Thousand-fold accuracy boost coming to SA time reference

22 July 2015 Editor's Choice News

The National Metrology Institute of South Africa (NMISA) has committed to upgrading the country’s time and frequency keeping capabilities in order to deliver the accuracy required by the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and its precursor, MeerKAT.

SKA South Africa, the organisation in charge of this country’s implementation of the futuristic radio telescope, signed a memorandum of understanding with NMISA that will see its time reference accuracy narrowed from 5000 nanoseconds to just 4 nanoseconds.

NMISA is mandated to maintain the national measurement standards for South Africa, including those for time and frequency. In this capacity, it keeps the national time (known as South African Standard Time or SAST) and contributes to the calculation of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

Precise frequency is necessary to form clear images when using an array of antennas, as is the case with the MeerKAT. Time and frequency constitute the best-known measurement standards as they are based on quantum transitions of atoms. Absolute time is essential in breaking new frontiers. This is required in order to look further into space than ever before at objects where time and space itself is distorted or where the footprints of the universe’s birth can be seen.

The signals from each antenna will reach a data processing centre at different times due to the difference in distance from each antenna. Correlation and beam forming of the signals are necessary in order to make the antenna operate as one big receiver to obtain a high-resolution image of the sky. Correlation relies on precise time tagging of the received signals. The correlating beam former must be very accurately synchronised to the master time reference of the data centre, which itself must be synchronised to UTC.

According to Dr Johan Burger, the man in charge of SKA SA’s time and frequency systems, “time and frequency are critical in the observation of celestial bodies via radio techniques. South Africa will benefit from these technological developments as time and frequency are very important in navigation of aircraft and other vehicles, defence and telecommunications.”

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