas in space will relieve both constraints and help to map distant radio sources with the highest possible resolution. Attention is given to the implementation of such an orbital VLBI system extension through (1) a Shuttle-launch mission, (2) a six-month to one-year near earth orbit mission based on a space platform associated with the Space Station, (3) a large orbit free flyer platform mission of more than 2-year duration, and (4) lunar and/or deep space orbits, aimed at reaching the resolution limits set by interstellar scattering.

Roberts, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Relativistic effects in astronomical timing measurements

In this paper the relativistic transformations that are necessary to transform the results of earth-based astronomical timing observations from the terrestrial frame in which the observations are made to the proper frame of the astronomical object being observed are derived. Two coordinate systems are considered, the first being the parametrized post-Newtonian coordinate system and the second being a coordinate system based on the use of temps dynamique barycentrique as a time coordinate. Effects due to propagation of signals through curved spacetime and due to the relativistic gravitational time dilation for the earth are derived in each system. The results are then applied to three modern accurate data types spacecraft ranging, pulsar timing, and VLBI. A new effect is found in the analysis of VLBI data, amounting to a rescaling of VLBI-determined baselines produced by the curvature of space in the neighborhood of the sun.

Hellings, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Geodesy by radio interferometry: Studies of the forced nutations of the earth. I - Data analysis. II - Interpretation

Very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations of compact extragalactic radio sources collected in North America and Europe between July 1980-December 1984 are analyzed. The nutations derived from VLBI data are compared with the nutations in the Wahr series (1981). Good correlation of the data is observed; however, it is detected that a correction of -1.80 + or - 0.18-i(0.42 + or - 0.18) is required for the amplitude of the retrograde annual nutation in the Wahr series. The change in free core nutation resonance frequency is calculated to explain the derivation in the retrograde annual nutation. It is concluded that VLBI earth nutation measurements have sufficient accuracy to be sensitive to core-mantle boundary properties.

Herring, T. A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

VEGA Pathfinder navigation for Giotto Halley encounter

Results of the VEGA Pathfinder concept which was used to successfully target the European Space Agnecy's Giotto spacecraft to a 600 km encounter with the comet Halley are presented. Pathfinder was an international cooperative navigation activity involving USSR, European and U.S. space agencies. The final Giotto targeting maneuver was based on a comet location determined from optical data acquired by the earlier arriving Soviet VEGA spacecraft. Inertial pointing angles extracted from optical images of the comet nucleus were combined with a precise estimate of the VEGA encounter orbits determined using VLBI data acquired by NASA's Deep Space Network to predict the location of Halley at Giotto encounter. This article describes the VLBI techniques used to determine the VEGA orbits and shows that the insensitivity of the VLBI data strategy to unmodeled dynamic error sources resulted in estimates of the VEGA orbits with an accuracy of 50 km.

Ellis, J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Tectonic motion in the western United States inferred from very long baseline interferometry measurements, 1980-1986

Over six years of mobile very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) baseline measurements between 12 sites in the western U.S. were used to infer their velocities relative to the North American plate. These velocities were found to be generally consistent with those determined from geologic data and contemporaneous satellite laser ranging measurements in the same region. The discrepancy between the largest velocities determined from the VLBI measurements of 40-48 mm/yr and the relative plate velocity of 50-56 mm/yr predicted from plate motion models is found to be consistent with a broadened distribution of interseismic strain from cyclic activity on the San Andreas and subsidiary faults. The VLBI data are best explained by a cumulative rate of strike-slip motion near the plate boundary of approximately 48 mm/yr, although exclusion of competing values of 56 and 41 mm/yr is based upon very few data. The rates of offshore fault slip inferred from this study range from about 15 mm/yr in central California to negligible amounts in the San Francisco region. Finite element calculations of multiple fault strain distributions show good agreement with systematic variations in the distribution of shear strain along the San Andreas system, as revealed by previous geodetic measurements.

