1 

NIST TIME AND FREQUENCY BULLETIN 

NIST IR 6658-12 

No. 636 December 2010

 

1. GENERAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION ........................................................................................... 2 

 

2. TIME SCALE INFORMATION ............................................................................................................... 2 

 

3. BROADCAST OUTAGES OVER FIVE MINUTES AND WWVB 

 PHASE PERTURBATIONS ..................................................................................................................... 4 

4. NOTES ON NIST TIME SCALES AND PRIMARY STANDARDS ........................................................... 4 

5. UTC(NIST) – AT1 PARAMETERS ........................................................................................................... 5 

 

This bulletin is published monthly. Address correspondence to: 

 

Petrina C. Potts, Editor 

Time and Frequency Division 

National Institute of Standards and Technology 

325 Broadway 

Boulder, CO 8O3O5-3328 

(3O3) 497-3295 

Email: ppotts@boulder.nist.gov

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, GARY LOCKE, Secretary

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, Patrick D. Gallagher, Director 

 
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1. GENERAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS BULLETIN

ACTS - Automated Computer Time Service 

BIPM - Bureau International des Poids et Mesures 

CS - Cesium Standard 

GPS - Global Positioning System 

IERS - International Earth Rotation Service 

LORAN - Long Range Navigation 

MC - Master Clock 

MJD - Modified Julian Date 

NIST - National Institute of Standards and Technology 

NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

NVLAP - National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program ns - nanosecond 

SI - International System of Units μs - microsecond 

TA - Atomic Time ms - millisecond 

TAI - International Atomic Time s - second 

USNO - United States Naval Observatory min - minute 

UTC - Coordinated Universal Time 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 2. TIME SCALE INFORMATION 

 The values listed below are based on data from the IERS, the USNO, and NIST. The UTC(USNO,MC) - UTC(NIST) values are 

averaged measurements from all available common-view GPS satellites (see bibliography on page 5). UTC - UTC(NIST) data are 

on page 3. 

 0000 HOURS COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME 

NOV 2010 MJD UT1-UTC(NIST) 

 (±5 ms) 

UTC(USNO,MC) - UTC(NIST) 

 (±20 ns) 

4 55504 -097 ms -1 na 

11 55511 -103 ms +1 ns 

18 55518 -110 ms +3 ns 

28 55525 -118 ms +7 ns 

 The master clock pulses used by the WWV, WWVH, and WWVB time-code transmissions are referenced to the UTC(NIST) time 

scale. Occasionally, 1 s is added to the UTC time scale. This second is called a leap second. Its purpose is to keep the UTC time 

scale within ±0.9 s of the UT1 astronomical time scale, which changes slightly due to variations in the Earth’s period of rotation. 

NOTE: No leap second was added at the end of June 2010 

 Positive leap seconds, beginning at 23 h 59 min 60 s UTC and ending at 0 h 0 min 0 s UTC, were inserted in the UTC time 

scale on 30 June 1972, 1981-1983, 1985, 1992-1994, and 1997, and on 31 December 1972-1979, 1987, 1989, 1990,1995, 1998, 

2005, and 2008. 

 The use of leap seconds ensures that UT1 - UTC will always be held within ±0.9 s. The current value of UT1 - UTC is called the 

DUT1 correction. DUT1 corrections are broadcast by WWV, WWVH, WWVB, and ACTS and are printed below. These corrections 

may be added to received UTC time signals in order to obtain UT1. 

