Fundamental Reference Frame Research Articles

Control strategy for three-phase four-switch active power filter based on positive sequence extraction in stationary coordinate fundamental reference frame

Traditional three-phase four-switch active power filter often uses the method of phase-locked loop (PLL) and low-pass filter for harmonic detection, which seriously affects the detection accuracy. In order to improve the detection accuracy, a lock-free three-phase four-switch active power filter based on fundamental positive sequence extraction is proposed. The harmonic detection adopts the fundamental positive sequence extraction method, and the rotation coordinate axis transformation adopts the phase-locked loop (PLL) free method. Compared with the traditional three-phase four-switch active power filter, this method does not require a phase-locked loop and a low-pass filter, and does not need complex coordinate transformation[2].The control method is simpler. Finally, simulation results prove the effectiveness of the control method.

Radio-optical Reference Catalog, Version 1

The fundamental celestial reference frame (CRF) is based on two catalogs of astrometric positions: the third realization of the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF3), and the much larger Gaia CRF, built from the third data release (DR3). The objects in common between these two catalogs are mostly distant AGNs and quasars that are both sufficiently optically bright for Gaia and radio loud for the VLBI. This limited collection of reference objects is crucially important for the mutual alignment of the two CRFs and the maintenance of all of the other frames and coordinate systems branching from the ICRF. In this paper, we show that the three components of ICRF3 (S/X, K, and X/Ka band catalogs) have significantly different sky-correlated vector fields of position offsets with respect to Gaia DR3. When iteratively expanded in the vector spherical harmonics up to degree 4 on a carefully vetted set of common sources, each of these components includes several statistically significant terms. The median sky-correlated offsets from the Gaia positions are found to be 56 μas for the S/X, 100 μas for the K, and 324 μas for the X/Ka catalogs. The weighted mean vector field is subtracted from the Gaia reference positions, while the deviations from that field are added to each of the ICRF3 components. The corrected positions from each of the four input catalogs are combined into a single weighted mean catalog, which we propose to be the current most accurate realization of an inertial radio-optical CRF.

Unprecedented change in the position of four radio sources

ABSTRACTAstrometric positions of radio-emitting active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can be determined with sub-milliarcsec accuracy using very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). The usually small apparent proper motion of distant extragalactic targets allow us to realize the fundamental celestial reference frame with VLBI observations. However, long-term astrometric monitoring may reveal extreme changes in some AGN positions. Using new VLBI observations in 2018–2021, we show here that four extragalactic radio sources (3C 48, CTA 21, 1144+352, 1328+254) have a dramatic shift in their positions by 20–130 mas over two decades. For all four sources, the apparent positional shift is caused by their radio structure change.

Change in the Radio Structure and Position of the Quasar CTA 21

Abstract Astrometric positions of radio-emitting active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can be determined with sub-milliarcsec accuracy using very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). The usually small apparent proper motion of distant extragalactic targets allow us to realize the fundamental celestial reference frame with VLBI observations. However, long-term astrometric monitoring may reveal extreme changes in some AGN positions. We present the case of CTA 21 whose position gradually shifted by ∼0.″04 over two decades. By comparing archival VLBI images from 1996 and 2018, we show that its radio structure changed substantially, likely causing the apparent positional shift.

An Apparent Jump in the Radio Position of J1147+3501

Abstract The fundamental celestial reference frame is realized by observations of extragalactic radio sources using the technique of very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). Compact radio-emitting active galactic nuclei are regularly used as reference points for relative positioning of other radio sources. VLBI absolute astrometric data indicate that the nucleus of the nearby radio galaxy J1147+3501 apparently changed its position by about 0.″02 some time between 1999 and 2017. We suggest that this unusually large displacement is a consequence of a drastic change in the source brightness distribution as revealed by archival high-resolution VLBI images.

