Dennis McCarthy (scientist)

Last updated

Dennis D. McCarthy is a former Director of Time at the United States Naval Observatory. McCarthy also works for the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service. [1] [2] In recognition of his work on Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite navigation, McCarthy was inducted into the Naval Oceanography Hall of Fame on 6 April 2023 at a ceremony hosted by the U.S. Naval Observatory. [3]

Contents

Selected publications

Books

Papers

Related Research Articles

International Atomic Time is a high-precision atomic coordinate time standard based on the notional passage of proper time on Earth's geoid. TAI is a weighted average of the time kept by over 450 atomic clocks in over 80 national laboratories worldwide. It is a continuous scale of time, without leap seconds, and it is the principal realisation of Terrestrial Time. It is the basis for Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is used for civil timekeeping all over the Earth's surface and which has leap seconds.

Δ<i>T</i> (timekeeping) Measure of variation of solar time from atomic time

In precise timekeeping, ΔT is a measure of the cumulative effect of the departure of the Earth's rotation period from the fixed-length day of International Atomic Time. Formally, ΔT is the time difference ΔT = TT − UT between Universal Time and Terrestrial Time. The value of ΔT for the start of 1902 was approximately zero; for 2002 it was about 64 seconds. So Earth's rotations over that century took about 64 seconds longer than would be required for days of atomic time. As well as this long-term drift in the length of the day there are short-term fluctuations in the length of day which are dealt with separately.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leap second</span> Extra second inserted to keep civil time in sync with the Earths rotation

A leap second is a one-second adjustment that is occasionally applied to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), to accommodate the difference between precise time and imprecise observed solar time (UT1), which varies due to irregularities and long-term slowdown in the Earth's rotation. The UTC time standard, widely used for international timekeeping and as the reference for civil time in most countries, uses TAI and consequently would run ahead of observed solar time unless it is reset to UT1 as needed. The leap second facility exists to provide this adjustment. The leap second was introduced in 1972. Since then, 27 leap seconds have been added to UTC, with the most recent occurring on December 31, 2016. All have so far been positive leap seconds, adding a second to a UTC day; while it is possible for a negative leap second to be needed, one has not happened yet.

A time standard is a specification for measuring time: either the rate at which time passes or points in time or both. In modern times, several time specifications have been officially recognized as standards, where formerly they were matters of custom and practice. An example of a kind of time standard can be a time scale, specifying a method for measuring divisions of time. A standard for civil time can specify both time intervals and time-of-day.

Universal Time is a time standard based on Earth's rotation. While originally it was mean solar time at 0° longitude, precise measurements of the Sun are difficult. Therefore, UT1 is computed from a measure of the Earth's angle with respect to the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF), called the Earth Rotation Angle. UT1 is the same everywhere on Earth. UT1 is required to follow the relationship

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service</span> Body responsible for maintaining global time and reference frame standards

The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), formerly the International Earth Rotation Service, is the body responsible for maintaining global time and reference frame standards, notably through its Earth Orientation Parameter (EOP) and International Celestial Reference System (ICRS) groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Axial tilt</span> Angle between the rotational axis and orbital axis of a body

In astronomy, axial tilt, also known as obliquity, is the angle between an object's rotational axis and its orbital axis, which is the line perpendicular to its orbital plane; equivalently, it is the angle between its equatorial plane and orbital plane. It differs from orbital inclination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar time</span> Calculation of elapsed time by the apparent position of the sun

Solar time is a calculation of the passage of time based on the position of the Sun in the sky. The fundamental unit of solar time is the day, based on the synodic rotation period. Traditionally, there are three types of time reckoning based on astronomical observations: apparent solar time and mean solar time, and sidereal time, which is based on the apparent motions of stars other than the Sun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earth's outer core</span> Fluid layer composed of mostly iron and nickel between Earths solid inner core and its mantle

Earth's outer core is a fluid layer about 2,260 km (1,400 mi) thick, composed of mostly iron and nickel that lies above Earth's solid inner core and below its mantle. The outer core begins approximately 2,889 km (1,795 mi) beneath Earth's surface at the core-mantle boundary and ends 5,150 km (3,200 mi) beneath Earth's surface at the inner core boundary.

