Proposal for a realtime Einstein-synchronization-defined satellite virtual clock

Realization of high performance satellite onboard clock is vital for various positioning, navigation, and timing applications. For further improvement of the synchronization-based satellite time and frequency references, we propose a geosynchronous(GEO) satellite virtual clock concept based on ground–satellite synchronization and present a beacon transponder structure for its implementation(scheduled for launch in 2025), which does not require atomic clocks to be mounted on the satellite. Its high performance relies only on minor modifications to the existing transponder structure of GEO satellites. We carefully model the carrier phase link and analyze the factors causing link asymmetry within the special relativity. Considering that performance of such synchronization-based satellite clocks is primarily limited by the link's random phase noise, which cannot be adequately modeled, we design a closed-loop experiment based on commercial GEO satellites for pre-evaluation. This experiment aims at extracting the zero-means random part of the ground-satellite Ku-band carrier phase via a feedback loop. Ultimately, we obtain a 1σ value of 0.633 ps(two-way link), following the Gaussian distribution. From this result, we conclude that the proposed real-time Einstein-synchronization-defined satellite virtual clock can achieve picosecond-level replication of onboard time and frequency.

Einstein’s Concept of Clock Synchronization Conflicts with the Second Relativity Postulate

Einstein defined clock synchronization whenever photon pulses with timetags traverse a fixed distance between two clocks with equal time spans ineither direction. Using the second relativity postulate, he found clocksmounted on a rod uniformly moving parallel with the rod’s length cannot besynchronized, but clocks attached to a stationary rod can. He dismissed thisdiscrepancy by claiming simultaneity and clock synchronization were not commonbetween inertial frames, but this paper proves with both Galilean and Lorentztransformations that simultaneity and clock synchronization are preservedbetween inertial frames. His derivation means moving clocks can never besynchronized in a “resting” inertial frame. Ultraprecise atomic clocks intimekeeping labs daily contradict his results. No algebraic error occurred inEinstein’s derivations. The two cases of clocksattached to a rod reveal three major conflicts with the currentsecond postulate. The net velocity between a photon source and detector plusthe “universal” velocity c is mathematically equivalent toEinstein’s clock synchronization method. As the ultraprecise timekeepingcommunity daily synchronizes atomic clocks on the moving Earth withultraprecise time uncertainty well below Einstein’s lowest limit ofsynchronization, the theoretical resolution of the apparent conflict isaccomplished by expanding the second relativity postulate to incorporate thenet velocity between the photon source and detector with the emitted velocity c as components of the total velocity c. This means the magnitudeof the total photon velocity can exceed the speed limit (299792458 m/s) set by the standard velocity c. .

RL and AHP-Based Multi-Timescale Multi-Clock Source Time Synchronization for Distribution Power Internet of Things

Time synchronization(TS)is crucial for ensuring the secure and reliable functioning of the distribution power Internet of Things(IoT).Multi-clock source time synchronization(MTS)has significant advantages of high reliability and accuracy but still faces challenges such as optimization of the multi-clock source selection and the clock source weight calculation at different timescales,and the coupling of synchronization latency jitter and pulse phase difference.In this paper,the multi-timescale MTS model is conducted,and the reinforcement learning(RL)and analytic hierarchy process(AHP)-based multi-timescale MTS algorithm is designed to improve the weighted summation of synchronization latency jitter standard deviation and average pulse phase difference.Specifically,the multi-clock source selection is optimized based on Softmax in the large timescale,and the clock source weight calculation is optimized based on lower confidence bound-assisted AHP in the small timescale.Simulation shows that the proposed algorithm can effectively reduce time synchronization delay standard deviation and average pulse phase difference.