The Precious Set of Radio-optical Reference Frame Objects in the Light of Gaia DR2 Data

Abstract We investigate a sample of 3413 International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF3) extragalactic radio-loud sources with accurate positions determined by very long baseline interferometry in the S/X band, mostly active galactic nuclei and quasars, which are cross-matched with optical sources in the second Gaia data release (Gaia DR2). The main goal of this study is to determine a core sample of astrometric objects that define the mutual orientation of the two fundamental reference frames, the Gaia (optical) and the ICRF3 (radio) frames. The distribution of normalized offsets between the VLBI sources and their optical counterparts is non-Rayleigh, with a deficit around the modal value and a tail extending beyond the 3σ confidence level. A few filters are applied to the sample in order to discard double cross-matches, confusion sources, and Gaia astrometric solutions of doubtful quality. Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System and Dark Energy Survey stacked multicolor images are used to further deselect objects that are less suitable for precision astrometry, such as extended galaxies, double and multiple sources, and obvious misidentifications. After this cleaning, 2643 quasars remain, of which 20% still have normalized offset magnitudes exceeding 3, or a 99% confidence level. We publish a list of 2119 radio-loud quasars of prime astrometric quality. The observed dependence of binned median offset on redshift shows the expected decline at small redshifts, but also an unexpected rise at z ∼ 1.6, which may be attributed to the emergence of the C iv emission line in the Gaia’s G band. The Gaia DR2 parallax zero-point is found to be color-dependent, suggesting an uncorrected instrumental calibration effect.

Link between the VLBI and Gaia Reference Frames

Abstract The link between the International Celestial Reference Frame at radio wavelength and the forthcoming Gaia optical reference frame is a mandatory task after the completion of the Gaia mission. Starting from the provisional reference frame in which Gaia astrometric solutions were obtained, we discuss the ways to correct the residual rotation and acceleration effects and investigate three potential options for linking the two frames realized by extragalactic sources. We have estimated the accuracy for the frame alignment assuming different astrometric models of quasar proper motions observed by very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). Using about 500,000 high-precision proper motions of extragalactic sources, the residual rotation of the Gaia reference frame is evaluated under 1 μas yr−1. In view of its favorable properties, Gaia should be given priority to be considered as the future fundamental reference frame that is consistent with the principle of the International Celestial Reference System. The VLBI reference frame can be linked to Gaia based on thousands of common quasars with an accuracy of 10 μas for each axis.

Debiased orbit and absolute-magnitude distributions for near-Earth objects

The debiased absolute-magnitude and orbit distributions as well as source regions for near-Earth objects (NEOs) provide a fundamental frame of reference for studies of individual NEOs and more complex population-level questions. We present a new four-dimensional model of the NEO population that describes debiased steady-state distributions of semimajor axis, eccentricity, inclination, and absolute magnitude H in the range 17 < H < 25. The modeling approach improves upon the methodology originally developed by Bottke et al. (2000, Science 288, 2190–2194) in that it is, for example, based on more realistic orbit distributions and uses source-specific absolute-magnitude distributions that allow for a power-law slope that varies with H. We divide the main asteroid belt into six different entrance routes or regions (ER) to the NEO region: the ν6, 3:1J, 5:2J and 2:1J resonance complexes as well as Hungarias and Phocaeas. In addition we include the Jupiter-family comets as the primary cometary source of NEOs. We calibrate the model against NEO detections by Catalina Sky Surveys’ stations 703 and G96 during 2005–2012, and utilize the complementary nature of these two systems to quantify the systematic uncertainties associated to the resulting model. We find that the (fitted) H distributions have significant differences, although most of them show a minimum power-law slope at H ∼ 20. As a consequence of the differences between the ER-specific H distributions we find significant variations in, for example, the NEO orbit distribution, average lifetime, and the relative contribution of different ERs as a function of H. The most important ERs are the ν6 and 3:1J resonance complexes with JFCs contributing a few percent of NEOs on average. A significant contribution from the Hungaria group leads to notable changes compared to the predictions by Bottke et al. in, for example, the orbit distribution and average lifetime of NEOs. We predict that there are 962−56+52 (802−42+48×103) NEOs with H < 17.75 (H < 25) and these numbers are in agreement with the most recent estimates found in the literature (the uncertainty estimates only account for the random component). Based on our model we find that relative shares between different NEO groups (Amor, Apollo, Aten, Atira, Vatira) are (39.4,54.4,3.5,1.2,0.3)%, respectively, for the considered H range and that these ratios have a negligible dependence on H. Finally, we find an agreement between our estimate for the rate of Earth impacts by NEOs and recent estimates in the literature, but there remains a potentially significant discrepancy in the frequency of Tunguska-sized and Chelyabinsk-sized impacts.