Kroger, Peter M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Specification for wide channel bandwidth one-inch video tape

Standards and controls are established for the procurement of wide channel bandwidth one inch video magnetic recording tapes for Very Long Base Interferometer (VLBI) system applications. The Magnetic Tape Certification Facility (MTCF) currently maintains three specifications for the Quality Products List (QPL) and acceptance testing of magnetic tapes. NASA-TM-79724 is used for the QPL and acceptance testing of new analog tapes; NASA-TM-80599 is used for QPL and acceptance testing of new digital tapes; and NASA-TM-100702 is used for the QPL and acceptance testing of new IBM/IBM compatible 3480 magnetic tape cartridges. This specification will be used for the QPL and acceptance testing of new wide channel bandwidth one inch video magnetic recording tapes. The one inch video tapes used by the Jet Propulsion Lab., the Deep Space Network and the Haystack Observatory will be covered by this specification. These NASA stations will use the video tapes for their VLBI system applications. The VLBI system is used for the tracking of quasars and the support of interplanetary exploration.

Perry, Jimmy L.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Deriving a geocentric reference frame for satellite positioning and navigation

With the advent of Earth-orbiting geodetic satellites, nongeocentric datums or reference frames have become things of the past. Accurate geocentric three-dimensional positioning is now possible and is of great importance for various geodetic and oceanographic applications. While relative positioning accuracy of a few centimeters has become a reality using very long baseline interferometry (VLBI), the uncertainty in the offset of the adopted coordinate system origin from the geocenter is still believed to be on the order of 1 meter. Satellite laser ranging (SLR), however, is capable of determining this offset to better than 10 cm, but this is possible only after years of measurements. Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements provide a powerful tool for an accurate determination of this origin offset. Two strategies are discussed. The first strategy utilizes the precise relative positions that were predetermined by VLBI to fix the frame orientation and the absolute scaling, while the offset from the geocenter is determined from GPS measurements. Three different cases are presented under this strategy. The reference frame thus adopted will be consistent with the VLBI coordinate system. The second strategy establishes a reference frame by holding only the longitude of one of the tracking sites fixed. The absolute scaling is determined by the adopted gravitational constant (GM) of the Earth; and the latitude is inferred from the time signature of the Earth rotation in the GPS measurements. The coordinate system thus defined will be a geocentric Earth-fixed coordinate system.

Malla, R. P.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Relationships of earthquakes (and earthquake-associated mass movements) and polar motion as determined by Kalman filtered, Very-Long-Baseline-Interferometry

A Kalman filter was designed to yield optimal estimates of geophysical parameters from Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) group delay data. The geophysical parameters are the polar motion components, adjustments to nutation in obliquity and longitude, and a change in the length of day parameter. The VLBI clock (and clock rate) parameters and atmospheric zenith delay parameters are estimated simultaneously. Filter background is explained. The IRIS (International Radio Interferometric Surveying) VLBI data are Kalman filtered. The resulting polar motion estimates are examined. There are polar motion signatures at the times of three large earthquakes occurring in 1984 to 1986: Mexico, 19 September, 1985 (Magnitude M sub s = 8.1); Chile, 3 March, 1985 (M sub s = 7.8); and Taiwan, 14 November, 1986 (M sub s = 7.8). Breaks in polar motion occurring about 20 days after the earthquakes appear to correlate well with the onset of increased regional seismic activity and a return to more normal seismicity (respectively). While the contribution of these three earthquakes to polar motion excitations is small, the cumulative excitation due to earthquakes, or seismic phenomena over a Chandler wobble damping period may be significant. Mechanisms for polar motion excitation due to solid earth phenomena are examined. Excitation functions are computed, but the data spans are too short to draw conclusions based on these data.

Preisig, Joseph Richard Mark↗
NASA NTRS1989

Studies of regional and global tectonics and the rotation of the earth using very-long baseline interferometry

Progress in the areas of data analysis, atmospheric delay calibration and software conversion is reported. Over 800 very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) experiments were analyzed in the last 6 months. Reprocessing of the Mark III VLBI data set is almost completed. Results of analysis of the water-vapor radiometer (WVR) data were submitted and a preprint of a related paper is attached. Work on conversion of the VLBI analysis software from HP1000 to Unix based workstations is continuing.

