ROYMAGE (hoRloge Optique à Ytterbium Mobile Appliquée à l’exploration GEodésique) is a project funded by the French National Research Agency dedicated to the development of a transportable ytterbium (Yb) optical atomic clock.
Connected to the REFIMEVE+ fibre network, the clock will allow remote clock comparisons for gravitational time dilation tests and chronometric geodesy applications. With an uncertainty fixed at 10-17 in terms of relative frequency (equivalent to 10 cm of geoid height), the clock will provide measurements of variations in the Earth’s gravity potential not directly accessible with traditional techniques (GNSS/levelling, InSar, gravimetry, gradiometry).
These new observables could revolutionise many fields:
- The determination of the gravity field and its associated potential;
- Geodetic vertical references;
- Exploration of the Earth’s internal dynamics;
- The connection between the marine and terrestrial environment;
- Metrology;
- Etc.
Project duration: 4 years (2021 – 2025).
Partners : Observatoire de Paris, IPGP, IGN and SHOM.