Myth

Myth has become a fundamental frame of reference for Western thinking. This paper explores the term and category “myth” from the perspective of folklore studies, with concern for the use of myth as a tool in research. The ways in which myth has been used in both academic and popular discourses are discussed. These are viewed in a historical perspective against the backdrop of the origins of the modern term. Attention is given to how historical patterns of use have encoded “myth” with evaluative stance-taking, building an opposition of “us” versus “them” into myth as something “other people” have, in contrast to us, who know better. Discussion then turns to approaching myth as a type of story. The consequences of such a definition are explored in terms of what it does or does not include; the question of whether, as has often been supposed, myth is a text-type genre, is also considered. Discussion advances to aesthetic evaluation at the root of modern discussions of myth and how this background informs the inclination to identify myth as a type of story on the one hand while inhibiting the extension of the concept to, for example, historical events or theories about the world or its origins, on the other. Approaching myth as a type of modeling system is briefly reviewed—an approach that can be coupled to viewing myth as a type of story. Finally, discussion turns to the more recent trend of approaching mythology through mythic discourse, and the consequences as well as the benefits of such an approach for understanding myth in society or religion. There are many different ways to define myth. The present article explores how different approaches are linked to one another and have been shaped over time, how our definition of myth and the way we frame the concept shape our thinking, and can, in remarkably subtle ways, inhibit the reflexive application of the concept as a tool to better understand ourselves.

Enhanced Self-Sensing Capability of Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Machines: A Novel Saliency Modulation Rotor End Approach

This paper investigates a novel rotor configuration of a permanent-magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) in which a saliency modulation rotor end is added to the machine rotor to improve the self-sensing capability. The saliency-based self-sensing control method is widely adopted for position estimation at stand-still and low speed range. However, the performance is heavily affected by saturation effects for conventional PMSMs, because the machine saliency variates with increased fundamental stator flux under loaded operation. The proposed scheme provides an additional space anisotropic to the rotor. Saliency modulation of the rotor end is electrically asynchronous with the machine fundamental reference frame. Hence the tracked machine saliency provided by the rotor end is no longer affected by saturation effects. In addition, for medium and high speed ranges, the rotor end saliency can be modulated with the fundamental voltage and the rotor position can be tracked without superposed injection. A genetic algorithm optimization environment joined with finite element analysis allows obtaining optimized rotor end geometry for better position signal quality. The expected self-sensing performance is validated by experimental results.

Harmonics Rejection in Stand-Alone Doubly-Fed Induction Generators With Nonlinear Loads

This letter proposes a novel method to reject $6n \pm 1$ harmonics in the stator voltage at the point of common coupling (PCC) for a stand-alone doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) supplying a balanced three-phase diode rectifier. These harmonics are rejected by using the rotor current controller in the fundamental synchronous reference frame. The proposed control algorithm is based on a proportional integral controller and a bank of resonant filters. In this frame, each resonant filter in the rotor current controller has the possibility of rejecting one pair of the positive and the negative stator harmonic voltages at the PCC. Experimental results with 2.2-kW DFIG are shown in this letter.

