Performance Optimization Method of Two-Way Satellite Time and Frequency Transfer Link based on Conditional Adjustment

Abstract

Two-Way Satellite Time and Frequency Transfer (TWSTFT) is one of the time transfer methods with the highest accuracy at present, and it is also the main method to compare the atomic time scale among the time-keeping laboratories participated in the international atomic time calculation. Improving the short-term stability of TWSTFT links and reducing the influence of Diurnal on the link time transfer result have practical significance for optimizing the performance of TAI (International Atomic Time). In this paper, a method of TWSTFT link performance optimization based on conditional adjustment is proposed. Firstly, the optimized network of TWSTFT link performance (hereinafter briefly called as optimized network) is established according to the noise level and spectrum analysis result of TWSTFT link measurements, and then the weight coefficient matrix is set according to the analysis result of measurement noises of all the links in the optimized network to establish the conditional adjustment model. The Two-Way Satellite Time and Frequency Transfer link between the National Institute of Metrology (NIM) and the National Time Service Center (NTSC) of Chinese Academy of Sciences in the Asia-Pacific region is selected as the link to be optimized, and the TWSTFT links among NTSC, NIM, and Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) are used to compose the optimized network. The networking method and conditional adjustment model are verified by experiments. The results show that the short-term stability of the link to be optimized after adjustment is improved, and the influence of Diurnal is reduced about 24.6%. Using this method, the time transfer performance of the link to be optimized can be improved effectively.