Cascaded ELM-Based Joint Frame Synchronization and Channel Estimation over Rician Fading Channel with Hardware Imperfections

Due to the interdependency of frame synchronization(FS)and channel estimation(CE),joint FS and CE(JFSCE)schemes are proposed to enhance their functionalities and therefore boost the overall performance of wireless communication systems.Although traditional JFSCE schemes alleviate the influence between FS and CE,they show deficiencies in dealing with hardware imperfection(HI)and deterministic line-of-sight(LOS)path.To tackle this challenge,we proposed a cascaded ELM-based JFSCE to alleviate the influence of HI in the scenario of the Rician fading channel.Specifically,the conventional JFSCE method is first employed to extract the initial features,and thus forms the non-Neural Network(NN)solutions for FS and CE,respectively.Then,the ELMbased networks,named FS-NET and CE-NET,are cascaded to capture the NN solutions of FS and CE.Simulation and analysis results show that,compared with the conventional JFSCE methods,the proposed cascaded ELM-based JFSCE significantly reduces the error probability of FS and the normalized mean square error(NMSE)of CE,even against the impacts of parameter variations.

A frequency servo SoC with output power stabilization loop technology for miniaturized atomic clocks

A frequency servo system-on-chip(FS-SoC)featuring output power stabilization technology is introduced in this study for high-precision and miniaturized cesium(Cs)atomic clocks.The proposed power stabilization loop(PSL)technique,incorporating an off-chip power detector(PD),ensures that the output power of the FS-SoC remains stable,mitigating the impact of power fluctuations on the atomic clock's stability.Additionally,a one-pulse-per-second(1PPS)is employed to syn-chronize the clock with GPS.Fabricated using 65 nm CMOS technology,the measured phase noise of the FS-SoC stands at-69.5 dBc/Hz@100 Hz offset and-83.9 dBc/Hz@1 kHz offset,accompanied by a power dissipation of 19.7 mW.The Cs atomic clock employing the proposed FS-SoC and PSL obtains an Allan deviation of 1.7×10^(-11) with 1-s averaging time.

Piperine regulates the circadian rhythms of hepatic clock gene expressions and gut microbiota in high-fat diet-induced obese rats

The interplay between the host circadian clock and microbiota has significant influences on host metabolism processes,and circadian desynchrony triggered by high-fat diet(HFD)is closely related to metabolic disorders.In this study,the modulatory effects of piperine(PIP)on lipid metabolism homeostasis,gut microbiota community and circadian rhythm of hepatic clock gene expressions in obese rats were investigated.The Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were fed with normal diet(ND),HFD and HFD supplemented with PIP,respectively.After 9 weeks,rats were sacrificed with tissue and fecal samples collected for circadian analysis.Results showed that chronic PIP administration ameliorated the obesity-induced alterations in lipid metabolism and dysregulation of hepatic clock gene expressions in obese rats.The gut microbial communities studied through 16S rRNA sequencing showed that PIP ameliorated the imbalanced nicrobiota and recovered the circadian rhythm of Lactobacillaceae,Desulfovibrionaceae,Paraprevotellaceae,and Lachnospiraceae.The fecal metabolic profiles indicated that 3-dehydroshikimate,cytidine and lithocholyltaurine were altered,which were involved in the amino acid and fatty acid metabolism process.These findings could provide theoretical basis for PIP to work as functional food to alleviate the lipid metabolism disorder,circadian rhythm misalignment,and gut microbiota dysbiosis with wide applications in the food and pharmaceutic industries.

Dynamics and synchronization of neural models with memristive membranes under energy coupling

Dynamical modeling of neural systems plays an important role in explaining and predicting some features of biophysical mechanisms.The electrophysiological environment inside and outside of the nerve cell is different.Due to the continuous and periodical properties of electromagnetic fields in the cell during its operation,electronic components involving two capacitors and a memristor are effective in mimicking these physical features.In this paper,a neural circuit is reconstructed by two capacitors connected by a memristor with periodical mem-conductance.It is found that the memristive neural circuit can present abundant firing patterns without stimulus.The Hamilton energy function is deduced using the Helmholtz theorem.Further,a neuronal network consisting of memristive neurons is proposed by introducing energy coupling.The controllability and flexibility of parameters give the model the ability to describe the dynamics and synchronization behavior of the system.