IVS OBSERVATION OF ICRF2-GAIA TRANSFER SOURCES

ABSTRACT The second realization of the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF2), which is the current fundamental celestial reference frame adopted by the International Astronomical Union, is based on Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) data at radio frequencies in X band and S band. The European Space Agency’s Gaia mission, launched on 2013 December 19, started routine scientific operations in 2014 July. By scanning the whole sky, it is expected to observe ∼500,000 Quasi Stellar Objects in the optical domain an average of 70 times each during the five years of the mission. This means that, in the future, two extragalactic celestial reference frames, at two different frequency domains, will coexist. It will thus be important to align them very accurately. In 2012, the Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB) selected 195 sources from ICRF2 that will be observed by Gaia and should be suitable for aligning the radio and optical frames: they are called ICRF2-Gaia transfer sources. The LAB submitted a proposal to the International VLBI Service (IVS) to regularly observe these ICRF2-Gaia transfer sources at the same rate as Gaia observes them in the optical realm, e.g., roughly once a month. We describe our successful effort to implement such a program and report on the results. Most observations of the ICRF2-Gaia transfer sources now occur automatically as part of the IVS source monitoring program, while a subset of 37 sources requires special attention. Beginning in 2013, we scheduled 25 VLBI sessions devoted in whole or in part to measuring these 37 sources. Of the 195 sources, all but one have been successfully observed in the 12 months prior to 2015 September 01. Of the sources, 87 met their observing target of 12 successful sessions per year. The position uncertainties of all of the ICRF2-Gaia transfer sources have improved since the start of this observing program. For a subset of 24 sources whose positions were very poorly known, the uncertainty has decreased, on average, by a factor of four. This observing program is successful because the two main goals were reached for most of the 195 ICRF2-Gaia transfer sources: observing at the requested target of 12 successful sessions per year and improving the position uncertainties to better than 200 μas for both R.A. and decl. However, scheduling some of the transfer sources remains a challenge because of network geometry and the weakness of the sources, and this will be one focus of future sessions used in this ongoing program.

THE SECOND REALIZATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CELESTIAL REFERENCE FRAME BY VERY LONG BASELINE INTERFEROMETRY

We present the second realization of the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF2) at radio wavelengths using nearly 30 years of Very Long Baseline Interferometry observations. ICRF2 contains precise positions of 3414 compact radio astronomical objects and has a positional noise floor of ∼40 μas and a directional stability of the frame axes of ∼10 μas. A set of 295 new “defining” sources was selected on the basis of positional stability and the lack of extensive intrinsic source structure. The positional stability of these 295 defining sources and their more uniform sky distribution eliminates the two greatest weaknesses of the first realization of the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF1). Alignment of ICRF2 with the International Celestial Reference System was made using 138 positionally stable sources common to both ICRF2 and ICRF1. The resulting ICRF2 was adopted by the International Astronomical Union as the new fundamental celestial reference frame, replacing ICRF1 as of 2010 January 1.

The Dynamics of Productivity Change: A Review of the Bottom-Up Approach

This paper considers the relation between (total factor) productivity measures for lower level production units and aggregates thereof such as industries, sectors, or entire economies. In particular, this paper contains a review of the so-called bottom-up approach, which takes an ensemble of individual production units, be it industries or enterprises, as the fundamental frame of reference. At the level of industries the various forms of shift-share analysis are reviewed. At the level of enterprises the additional features that must be taken into account are entry (birth) and exit (death) of production units.

DOUBLE SPECIAL RELATIVITY WITH A MINIMUM SPEED AND THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE

The present work aims to search for an implementation of a new symmetry in the spacetime by introducing the idea of an invariant minimum speed scale (V). Such a lowest limit V, being unattainable by the particles, represents a fundamental and preferred reference frame connected to a universal background field (a vacuum energy) that breaks Lorentz symmetry. So there emerges a new principle of symmetry in the spacetime at the subatomic level for very low energies close to the background frame (v ≈ V), providing a fundamental understanding for the uncertainty principle, i.e. the uncertainty relations should emerge from the spacetime with an invariant minimum speed.

Control technique for non-linear and unbalance compensation of an integrated magnetics-based three-phase series-shunt-compensated uninterruptible power supply

Handling unbalanced and non-linear loads in a three-phase AC power supply has always been a difficult issue. This has been addressed in the literature by either using fast controllers in the fundamental rotating reference frame or using separate controllers in reference frames specific to the harmonics. In the former case, the controller needs to be fast and in the latter case, besides the need for many controllers, negative-sequence components need to be extracted from the measured signal. This study proposes a control scheme for harmonic and unbalance compensation of a three-phase uninterruptible power supply wherein the problems mentioned above are addressed. The control takes place in the fundamental positive-sequence reference frame using only a set of feedback and feed-forward compensators. The harmonic components are extracted by a process of frame transformations and used as feed-forward compensation terms in the positive-sequence fundamental reference frame. This study uses a method wherein the measured signal itself is used for fundamental negative-sequence compensation. As the feed-forward compensator handles the high-bandwidth components, the feedback compensator can be a simple low-bandwidth one. This control algorithm is explained and validated experimentally.