 - 0.1 s beginning 0000 UTC 03 June 2010 

 +0.0 s beginning 0000 UTC 11 March 2010 

DUT1 = UT1 - UTC = +0.1 s beginning 0000 UTC 12 November 2009 

 +0.2 s beginning 0000 UTC 11 June 2009 

 +0.3 s beginning 0000 UTC 12 March 2009 
DATE MJD UTC-UTC(NIST) ns

Oct. 30, 2010 55499 -1.6

Oct. 20, 2010 55489 -3.7

Oct. 10, 2010 55479 -4.6

Sep. 30, 2010 55469 -3.3

Sep. 20, 2010 55459 -0.5

Sep. 10, 2010 55449 -0.1

Aug. 31, 2010 55439 -2.2

Aug. 21, 2010 55429 -3.6

Aug. 11, 2010 55419 -5.1

Aug. 01, 2010 55409 -7.4

Jul. 22, 2010 55399 -9.4

Jul. 12, 2010 55389 -9.5

Jul. 02, 2010 55379 -10.6

Jun. 22, 2010 55369 -11.8

Jun. 12, 2010 55359 -10.7

Jun. 02, 2010 55349 -9.3

May 23, 2010 55339 -8.1

May 13, 2010 55329 -6.8

May 3, 2010 55319 -5.6

Apr. 23, 2010 55309 -4.6

Apr. 13, 2010 55299 -3.9

Apr. 03, 2010 55289 -4.0

Mar. 24, 2010 55279 -3.4

Mar. 14, 2010 55269 -2.5

Mar. 04, 2010 55259 -3.4

Feb. 22, 2010 55249 -2.2

Feb. 12, 2010 55239 -0.4

Feb. 02, 2010 55229 3.7

0000 Hours Coordinated Universal Time

The difference between UTC(NIST) and UTC has been within ±100 ns since July 6, 1994. The table below shows values

of UTC - UTC(NIST) as supplied by the BIPM in their Circular T publication for the most recent 310-day period in which

data are available. Data are given at 10-day intervals. Five-day interval data are available in Circular T . 
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3. BROADCAST OUTAGES OVER FIVE MINUTES AND WWVB PHASE PERTURBATIONS 

OUTAGES OF 5 MINUTES OR MORE PHASE PERTURBATIONS 

2 ms

Station Nov

2010

 MJD Began 

UTC

Ended 

UTC

Freq. Nov

2010 MJD Began

UTC

End

UTC

WWVB

WWV

WWVH

4. NOTES ON NIST TIME SCALES AND PRIMARY STANDARDS 

 

 Primary frequency standards developed and operated by NIST are used to provide accuracy (rate) input to the BIPM. NIST-F1, a 

cold-atom cesium fountain frequency standard, has served as the U.S. primary time and frequency standard since 1999. The 

uncertainty of NIST-F1 is currently about 3 parts in 1016

. 

 The AT1 scale is run in real-time by use of data from an ensemble of cesium standards and hydrogen masers. It is a free-running 

scale whose frequency is maintained as nearly constant as possible by choosing the optimum weight for each clock that contributes

to the computation.

 UTC(NIST) is generated as an offset from our real-time scale AT1. It is steered in frequency towards UTC by use of data 

published by the BIPM in its Circular T. Changes in the steering frequency will be made, if necessary, at 0000 UTC on the first day 

of the month, and occasionally at mid-month. A change in frequency is limited to no more than ±2 ns/day. The frequency of 

UTC(NIST) is kept as stable as possible at other times. 

 UTC is generated at the BIPM by use of a post-processed time-scale algorithm and is not available in real-time. The parameters 

that we use to generate UTC(NIST) in real-time are therefore based on an extrapolation of UTC from the most recent available data. 

References:

Allan, D.W.; Hellwig, H.; and Glaze, D.J., "An accuracy algorithm for an atomic time scale," Metrologia, Vol.11, No.3, pp. 133-138 

(1975). 

Allan, D.W.; Davis, D.D.; Weiss, M.A.; Clements, A.; Guinot, B.; Granveaud, M.; Dorenwendt, K.; Fischer, B.; Hetzel, P.; Aoki, S.; 

Fujimoto, M.; Charron, L.; and Ashby, N., “Accuracy of international time and frequency comparisons via global positioning system 

satellites in common-view,” IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, Vol. IM-34, pp.118-125 (1985).