Flowering-time regulation by the circadian clock:From Arabidopsis to crops

Precise timing of flowering in plants is critical for their growth and reproductive processes.One factor controlling flowering time is the cycle of light and darkness within a day,known as the photoperiod.Plants are classified into long-day,short-day,and day-neutral plants based on light requirements for floral initiation.Although the molecular mechanisms that govern this differentiation remain incompletely understood,studies have consistently shown that the circadian clock plays a central role in regulating photoperiod response across diverse plant species.However,there is a scarcity of reviews describing the regulatory network linking the circadian clock with photoperiodic flowering.This review summarizes that regulatory network,focusing on the distinct roles of clock genes in long-day and short-day plants.We also discuss the strategies of clock gene mutations contributing to geographic variation in longday and short-day crops.

Transient Damping of Virtual Synchronous Generator for Enhancing Synchronization Stability during Voltage Dips

Virtual synchronous generators(VSGs)are widely introduced to the renewable power generation,the variablespeed pumped storage units,and so on,as a promising gridforming solution.It is noted that VSGs can provide virtual inertia for frequency support,but the larger inertia would worsen the synchronization stability,referring to keeping synchronization with the grid during voltage dips.Thus,this paper presents a transient damping method of VSGs for enhancing the synchronization stability during voltage dips.It is revealed that the loss of synchronization(LOS)of VSGs always accompanies with the positive frequency deviation and the damping is the key factor to remove LOS when the equilibrium point exists.In order to enhance synchronization stability during voltage dips,the transient damping is proposed,which is generated by the frequency deviation in active power loop.Additionally,the proposed method can realize seamless switching between normal state and grid fault.Moreover,detailed control design for transient damping gain is given to ensure the synchronization stability under different inertia requirements during voltage dips.Finally,the experimental results are presented to validate the analysis and the effectiveness of the improved transient damping method.

A redundant subspace weighting procedure for clock ensemble

A redundant-subspace-weighting(RSW)-based approach is proposed to enhance the frequency stability on a time scale of a clock ensemble.In this method,multiple overlapping subspaces are constructed in the clock ensemble,and the weight of each clock in this ensemble is defined by using the spatial covariance matrix.The superimposition average of covariances in different subspaces reduces the correlations between clocks in the same laboratory to some extent.After optimizing the parameters of this weighting procedure,the frequency stabilities of virtual clock ensembles are significantly improved in most cases.

A Yb optical clock with a lattice power enhancement cavity

We construct a power enhancement cavity to form an optical lattice in an ytterbium optical clock.It is demonstrated that the intra-cavity lattice power can be increased by about 45 times,and the trap depth can be as large as 1400Er when laser light with a power of only 0.6 W incident to the lattice cavity.Such high trap depths are the key to accurate evaluation of the lattice-induced light shift with an uncertainty down to~1×10-18.By probing the ytterbium atoms trapped in the power-enhanced optical lattice,we obtain a 4.3 Hz-linewidth Rabi spectrum,which is then used to feedback to the clock laser for the close loop operation of the optical lattice clock.We evaluate the density shift of the Yb optical lattice clock based on interleaving measurements,which is-0.46(62)mHz.This result is smaller compared to the density shift of our first Yb optical clock without lattice power enhancement cavity mainly due to a larger lattice diameter of 344μm.

Physics package based on intracavity laser cooling ^(87)Rb atoms for space cold atom microwave clock

This article proposes a new physics package to enhance the frequency stability of the space cold atom clock with the advantages of a microgravity environment. Clock working processes, including atom cooling, atomic state preparation,microwave interrogation, and transition probability detection, are integrated into the cylindrical microwave cavity to achieve a high-performance and compact physics package for the space cold atom clock. We present the detailed design and ground-test results of the cold atom clock physics package in this article, which demonstrates a frequency stability of 1.2×10^(-12) τ^(-1/2) with a Ramsey linewidth of 12.5 Hz, and a better performance is predicted with a 1 Hz or a narrower Ramsey linewidth in microgravity environment. The miniaturized cold atom clock based on intracavity cooling has great potential for achieving space high-precision time-frequency reference in the future.

