SYRTE
The SYRTE (SYstèmes de Référence Temps Espace - Time Space Reference Systems) is a department of the Paris Observatory, a "unité mixte de recherche" of the National Research Centre CNRS (UMR 8630) and is associated with the Pierre and Marie Curie University (Paris 6).
Directorate
- Director : Arnaud Landragin
- Deputy director : Sébastien Bize et Christophe Le Poncin-Lafitte
- Administrator : Marine Pailler
Scientific disciplines
- Time and frequency measurement
- Atomic interferometry and inertial detectors
- Precision measurements and tests of fundamental physics
- Celestial, astrometric reference systems
- Terrestrial rotation and geodesy from space
- History of science – History of astronomy
Scientific Services
- Laboratoire National de Métrologie pour le Temps-Fréquence (National Laboratory for the measurement of time and frequency)
- National Time Reference – maintenance of French standard time
- Centres de produits de l’IERS – International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service
- Centres d’analyse de l’IVS – International VLBI Service et de l’ILRS – International Laser Ranging Service
- GBOT - Ground Based Optical Tracking de la mission GAIA
- Gravimetry
Personnel
- 31 researchers and lecturers
- 32 ITA including 4 CDD
- 20 doctoral students
- 8 post-docs
- 12 long duration and affiliated researchers
Main Collaborations
- Involvement in major ground and space based projects (ACES/PHARAO, STE-QUEST, GAIA, Equipex REFIMEVE+, MIGA)
- Collaborations within the framework of the DIM ACAV and nanoK, specific participation in INSU’s GRAM et GAIA, in GRGS, in the Alembert group, in the GDR (Research group) «Cold atoms»
- Coordination of Labex FIRST-TF, INSU’s Moyen National Temps-Fréquence (Time Frequency initiative)
- Involvement in many of the Joint Research Projects of the EMRP-European Metrology Research Programme
- Collaborations within the framework of the IERS, l’IVS, l’ILRS, the construction of the TAI, the IGS, the french-chinease GDRI (international research group) QMAP
- Collaborations with industry: THALES, SODERN, ASTRIUM, the µQuanS start-up created by the SYRTE and the LP2N, Radian Dyes Lasers, ORANGE, ESSP.
Salient results
- A unique set of 3 cold atomic fountains at the level of a few 10-16; dominant contribution of the SYRTE in the calibration of TAI ; improvement in the stability of UTC (OP) and in the precision of the tests of fundamental physics.
- Precision record for the strontium atomic array clock (1.4 10-16), and ultra precis spectroscopy of optically trapped mercury atoms.
- Demonstration that metrological signals can be transferred over the RENATER fibre network with a precision better than 10-18 on 500 km
- Demonstration of the precision of a cold atom gravimeter working at 4. 10-9, and tests atomic interferometers in microgravity during parabolic trajectory flights
- Adoption by the UAI of a new definition of the astronomical unit
- Modeling of the rotation of Venus
- Development of optical astrometry – Application to the GBOT service of the GAIA mission
- Many publications on the role of mathematical humanism during the scientific revolution (XVth-XVIth century), on classical science and astronomy (XVIth-XVIIIth century), and on d’Alembert and the physical-mathematical sciences.
