Terrestrial Clock Networks: Fundamental Physics and Applications (C02)

• Subject Area: Geodesy, Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, Geoinformatics, Cartography ; Nuclear and Elementary Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Relativity, Fields
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 434617780

Optical clock networks are being considered as a novel geodetic measurement tool, as they are powerful to precisely obtain the physical height difference or gravity potential difference between distant points. The main goal of this project is to figure out and demonstrate the benefits of clock networks on Earth for various applications, such as the unification of height systems, control of height observations, gravity field recovery, and geoid determination. In addition, we will elaborate the theoretical formalism for clock comparisons and investigate the opportunity for tests of relativity.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1464: Relativistic and quantum-based geodesy (TerraQ)
• Applicant Institution: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover
• Co-Applicant Institution: Universität Bremen
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Claus Lämmerzahl; Professor Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Müller