A novel small-animal locomotor activity recording device for biological clock research

The rodent running-wheel recording apparatus is a reliable approach for studying cir-cadian rhythm.This study demonstrated how to construct a simple and intelligent running-wheel recording system.The running wheel was attached to the cage's base,whereas the Hall sensor was attached to the cage's cover.Then,the RJ25 adaptor relayed the running signal to the main control board.Finally,the main control board was connected to the USB port of the computer with the USB connection.Data were collected using the online-accessible,self-created software Magturning.Through Magturning,generated data were saved and exported in real time.Afterward,the device was validated by collecting data on the locomotor activities of mice under dif-ferent light conditions.In conclusion,this new device can record circadian activity of rodents.Our device is appropriate for interdisciplinary investigations related to biological clock research.

Quantum synchronization with correlated baths

We study quantum synchronization under the nonequilibrium reservoirs.We consider a two-qubit XXZ chain coupled independently to their own reservoirs modeled by the collisional model.Two reservoir particles,initially prepared in a thermal state or a state with coherence,are correlated through a unitary transformation and afterward interact locally with the two quantum subsystems.We study the quantum effect of reservoir on synchronous dynamics of system.By preparing different reservoir initial states or manipulating the reservoir particles coupling and the temperature gradient,we find that quantum entanglement of reservoir is the key to control quantum synchronization of system qubits.

Synchronization and firing mode transition of two neurons in a bilateral auditory system driven by a high–low frequency signal

The FitzHugh–Nagumo neuron circuit integrates a piezoelectric ceramic to form a piezoelectric sensing neuron,which can capture external sound signals and simulate the auditory neuron system.Two piezoelectric sensing neurons are coupled by a parallel circuit consisting of a Josephson junction and a linear resistor,and a binaural auditory system is established.Considering the non-singleness of external sound sources,the high–low frequency signal is used as the input signal to study the firing mode transition and synchronization of this system.It is found that the angular frequency of the high–low frequency signal is a key factor in determining whether the dynamic behaviors of two coupled neurons are synchronous.When they are in synchronization at a specific angular frequency,the changes in physical parameters of the input signal and the coupling strength between them will not destroy their synchronization.In addition,the firing mode of two coupled auditory neurons in synchronization is affected by the characteristic parameters of the high–low frequency signal rather than the coupling strength.The asynchronous dynamic behavior and variations in firing modes will harm the auditory system.These findings could help determine the causes of hearing loss and devise functional assistive devices for patients.

A Synchronization Acquisition Algorithm Based on the Frequency Hopping Pulses Combining

As modern electromagnetic environments are more and more complex,the anti-interference performance of the synchronization acquisition is becoming vital in wireless communications.With the rapid development of the digital signal processing technologies,some synchronization acquisition algorithms for hybrid direct-sequence(DS)/frequency hopping(FH)spread spectrum communications have been proposed.However,these algorithms do not focus on the analysis and the design of the synchronization acquisition under typical interferences.In this paper,a synchronization acquisition algorithm based on the frequency hopping pulses combining(FHPC)is proposed.Specifically,the proposed algorithm is composed of two modules:an adaptive interference suppression(IS)module and an adaptive combining decision module.The adaptive IS module mitigates the effect of the interfered samples in the time-domain or the frequencydomain,and the adaptive combining decision module can utilize each frequency hopping pulse to construct an anti-interference decision metric and generate an adaptive acquisition decision threshold to complete the acquisition.Theory and simulation demonstrate that the proposed algorithm significantly enhances the antiinterference and anti-noise performances of the synchronization acquisition for hybrid DS/FH communications.

