The 8th International Comparison of Absolute Gravimeters 2009: the first Key Comparison (CCM.G-K1) in the field of absolute gravimetry

in Metrologia (2012), 49(6), 666

The 8th International Comparison of Absolute Gravimeters (ICAG2009) took place at the headquarters of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) from September to October 2009. It was the ... [more ▼]

The 8th International Comparison of Absolute Gravimeters (ICAG2009) took place at the headquarters of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) from September to October 2009. It was the first ICAG organized as a key comparison in the framework of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement of the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM MRA) (CIPM 1999). ICAG2009 was composed of a Key Comparison (KC) as defined by the CIPM MRA, organized by the Consultative Committee for Mass and Related Quantities (CCM) and designated as CCM.G-K1. Participating gravimeters and their operators came from national metrology institutes (NMIs) or their designated institutes (DIs) as defined by the CIPM MRA. A Pilot Study (PS) was run in parallel in order to include gravimeters and their operators from other institutes which, while not signatories of the CIPM MRA, nevertheless play important roles in international gravimetry measurements. The aim of the CIPM MRA is to have international acceptance of the measurement capabilities of the participating institutes in various fields of metrology. The results of CCM.G-K1 thus constitute an accurate and consistent gravity reference traceable to the SI (International System of Units), which can be used as the global basis for geodetic, geophysical and metrological observations of gravity. The measurements performed afterwards by the KC participants can be referred to the international metrological reference, i.e. they are SI-traceable. The ICAG2009 was complemented by a number of associated measurements: the Relative Gravity Campaign (RGC2009), high-precision levelling and an accurate gravity survey in support of the BIPM watt balance project. The major measurements took place at the BIPM between July and October 2009. Altogether 24 institutes with 22 absolute gravimeters (one of the 22 AGs was ultimately withdrawn) and nine relative gravimeters participated in the ICAG/RGC campaign. This paper is focused on the absolute gravity campaign. We review the history of the ICAGs and present the organization, data processing and the final results of the ICAG2009. After almost thirty years of hosting eight successive ICAGs, the CIPM decided to transfer the responsibility for piloting the future ICAGs to NMIs, although maintaining a supervisory role through its Consultative Committee for Mass and Related Quantities. [less ▲]

Results of the European Comparison of Absolute Gravimeters in Walferdange (Luxembourg) of November 2007

in Gravity, Geoid and Earth Observation (2010)

The second international comparison of absolute gravimeters was held in Walferdange, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, in November 2007, in which twenty absolute gravimeters took part. A short description of the ... [more ▼]

The second international comparison of absolute gravimeters was held in Walferdange, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, in November 2007, in which twenty absolute gravimeters took part. A short description of the data processing and adjustments will be presented here and will be followed by the presentation of the results. Two different methods were applied to estimate the relative offsets between the gravimeters. We show that the results are equivalent as the uncertainties of both adjustments overlap. The absolute gravity meters agree with one another with a standard deviation of 2 μgal (1 gal = 1 cm/s2). [less ▲]

Relative Gravity Measurement Campaign during the 7th International Comparison of Absolute Gravimeters (2005)

in Metrologia (2009), 46(3), 214

Since the 1st International Comparison of Absolute Gravimeters (ICAG) and accompanying Relative Gravity Campaign (RGC) held at the BIPM in 1981, repeated ICAG-RGCs have been organized every four years. A ... [more ▼]

Since the 1st International Comparison of Absolute Gravimeters (ICAG) and accompanying Relative Gravity Campaign (RGC) held at the BIPM in 1981, repeated ICAG-RGCs have been organized every four years. A total of 19 absolute gravimeters (AG) and 15 relative gravimeters (RG) participated in the 7th ICAG-RGC, which took place in 2005. Co-located absolute and relative gravity measurements as well as precision levelling measurements were carried out. The final version of the absolute g values of the 7th ICAG has been officially released recently. This paper is the final report of the 7th RGC and replaces the preliminary results published earlier. It covers the organization of the RGC and the data processing, analyses RG behaviour, computes g , δ g and O AG (offset of AG) and discusses their uncertainties. In preparation for the BIPM key comparison ICAG-2009, a standard data-processing procedure has been developed and installed in the BIPM ICAG-RGC software package, GraviSoft. This was used for the final data processing. [less ▲]