Time and Frequency: Theory and Fundamentals

Book excerpt: The document is a tutorial Monograph describing various aspects of time and frequency (T/F). Included are chapters relating to elemental concepts of precise time and frequency; basic principles of quartz oscillators and atomic frequency standards; historical review, recent progress, and current status of atomic frequency standards; promising areas for developing future primary frequency standards; relevance of frequency standards to other areas of metrology including a unified standard concept; statistics of T/F data analysis coupled with the theory and construction of the NBS atomic time scale; an overview of T/F dissemination techniques; and the standards of T/F in the USA. The Monograph addresses both the specialist in the field as well as those desiring basic information about time and frequency. The authors trace the development and scope of T/F technology, its improvement over periods of decades, its status today, and its possible use, applications, and development in days to come.