Control Strategy for Harmonic Elimination in Stand-Alone DFIG Applications With Nonlinear Loads

This paper proposes a new control strategy of effective fifth and seventh harmonic elimination in the stator output voltage at the point of common coupling for a stand-alone doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) feeding a three-phase diode rectifier. This load regularly causes such harmonic distortions, which harmfully affect the performance of other loads connected to the DFIG. In order to allow the DFIG to deliver a pure sinusoidal stator output voltage, these harmonics must be rejected. The proposed elimination method is investigated based on the rotor current controller employing a proportional integral and a resonant controller, which is implemented in the fundamental reference frame. In this frame, both positive seventh and negative fifth voltage harmonic can be eliminated by using only single resonant compensator tuned at six multiples of synchronous frequency in the rotor current controller. The control scheme is developed in the rotor-side converter for the control and operation of the DFIG. Simulations and experimental results with 2.2-kW DFIG feeding a nonlinear load are shown to verify prominent features of the proposed control method.

Future radio reference frames and implications for the Gaia link

Since January 1st, 2010, the IAU (International Astronomical Union) fundamental celestial reference frame has been the 2nd International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF2), which is composed of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) positions for more than 3000 extragalactic radio sources. This frame is constantly improving through joint efforts of the VLBI community. By surveying the whole sky up to magnitude 20, the European space astrometric mission Gaia will soon create its own celestial reference frame directly in the optical domain and with many more sources. By 2015–2020, the two frames will thus cohabit and it will be important to align these to the highest accuracy for consistency between optical and radio positions. In this paper, we present the various observational approaches that are undertaken to improve the VLBI frame in the future. These include extension to weaker sources for densification, extension to higher radio frequencies to take advantage of the more compact morphology of the sources at these frequencies, and further observations in the southern hemisphere for homogeneous sky coverage. We also elaborate on how such future radio frames should contribute to highly-precise alignment between the VLBI and Gaia frames within the next decade.

Astrometric suitability of optically-bright ICRF sources for the alignment with the future Gaia celestial reference frame

The ICRF, currently based on the position of 717 extragalactic radio sources observed by VLBI, is the fundamental celestial reference frame adopted by the IAU in 1997. Within the next 10 years, the European space astrometry mission Gaia, to be launched by 2011, will permit determination of the extragalactic reference frame directly in the visible for the first time. Aligning these two frames with the highest accuracy will therefore be very important in the future for ensuring consistency between the measured radio and optical positions. This paper is aimed at evaluating the current astrometric suitability of the individual ICRF radio sources which are considered appropriate for the alignment with the future Gaia frame. To this purpose, we cross-identified the ICRF and the optical catalog Veron-Cetty and Veron (2006), to identify the optically-bright ICRF sources that will be positioned with the highest accuracy with Gaia. Then we investigated the astrometric suitability of these sources by examining their VLBI brightness distribution. We identified 243 candidate ICRF sources for the alignment with the Gaia frame (with an optical counterpart brighter than the apparent magnitude 18), but only 70 of these (10% of the ICRF sources) are found to have the necessary high astrometric quality (i.e. a brightness distribution that is compact enough) for this link. Additionally, it was found that the QSOs that will have the most accurate positions in the Gaia frame tend to have less-accurate VLBI positions, most probably because of their physical structures. Altogether, this indicates that identifying other high-quality VLBI radio sources suitable for the alignment with the future Gaia frame is mandatory.

High Performance Current Controller for Selective Harmonic Compensation in Active Power Filters

A new current control scheme for selective harmonic compensation is proposed for shunt active power filters. The method employs an array of resonant current controllers, one for the fundamental, and one for each harmonic, implemented in fundamental reference frame in order to reduce the overall computational effort. The proposed controller design is based on the pole-zero cancellation technique, taking into account the load transfer function at each harmonic frequency. Two design methods are provided, which give controller transfer functions with superior frequency response. The complete current controller is realized as the superposition of all individual harmonic controllers. The frequency response of the entire closed loop control is optimal with respect to filtering objectives, i.e., the system provides good overall stability and excellent selectivity for interesting harmonics. This conclusion is supported by experimental results on a 7.6-kVA laboratory filter, indicating a reduction in current THD factor from 34% to 2%, while the highest harmonic compensated is the 37th harmonic current.