Shapiro, Irwin I.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Geodetic measurement of deformation in California

The very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) measurements made in the western U.S. since 1979 as part of the NASA Crustal Dynamics Project provide discrete samples of the temporal and spatial deformation field. The interpretation of the VLBI-derived rates of deformation requires an examination of geologic information and more densely sampled ground-based geodetic data. In the first two of three related studies, triangulation and trilateration data measured on two regional networks, one in the central Mojave Desert and one in the Coast Ranges east of the San Andreas fault, have been processed. At the spatial scales spanned by these local geodetic networks, auxiliary geologic and geophysical data have been utilized to examine the relation between measured incremental strain and the accommodation of strain seen in local geological structures, strain release in earthquakes, and principal stress directions inferred from in situ measurements. In a third study, the geocentric position vectors from a set of 77 VLBI experiments beginning in October 1982 have been used to estimate the tangential rate of change of station positions in the western U.S. in a North-America-Fixed reference frame.

Sauber, Jeanne↗
NASA NTRS1989

Tracking requirements to support space very long baseline interferometry

The use of VLBI with a radio telescope in space is exmained. The concept of space VLBI and Soviet, Japanese, and U.S./European studies for developing space VLBI observatories are reviewed. The proposed NASA/ESA Quasat mission is described, including the potential ground tracking sites for high earth orbiters.

Jordan, J. Frank↗
NASA NTRS1990

Geodetic measurement of deformation in the Loma Prieta, California earthquake with very long baseline interferometry

VLBI measurements were conducted immediately after the Loma Prieta earthquake and compared with VLBI gathered at Monterey, San Francisco, and Point Reyes since 1983 to obtain preearthquake deformation rates with respect to a North American reference frame. The estimated displacements at Monterey and San Francisco are consistent with the static displacements predicted on the basis of a coseismic slip model in which slip on the southern segment is shallower than slip on the northern segment of the fault rupture. Cartesian positions are presented at epoch 1990.0 of a set of VLBI fiducial stations and the three mobile sites in the earthquake's vicinity.

Clark, T. A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Viscoelastic deformation near active plate boundaries

Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) now has the capacity to monitor geodetic positions with precisions of a few 1 mm over continental baselines. For tectonic applications, one of the major products of the VLBI program is the determination of the rate of change of station locations. Vector site velocities are now routinely produced. One of the novel techniques, VLBI Euler poles, is discussed.

Ward, Steven N.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Pacific-North American plate motion from very long baseline interferometry compared with motion inferred from magnetic anomalies, transform faults, and earthquake slip vectors

Geodetic VLBI measurements were used to test whether the Pacific-North American plate velocity averaged over several years of direct observation (1984-1987) equals that averaged over millions of years. It was also tested whether this velocity parallels the San Andreas fault, transform faults and earthquake slip vectors in the Gulf of California, and earthquake slip vectors along the Queen Charlotte fault, along the Alaskan peninsula, and along the Kamchatkan peninsula. The VLBI data provide an estimate of the direction of plate motion that is independent of estimates from fault azimuths and earthquake slip vectors. The Euler vector determined from VLBI was found to be nearly identical to the Euler vector of plate motion model NUVEL-1, which is based on the trends of transform faults, earthquake slip vectors, and spreading rates from marine magnetic anomalies that average motion since 3 Ma. The velocity between the Pacific and North American plates averaged over the past several years equals or nearly equals its velocity averaged over the past several million years, the difference along their boundary nowhere exceeding 4 + or - 7 mm/yr.

Argus, Donald F.↗
NASA NTRS1990

First images of water vapor masers in the galaxy M33

The first successful VLBI observations of 10 extragalactic H2O masers in the M33 galaxy are reported. A spectral-line VLBI synthesis map is constructed, the first of any extragalactic H2O maser sources. The map has the lowest noise of any K-band spectral line VLBI map yet produced. The maser emission extends over about 300 milliarcseconds and is divided into 14 distinct spatial components, the strongest of which has a correlated flux density of about 0.7 Jy. The relative positions of some of these components are determined accurately enough to provide first-epoch measurements for proper motion studies. The characteristics of the maser are similar to those of the most powerful maser in the Galaxy, W49N. A compact H II region is found close to the maser which is 1 pc in diameter and whose emission measure is about 6 x 10 to the 7th pc/cm exp 6. This region is the compact component of a more extended H II complex that extends over about 100 pc.

Greenhill, L. J.↗