Audoin C. The Measurement of Time. Time, Frequency and the Atomic Clock 2001

Textbook in PDF format

This volume is a comprehensive introduction to the physics of time and time measurement, from an historical perspective to the modern day. It discusses the stability and accuracy of atomic frequency standards, covering different types of oscillators and atomic clocks, and their uses. The precision of atomic clocks and the atomic time scale are considered in the context of fundamental physical research, with relation to general relativity and applications such as the Global Positioning System. The authors also discuss International Atomic Time and its relationship to Coordinated Universal Time and the time scales used in astronomy