Heavner, T.P.; Jefferts, S.R.; Donley; E.A.; Shirley, J.H. and Parker, T.E., “NIST F1; recent improvements and accuracy 

evaluations,” Metrologia, Vol. 42, pp. 411-422 (2005).

Jefferts, S.R.; Shirley, J.; Parker, T.E.; Heavner, T.P.; Meekhof, D.M.; Nelson, C., Levi, F.; Costanza, G.; De Marchi, A.; Drullinger, 

R.; Hollberg, L.; Lee, W.D.; and Walls, F.L., “Accuracy evaluation of NIST-F1,” Metrologia, Vol. 39, pp. 321-336 (2002).

Lewandowski, W. and Thomas, C., “GPS Time transfer,” Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 79, pp. 991-1000 (1991).

Parker, T.E.; Jefferts, S.R.; Heavner, T.P.; and Donley, E.A., “Operation of the NIST-F1 caesium fountain primary frequency 

standard with a maser ensemble, including the impact of frequency transfer noise,” Metrologia, Vol. 42, pp. 423-430 (2005).

Weiss, M.A.; Allan, D.W., “An NBS Calibration Procedure for Providing Time and Frequency at a Remote Site by Weighting and 

Smoothing of GPS Common View Data,” IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, Vol. IM-36, pp. 572-578 (1987).
Jan 11 -34 -357508.7 -38.8* 55562 55593

Dec 10 -34 -356305.9 -38.8 55531 55562*

Nov 10 -34 -355141.9 -38.8 55501 55531

Oct 10 -34 -354365.9 -38.8 55481 55401†

Oct 10 -34 -353941.3 -38.6 55470 55481

Sep 10 -34 -353285.1 -38.6 55453 55470

Sep 10 -34 -352780.7 -38.8 55440 55470†

Aug 10 -34 -351577.9 -38.8 55409 55440

Jul 10 -34 -350957.1 -38.8 55393 55409

Jul 10 -34 -350378.1 -38.6 55378 55393†

Jun 10 -34 -349760.5 -38.6 55362 55378

Jun 10 -34 -349222.9 -38.4 55348 55362†

May 10 -34 -348032.5 -38.4 55317 55348

 Apr 10 -34 -346880.5 -38.4 55287 55317

 Mar 10 -34 -346150.9 -38.4 55268 55287

 Mar 10 -34 -345688.3 -38.0 55256 55268†

 Feb 10 -34 -344624.3 -38.0 55228 55256

 Jan 10 -34 -343446.3 -38.0 55197 55228

 Dec. 09 -34 -342952.3 -38.0 55184 55197

 Dec. 09 -34 -342261.1 -38.4 55166 55184†

 Nov 09 -34 -341838.7 -38.4 55155 55166

 Nov 09 -34 -341101.5 -38.8 55136 55155†

 Oct 09 -34 -340441.9 -38.8 55119 55136

 Oct 09 -34 -339895.9 -39.0 55105 55119†

† Rate change in mid-month

*Provisional value

The table below lists parameters that are used to define UTC(NIST) with respect to our real-time scale AT1. To find the

value of UTC(NIST) - AT1 at any time T (expressed as a Modified Julian Day, including a fraction if needed), the

appropriate equation to use is the one for which the desired T is greater than or equal to the entry in the T0 column and

less than the entry in the last column. The values of xls, x, and y for that month are then used in the equation below to

find the desired value. The parameters x and y represent the offsets in time and frequency, respectively, between

UTC(NIST) and AT1; the parameter xls is the number of leap seconds applied to both UTC(NIST) and UTC, as specified

by the IERS. Leap seconds are not applied to AT1.

5. UTC(NIST) – AT1 PARAMETERS

UTC(NIST) - AT1 = xls + x + y*(T -T0)

Month xls

(s)

x

(ns)

y

(ns/d)

 T0

(MJD)

Valid until 0000 on:

(MJD)