Recently we derived a new star catalog EOC-4 that contains not only the mean positions and linear proper motions, but also periodic changes, due to orbital motions, for double and multiple star systems. The catalog contains 4418 stars that were observed in programs monitoring Earth orientation by optical astrometry during the 20th century. 599 stars of the catalog have significant periodic components. This catalog is now used, as a basic celestial frame, to obtain the Earth orientation parameters from optical astrometric observations of latitude/universal time/altitude in the interval 1899.7-1992.0. Polar motion is determined in 5-day steps for the whole interval studied, Universal time covers the interval 1956.0-1992.0 (i.e., after the invention of atomic clocks) also in 5-day steps, and celestial pole offsets (with respect to recent IAU2000 and IAU2006 models of nutation and precession) are modeled by second-order polynomials of time. In addition to these, a combination of Love and Shida numbers for each observing site is computed., Jan Vondrák, Cyril Ron and Vojtěch Štefka., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The periodic motion of the Earth's spin axis in space (nutation) is dominantly forced by external torques exerted by the Moon, Sun and planets. On the other hand, long-periodic geophysical forces (with periods longer than several days), mostly caused by the changes in the atmosphere and oceans, have dominant effects in polar motion (in terrestrial frame) and Earth's speed of rotation. However, even relatively small short-periodic (near-diurnal) motions of the atmosphere and oceans can also have a non-negligible influence on nutation, thanks to the resonance that is due to the existence of a flattened outer fluid core. The retrograde period, corresponding to this resonance, is roughly equal to 430 days in non-rotating quasi-inertial celestial reference frame, or 23h 53min (mean solar time) in the terrestrial frame rota ting with the Earth. The aim of the present study is to use the geophysical excitations in the vicinity of this resonance to estimate their influence on nutation, based on recent models of atmospheric and oceanic motions. To this end, we use the numerical integration of Brzezinski's broad-band Liouville equations and compare the results with VLBI observa tions. Our study shows that the atmospheric plus oceanic effects (both matter and motion terms) are capable of exciting free core nutation; both its amplitude and phase are compatible with the observed motion. Annual and semi-annual geophysical contributions of nutation are of the order of 100 microarcseconds. They are slightly different for different at mospheric/oceanic models used, and they also differ from the values observed by VLBI - the differences exceed several times their formal uncertainties., Jan Vondrák and Cyril Ron., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
The motion of Earth’s spin axis in space is monitored by Very Long-Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), and since 1994 also its rate is measured by Global Positioning System (GPS). From the direct analysis of the combined VLBI/GPS solution in the interval 1994.3-2004.6 we recently found that the apparent period of the Retrograde Free Core Nutation (RFCN) grew from original 435 days to 460 days during the past ten years, but the resonance effects yielded a stable period of about 430 days. Now we repeat the same study with VLBI-only data, covering much longer interval (1982.4 - 2005.6). Direct analysis shows again a substantial increase of the apparent period during the last decade or so. The resonant period is given by internal structure of the Earth (mainly by the flattening of the core), so it is highly improbable that it is so much variable. From the same observations we derive corrections of certain nutation terms. A subsequent study of indirect determination of resonance RFCN period from the observed forced nutation terms through the resonance effects proves that the natural resonance period remains stable and is equal to 430.32±0.07 solar days. From this follows that an excitation by outer layers of the Earth (atmospheric, oceanic) should exist, with a terrestrial frequency close to that of RFCN (of about -1.0050 cycles per solar day, i.e. with period of -23h53m mean solar time), invoking the apparent changes of the directly observed RFCN period. Thanks to a close proximity of the resonance, any excitation with this period is extremely amplified so that the excitation necessary to explain the difference can be very small. The atmosphere alone contains enough power to excite the observed changes., Jan Vondrák and Cyril Ron., and Obsahuje bibliografii
In this review paper we study the atmospheric and oceanic effects in nutation. It is a continuation and summary of our previous studies that we made during the last five years or so. We use slightly modified methods and apply them to the most recent data (both atmospheric/oceanic excitation functions and combined solution of celestial pole offsets by International
VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry - IVS). We find th at the atmospheric and oceanic excitations provide significant changes in nutation, mostly with annual and semi-annual periods. The numerical integration of Brzeziński’s broadband Liouville equations yield Free Core Nutation (FCN) that is consistent with VLBI-based observed values. The analysis of VLBI observations shows small quasi-periodic fluctuations of the period and qua
lity factor of retrograde FCN, ranging between 429.8 to 430.5 days and 17000 to 22000, respectively. To this end, we use resonant effects in several dominant forced nutation terms to calculate the period and quality factor of FCN in running 6-year intervals. Numerically integrated geophysical excitations are removed fro the observed celestial pole offsets, and the remaining part is used again to derive the period and quality factor of FCN in running intervals. Our conclusion is that the observed quasi-periodic variations of both parameters are not caused by these geophysical excitations, but another source should be searched for.