Title
LSRH ammonia masers
Authors
LSRH
Date of Issue
1956-08
Linked Datasets
Device Type
frequency
Operating Principle
maser
Reference Species
ammonia
Quantum Transition
inversion
J=3, K=3
Reference Frequency
23 870 129 420 Hz (preliminary estimate, with an error of 0.05+0.12 corresponding to the experimental measurement and the reference to UT2) (Bonanomi and Herrmann 1956)
23 870 129 235 Hz (measured in terms of UT2 during Feb and July 1957, De Prins and Kartaschoff 1962)
23 870 128 870 Hz (measured in terms of the USNO atomic time scale A1 using the Ephemeris Second, De Prins and Kartaschoff 1962)
Fabrication Source
noncommercial
Host Institution
LSRH
Status Timeline
Design & Development: late 1955–1956 (LSRH 1955; LSRH 1956)
Operational: from 1956-08 (Installation No. I); from 1956-10 (Installation No. II) (LSRH 1956)
Technical Design aspects: size, design etc.
The frequency standard comprised two molecular oscillators, which in 1956 could be operated with five interchangeable resonant cavities. (LSRH 1956)
Installation No. I: TM010 cavity, L = 30 cm; TM012 cavity, L = 10.6 cm (Bonanomi et al. 1957)
Installation No. II: TM010 cavity, L = 16 cm; TE013 cavity, L = 18.3 cm (Bonanomi et al. 1957)
Technical specifications: stability, precision
Stability: 1E-10. Precision: 1E-9
Modification History
Following preliminary experiments with a relatively crude prototype, two complete and more carefully designed maser oscillators were constructed. Installation No. I first oscillated in August and Installation No. II in October 1956. (LSRH 1956)
Usage History
The two oscillators were initially operated with five interchangeable resonant cavities and were used as a molecular frequency reference for controlling a battery of quartz clocks. (LSRH 1956)
During 1957–1958, the original masers continued to be used as frequency standards and for the periodic calibration of quartz clocks. The masers did not need to operate continuously: they were normally put into operation once or twice per month to measure the frequency of a designated quartz clock, which maintained the time scale between calibrations. (Bonanomi 1958)
Product
RapportLSRH1955
RapportLSRH1956
bonanomi1957a
bonanomi1956a
deprins1962a
Identifiers
https://libra.unine.ch/handle/20.500.14713/99856