A geomagnetic reversal is a change in a planet's dipole magnetic field such that the positions of magnetic north and magnetic south are interchanged. The Earth's magnetic field has alternated between periods of normal polarity, in which the predominant direction of the field was the same as the present direction, and reverse polarity, in which it was the opposite. These periods are called chrons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta Sculptoris</span> Triple star system in the constellation of Sculptor

Delta Sculptoris is a triple star system in the constellation Sculptor. It is approximately 137.4 light years from Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earth's inner core</span> Innermost part of Earth, a solid ball of iron-nickel alloy

Earth's inner core is the innermost geologic layer of the planet Earth. It is primarily a solid ball with a radius of about 1,220 km (760 mi), which is about 20% of Earth’s radius or 70% of the Moon's radius.

(Stanley) Keith Runcorn was a British physicist whose paleomagnetic reconstruction of the relative motions of Europe and America revived the theory of continental drift and was a major contribution to plate tectonics.

A tropical year or solar year is the time that the Sun takes to return to the same position in the sky – as viewed from the Earth or another celestial body of the Solar System – thus completing a full cycle of astronomical seasons. For example, it is the time from vernal equinox to the next vernal equinox, or from summer solstice to the next summer solstice. It is the type of year used by tropical solar calendars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coordinated Universal Time</span> Primary time standard

Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the primary time standard globally used to regulate clocks and time. It establishes a reference for the current time, forming the basis for civil time and time zones. UTC facilitates international communication, navigation, scientific research, and commerce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Preliminary reference Earth model</span> Model representing the average Earth properties as a function of planetary radius

The preliminary reference Earth model (PREM) plots the average of Earth's properties by depth. It includes a table of Earth properties, including elastic properties, attenuation, density, pressure, and gravity.

Shamita Das is an emeritus professor at the University of Oxford and an emeritus fellow at Exeter College. She is known for her research on earthquakes, in particular the speed that earthquakes can propagate through the earth.

HR 8526, also known as HD 212168, is the primary of a triple star located in the southern circumpolar constellation Octans. The star and its companion have apparent magnitudes of 6.12 and 9.36 respectively. The system is located relatively close at a distance of 76 light years based on Gaia DR3 parallax measurements, but is receding with a heliocentric radial velocity of 15 km/s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HD 22764</span> Double star; Camelopardalis

HD 22764, also known as HR 1112, is an orange hued star located in the northern circumpolar constellation Camelopardalis. It has an apparent magnitude of 5.78, allowing it to be faintly visible to the naked eye. The object is located relatively far at a distance of approximately 1,770 light years based on Gaia DR3 parallax measurements but is approaching the Solar System with a heliocentric radial velocity of −12.5 km/s. At its current distance, HD 22764's brightness is diminished by 0.66 magnitudes due to interstellar dust.

Frank Donald Stacey is an English-born Australian geophysicist, known for his research on rock magnetism and application of thermodynamics to understanding the Earth's core and mantle.

References

  1. "Meet the world's director of time". BBC News . 2 December 2008. Retrieved 6 December 2008.
  2. "Superintendents, Scientific Directors, and Department Directors Of the U.S. Naval Observatory". U.S. Naval Observatory . Archived from the original on 22 December 2008. Retrieved 6 December 2008.
  3. Holloway, Jonathan B. (10 April 2023). "GPS Pioneer Inducted into Naval Oceanography Hall of Fame". U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. U.S. Navy. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  4. Jefferts, Steven (2010). "Review of Time: From Earth Rotation to Atomic Physics by Dennis D. McCarthy and P. Kenneth Seidelmann". Physics Today. 63 (12). AIP Publishing: 63–64. doi: 10.1063/1.3529005 . ISSN   0031-9228.