1
Dr. Guoqing Zhou
3. Reference Systems
CET 318
Book: p. 25-38
1. Introduction
GPS Basic Positioning Principle
Two reference systems: Time and Coordinate Syst
a
2
3
known
known
known
1
Un-known
a
a
GPS
Satellite
GPS
Receiver
Time
System
Coordinate
System
S=vt
1.1 Overview
1.2 A Group of Basic Concepts
1. Sun and Earth
2. Earth
3. Celestial body
4. Ecliptic Plane
5. Earth Equator
6. Celestial equator
7. Greenwich Meridian
8. Vernal Equinox
Sun
Spring
Winter
Autumn
Summer
9. Node
10.Perigee
11.Apogee
12. Space-fixed Coordinate System
13. Earth-fixed Coordinate System
14. Artificial Earth Satellite
15. Orbital Plane
16. Orbital plane Coordinate
System
2
1. A uniform coordinate system,
2. A three-dimensional Cartesian system
-axis of the
earth-fixed system
is defined by the
intersection line of
the equatorial plane
with the plane
represented by the
Greenwich
meridian.
1
X
The -axis for the space-fixed
system points towards the vernal
equinox.
0
1
X
The angle Θ
0
between the two systems is called
Greenwich sidereal time.
The -axis being orthogonal to both the -axis
and the -axis completes a right-handed
coordinate frame.
1
X
0
1
X
0
1
X
2. Coordinate Systems
Precession (Sun-Earth-Moon, Fixed!!!): Vernal Equinox
moves towards west 50.26second, The difference between
equinox calendar year and sidereal year 0.014day
Nutation: The oscillation with respect to the inertial space
is called nutation (Sun-Earth-Moon, Change!!!) (p. 27).
1. Secular precession:
2. Periodic nutation:
Polar motion: The oscillation with respect to the terrestrial
system is named polar motion.
Chandler period: The period of the free motion amounts
to about 430 days and is known as the Chandler period.
ω
2.1 A Group of Terms
1. Definition of CCRS: p.28.
CRF: Since this system is defined conventionally and
the practical realization does not necessarily coincide
with the theoretical system, it is called (conventional)
Celestial Reference Frame (CRF).
o"quasi-inertial" means a geocentric system is not
rigorously inertial because of the accelerated motion
of the earth around the sun.
o the International Earth Rotation Service (IERS),
called ICRF
1. Conventional Celestial Reference System
(p. 28)
2. Conventional Terrestrial Reference System
(p. 28)
Definition: Terrestrial Reference Frame (TRF) (p. 28)
TRF: is defined by a set of terrestrial control stations
serving as reference points. Most of the reference stations
are equipped with Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) or
Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI)
capabilities.
1
X
o World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS-84), 1500
sites/points
o ITRF-94 established by the IERS, 180 points
3
The Comparison of WGS-84 and ITRF
1. The WGS-84 was established through Doppler
observations from the TRANSIT satellite system
while ITRF is based on SLR and VLBI
observations.
2. The accuracy of the WGS-84 reference stations is
estimated to be in the range of 1 to 2 meters while
the accuracy of the ITRF reference stations is at the
centimeter level.
The comparison of parameters of WGS-84 and ITRF
reveals remarkable differences. WHY?
2.2 Transformation of Coordinate System
General remarks
The transformation between the Celestial Reference
Frame (CRF) and the Terrestrial Reference Frame
(TRF) by
Where:
R
M
rotation matrix for polar motion
R
S
rotation matrix for sidereal time
R
N
rotation matrix for nutation
R
P
rotation matrix for precession
CRF
PNSM
TRF
xRRRRx =
Why do we need
learn the
transformation of
coordinate systems?
1. Precession
The position of the mean vernal equinox at the standard
epoch t
0
is denoted by E
0
and the position at the
observation epoch t is denoted by E. The precession matrix
}{}{}{
323
?? ???= RRzRR
P
The precession parameters are computed from this time
series
32
017998.030188.02181.6230 TTT ′′+′′+′′=?
32
41833.042665.03109.4200 TTT ′′?′′?′′=?
32
018203.009468.12181.6230 TTTz ′′+′′+′′=
The definition of Precession
T represents the time-span expressed in Julian centuries of
365.25 mean solar days between the standard epoch
J2000.0 and the epoch of observation.
Why does the
precession is
related to time?
2. Nutation
The mean vernal equinox at the observation epoch is
denoted by E and the true equinox by E
t
. The nutation
matrix is composed of three successive rotation matrices
N
R
}{)}{)}({
131
εφεε RRRR
N
???+?=
where both the
nutation in
longitude ;
and the nutation
in obliquity can
be treated as
differential
quantities.
ε?
φ?
The mean obliquity of the ecliptic has been determined
as
ε
φ?ε?
ε
P35., Eq. 3.15
where T is the same time factor.
= 23°26'21.″448 - 46.″8150T – 0.″00059T
2
+ 0.″001813T
3
The nutation parameters and are computed
from the harmonic series:
4
3. Sidereal time
The rotation matrix for sidereal time R
S
is
The computation of the apparent Greenwich sidereal
time
is shown in the section on time systems.
}{
03
Θ= RR
S
0
Θ
The previous computations yield the instantaneous CEP.
