Relativistic Effects on Clocks Aboard GPS Satellites

Abstract

Consider a clock aboard a satellite orbiting the Earth, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) transmitter. There are two major relativistic influences upon its rate of timekeeping: a special relativistic correction for its orbital speed and a general relativistic correction for its orbital altitude. Both of these effects can be treated at an introductory level, making for an appealing application of relativity to everyday life.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2006
Accession Number
ADA551465

Entities

People

  • Carl E. Mungan

Organizations

  • United States Naval Academy

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Altitude
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Black Holes
  • Clocks
  • Doppler Effect
  • Energy
  • Frequency Shift
  • General Relativity
  • Global Positioning Systems
  • Gravitational Fields
  • High Altitude
  • Information Operations
  • Physics
  • Potential Energy
  • Sea Level
  • Spacecraft
  • United States Naval Academy

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Technology.
  • Theoretical Analysis.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Orbital Debris