High Performance Space Clocks and Time and Frequency link.They can be summarized in the following parts (Ref. The overall ACES mission and the associated architecture definition is based on a set of scientific objectives. Improved stability and better control of systematic effects will be demonstrated in the space environment. The cesium clock PHARAO will combine laser cooling techniques and microgravity conditions to significantly increase the interaction time and consequently reduce the linewidth of the clock transition. 5) 6) 7) 8) 9)Ī new generation of clocks, reaching frequency instability and inaccuracy of a few parts in 10 16, will be validated by ACES. The microgravity environment of space is most suitable for experiment. The basic question is: Do fundamental physical constants vary with time? A possible solution: Time variations of fundamental constants can be measured by comparing clocks based on different transitions or different atomic species. However, the decision to complete the development of the project has been achieved only at the ESA council at Ministerial Level of November 2008. The ACES development was initiated in the 1990s. These aspects will become increasingly important with future developments of navigation and positioning systems, new "matter-wave" inertial sensors and fundamental physics tests in solar orbit. Furthermore, the science community could take advantage worldwide of the ACES frequency stability by using ground stations to download the ACES time reference. At the same time, a number of new technologies needed by the science community, will be validated. For the first time cold atoms will be operated in conditions which are not realizable on Earth in order to perform fundamental physics tests (relativity, possible drift of fundamental constants with time). The fundamental aspects of ACES deal with the physics of a cold atom clock. The Fundamental Physics community which will benefit from the use of ACES data for accurate tests of general relativity.
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