[IGSREPORT-5551] Wk 0986 GPS Earth Orientation

[IERS]

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IGS Electronic Report    Fri Dec  4 11:30:39 PST 1998      Message Number 5551
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Author: IERS Sub-bureau for Rapid Service and Predictions
Subject: Wk 0986 GPS Earth Orientation

Subject: Earth Orientation Contributions to IERS Bulletin A
Date:  3 Dec 98


In this report, individual Earth orientation time series are compared
to the IERS Bulletin A combination.  For further information, including
the raw time series, refer to http://maia.usno.navy.mil/bulletin-a.html.

The first table below shows some comparison results for those series
included in Bulletin A during the last 30 days.  All data are aligned to
the system defined by ITRF94 and the current ICRF by removing a priori mean
bias, rate, annual and semiannual terms.  (No corrections are applied to 
the NEOS VLBI and the NEOS Intensives series for UT1-UTC.)

Units: milliseconds of arc for x, y; milliseconds of time for UT1-UTC

Contributor   Latest      #         Mean          Standard Deviation
Series         Day               (series-BullA)
                                x     y  UT1-UTC    x     y  UT1-UTC

NEOS Int.    51145.86    22                .009                .026

NEOS VLBI    51142.14     5   -.13   .06   .000    .08   .10   .003

CSR SLR      51146.33    10   -.09   .01   .124*   .58   .48   .102*

TUD SLR      51144.00    10   -.17   .07           .37   .45

IAA SLR      51146.00    30    .04  -.12           .17   .21

MCC SLR      51142.00    30   -.04   .05           .17   .25

UTX LLR      51128.51    12                .022                .200

IGS Final    51138.50    30    .00   .00           .02   .02

IGS Rapid    51149.50    11    .01   .03           .04   .05

             51149.50     4                .014*               .010*

USNO GPS     51149.50    15                .001*               .010*

EMR GPS      51149.50    15               -.001*               .037*

* All satellite techniques provide information on the rate of change of
  Universal Time contaminated by effects due to unmodelled orbit node
  motion.  VLBI-based results have been used to minimize drifts in UT
  estimates.


The following tables show comparisons for other related time series during
the last 30 days.  All IGS series are final solutions except for the USNO
series.  No a priori systematic corrections have been applied.

Units: milliseconds of arc for x, y; milliseconds of time for UT, LOD 

IGS           Latest   #              Mean                Standard Deviation
Series         Day               (series-BullA)
                             x     y     UT*    LOD*    x     y      UT*   LOD*

COD          51145.5  30    .40  -.07   4.49   .022    .05   .08    .19   .022

ESA          51138.5  30    .39  -.35         -.023    .15   .15          .033

EMR          51138.5  30    .20   .06 -15.17   .026    .11   .15    .30   .035

GFZ          51145.5  30    .31  -.08   -.03   .006    .08   .10    .07   .026

JPL          51138.5  30    .29   .00 -12.75   .001    .07   .08    .06   .033

NGS          51145.5  30    .31   .07          .028    .17   .25          .054

SIO          51138.5  30    .28  -.01          .007    .07   .07          .033

USN (Rapid)  51149.5  29    .26   .22         -.023    .13   .16          .033

USNO GPS UT  51149.5  30                 .91                        .01

IGS Final    51138.5  30    .31  -.04    .00   .002    .06   .05    .01   .026

IGS Rapid    51149.5  30    .31   .03   -.02   .007    .11   .12    .04   .022

* All satellite techniques provide information on the rate of change of
  Universal Time contaminated by effects due to unmodelled orbit node
  motion.  The UT results for COD and JPL are integrations of LOD estimates.
  EMR estimates UT and LOD separately by applying a priori orbit constraints.
  GFZ and IGS use VLBI-based results to minimize drifts in their UT estimates
  and thus the standard deviations are not representative of the intrinsic
  capabilities of GPS alone for monitoring UT variations.  USNO estimates
  UT using long-term models for orbit plane rotations.


IERS Central Bureau Series:

Series       Latest    #          Mean                Standard Deviation
              Day            (series-BullA)
                             x     y  UT1-UTC           x     y  UT1-UTC

Bulletin B   51119.   30    .08  -.05   .006           .04   .06   .047

97C04        51149.   30    .05  -.07   .009           .06   .08   .032


Plots of the residuals are available at http://maia.usno.navy.mil/plots.html.
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The IERS Sub-bureau for Rapid Service and Prediction is an activity of the
National Earth Orientation Service and is performed by the Earth Orientation
Department at the U.S. Naval Observatory.
--
Dennis D. McCarthy                       dmc at maia.usno.navy.mil
Director, Directorate of Time            phone: (202) 762-1837
U.S. Naval Observatory                   fax: (202) 762-1563
Washington, DC 20392-5420


[Mailed From: Dennis McCarthy <dmc at maia.usno.navy.mil>]