The CEP must still be rotated into the CIO.
This is achieved by means of the pole coordinates x
p
, y
p
which define the position of the CEP with respect to the
CIO. The pole coordinates are determined by the IERS
and are available upon request. The rotation matrix for
polar motion is given by
4. Polar motion
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?=??=
1
10
01
}{}{
12
PP
P
P
PP
S
yx
y
x
yRxRR
The rotation matrices and are often combined
to a single matrix for earth rotation:
SMR
RRR =
S
R
M
R
3. Time Systems
What is Time?
Definition of time criterion must be motion object
Periodic
Stable
Observable
1. Earth rotation by itself (Sidereal time, Solar time
2. Earth rotation around Sun (Calendar time
3. Oscillation frequency of atomic motion (Atomic
time)
3.1 A Group of Time System
International Atomic Time (IAT)
UT Coordinated (UTC)
Atomic oscillations
Terrestrial Dynamic Time (TDT)
Barycentric Dynamic Time (BDT)
Earth revolution
Universal Time (UT)
Greenwich Sidereal Time (00)
Earth rotation
Time SystemPeriodic Process
Several time systems are in current use. They are based
on various periodic processes such as earth rotation
5
1. Solar and Sidereal Times
Universal Time (UT): is defined by the Greenwich
hour angle augmented by 12 hours of a fictitious sun
uniformly orbiting in the equatorial plane (p. 35).
Sidereal Time(ST): is defined by the hour angle of
the vernal equinox.
Taking the mean equinox as the reference leads to
mean sidereal time and using the true equinox as a
reference yields true or apparent sidereal time (p.
35).
Both solar and sidereal time are not uniform since
the angular velocity w
E
is not constant.
Changes in the polar moment of inertia exerted
by tidal deformation
Other mass transports
Oscillations of the earth's rotational axis itself
Notice
2. Dynamic Times
Dynamic Times: The time systems derived from planetary
motions in the solar system are called dynamic times.
Barycentrio Dynamic Time (BDT): is an inertial time
system in the Newtonian sense and provides the time
variable in the equations of motion.
Quasi-inertial Terrestrial Dynamic Time (TDT): was
formerly called ephemeris time and serves for the
integration of the differential equations for the orbital
motion of satellites around the earth.
In 1991, the International Astronomical Union (IAU)
introduced the term Terrestrial Time (TT) to replace
TDT. Furthermore, the terminology of coordinate times
according to the theory of general relativity was
introduced
3. Atomic Times
Dynamic Time System is achieved by the use of atomic time
scales.
UTC System is a compromise. The unit of the system is the
atomic second, but to keep the system close to UT1 and
approximate civil time, integer leap seconds are inserted at
distinct epochs.
GPS Time is also related to the atomic time system.
1. GPS time is referenced to UTC as maintained by the
U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO).
2. GPS time system nominally has a constant offset of
19 seconds with IAT.
3. GPS Time was coincident with UTC at the GPS
standard epoch 1980, January 6.
d
0.
3.2 Conversions
The conversion between the times is achieved by the formula
Θ
0
= 1.0027379093 UT1 + υ
0
+ ?φcosε
1. The first term: the different scales of solar and sidereal
time,
2. The quantity υ
0
represents the actual sidereal time at
Greenwich midnight (i.e., 0
h
UT).
3. The third term: the projection of ?φ onto the equator and
considers the effect of nutation.
6
Thus, the mean solar time is corrected for polar motion
UT1 and the apparent sidereal time Θ
0.
The mean sidereal time by neglecting the nutation term
is a part of the navigation message broadcast by the
GPS satellites.
Time Series for υ
0
υ
0
= 24110
s
.54841 + 8640 184.
s
812866 T
0
+
0.
s
093104 T
2
0
-6.
s
2 .10
-6
T
3
0
where T
0
represents the timespan between the standard
epoch J2000.0 (Julian centuries of 365.25 mean solar
days). and the day of observation at oh UT.
UT1 and UTC
UT1 = UTC + dUT1
When the absolute value of dUTl becomes larger than
0.
s
9, a leap second is inserted into the UTC system.
Dynamic Time and Atomic Time System
(GPS)
IAT = GPS + 19.
s
000 constant offset
IAT = TDT -32.
s
184 constant offset (3.22)
IAT = UTC + l.
s
000 n variable offset as leap seconds are
substituted.
3.3 Calendar
Definitions
The Julian Date (JD) defines the number of mean solar days
elapsed since the epoch 4713 B.C., January 1.
d
5.
The Modified Julian Date (MJD) is obtained by subtracting
2400000.5 days from JD. This convention saves digits and
MJD commences at civil midnight instead of noon.
the Julian date for two standard epochs is given. This table
enables, for example, the calculation of the parameter T for the
GPS standard epoch. Subtracting the respective Julian dates
and dividing by 36525 (i.e., the number of days in a Julian
century) yields T = -0.1998767967.
Summary
What have we learnt?
Which parts are important?
Assignment 3
1. What are space-fixed and earth-fixed coordinate
systems? Give the examples.
2. What are ecliptic plane,vernal equinox, node,
perigee, apogee,orbital plane?
3. What is orbital plane?
4. How many time system do you know?
5. What is sidereal time and solar time?
6. What is GPS time?