Dynamics and synchronization in a memristor-coupled discrete heterogeneous neuron network considering noise

Research on discrete memristor-based neural networks has received much attention.However,current research mainly focuses on memristor–based discrete homogeneous neuron networks,while memristor-coupled discrete heterogeneous neuron networks are rarely reported.In this study,a new four-stable discrete locally active memristor is proposed and its nonvolatile and locally active properties are verified by its power-off plot and DC V–I diagram.Based on two-dimensional(2D)discrete Izhikevich neuron and 2D discrete Chialvo neuron,a heterogeneous discrete neuron network is constructed by using the proposed discrete memristor as a coupling synapse connecting the two heterogeneous neurons.Considering the coupling strength as the control parameter,chaotic firing,periodic firing,and hyperchaotic firing patterns are revealed.In particular,multiple coexisting firing patterns are observed,which are induced by different initial values of the memristor.Phase synchronization between the two heterogeneous neurons is discussed and it is found that they can achieve perfect synchronous at large coupling strength.Furthermore,the effect of Gaussian white noise on synchronization behaviors is also explored.We demonstrate that the presence of noise not only leads to the transition of firing patterns,but also achieves the phase synchronization between two heterogeneous neurons under low coupling strength.

Geometric Error Identification of Gantry-Type CNC Machine Tool Based on Multi-Station Synchronization Laser Tracers

Laser tracers are a three-dimensional coordinate measurement system that are widely used in industrial measurement.We propose a geometric error identification method based on multi-station synchronization laser tracers to enable the rapid and high-precision measurement of geometric errors for gantry-type computer numerical control(CNC)machine tools.This method also improves on the existing measurement efficiency issues in the single-base station measurement method and multi-base station time-sharing measurement method.We consider a three-axis gantry-type CNC machine tool,and the geometric error mathematical model is derived and established based on the combination of screw theory and a topological analysis of the machine kinematic chain.The four-station laser tracers position and measurement points are realized based on the multi-point positioning principle.A self-calibration algorithm is proposed for the coordinate calibration process of a laser tracer using the Levenberg-Marquardt nonlinear least squares method,and the geometric error is solved using Taylor’s first-order linearization iteration.The experimental results show that the geometric error calculated based on this modeling method is comparable to the results from the Etalon laser tracer.For a volume of 800 mm×1000 mm×350 mm,the maximum differences of the linear,angular,and spatial position errors were 2.0μm,2.7μrad,and 12.0μm,respectively,which verifies the accuracy of the proposed algorithm.This research proposes a modeling method for the precise measurement of errors in machine tools,and the applied nature of this study also makes it relevant both to researchers and those in the industrial sector.

Effects of Serum Concentration, Synchronization Time and Confluence on the Cell-Cycle Synchronization Efficiency of Goat Fibroblasts

This study aims to evaluate the effect of serum concentration, synchronization time, and confluence degree on the synchronisation efficiency of goat fibroblast cycle. The results indicated that there was no difference in the percentage of nucleated fibroblasts in the G0/G1 stage between serum concentrations of 0.3% and 0.4% (83.89% and 82.69%, respectively, P > 0.05) as well as between serum concentrations of 0.2% and 0.5% (76.95% and 75.46%, respectively, P > 0.05). The percentage of nucleated fibroblasts in the G0/G1 stage was highest at the concentration of 0.3% and lowest in the control group (83.89% vs. 62.67%, P 0.05). The beneficial effect of high confluence was confirmed by the large percentage of nucleated fibroblasts at the G0/G1 stage. The 60% confluency was significantly lower than the 80% and 100% confluency (73.44%, 86.63%, and 87.17%, respectively, P < 0.05). The results indicate that the goat fibroblast cycle synchronization is the most effective at the serum concentration of 0.3%, 72 hours of synchronization and 100% confluency.

A proposal for detecting weak electromagnetic waves around 2.6μm wavelength with Sr optical clock

Infrared signal detection is widely used in many fields.Due to the detection principle,however,the accuracy and range of detection are limited.Thanks to the ultra stability of the^(87)Sr optical lattice clock,external infrared electromagnetic wave disturbances can be responded to.Utilizing the ac Stark shift of the clock transition,we propose a new method to detect infrared signals.According to our calculations,the theoretical detection accuracy in the vicinity of its resonance band of 2.6μm can reach the order of 10-14W,while the minimum detectable signal of common detectors is on the order of 10^(-10)W.