Relativity in the Global Positioning System
Open accessAbstract
The Global Positioning System (GPS) uses accurate, stable atomic clocks in satellites and on the ground to provide world-wide position and time determination. These clocks have gravitational and motional frequency shifts which are so large that, without carefully accounting for numerous relativistic effects, the system would not work. This paper discusses the conceptual basis, founded on special and general relativity, for navigation using GPS. Relativistic principles and effects which must be considered include the constancy of the speed of light, the equivalence principle, the Sagnac effect, time dilation, gravitational frequency shifts, and relativity of synchronization. Experimental tests of relativity obtained with a GPS receiver aboard the TOPEX/POSEIDON satellite will be discussed. Recently frequency jumps arising from satellite orbit adjustments have been identified as relativistic effects. These will be explained and some interesting applications of GPS will be discussed.
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Coordinate time synchronization can only be theoretically realized in approximation schemes, e.g. post-Newtonian approximation.
“Indeed, coordinate time synchronization can only be theoretically realized in approximation schemes, e.g. postNewtonian approximation as reviewed in [26] for GPS.”
From Chronometric Geodesy: Methods and Applications (2019) · cites this paper as [26]
In “The Realization of Coordinate Time” (page unavailable), Ashby uses an approximate solution of the field equations as the basis for GPS coordinate-time synchronization. The paper does not establish that synchronization can *only* be theoretically realized through approximation schemes, and the cited passages do not identify the scheme as post-Newtonian. (LLM, conf=0.84)
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Research works printed but not linked: 18
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“ceans. 9 rithm would have to be constructed". Indeed, coordinate time synchronization can only be theoretically realized in approximation schemes, e.g. postNewtonian approximation as reviewed in [26] for GPS. A dierent relativistic approach to this problem has been initiated in [27], where the idea is to give to…”
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- Authors
- Ashby, N.
- Affiliations
- University of Colorado Boulder (US)
- Corresponding author
- Ashby, Neil
- ORCID
- Ashby, Neil
- Venue
- Living Reviews in Relativity
- Published
- 2003-01-28
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-1
- ISSN
- 1433-8351 (ISSN-L)
- 2367-3613
- PMC
- PMC5253894
- OpenAlex
- W2069459553
- Cited by
- 691
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 53 · 2025: 47 · 2024: 72 · 2023: 35 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 49 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 57 · 2018: 39 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 30
- FWCI
- 6.17
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Living Reviews in Relativity (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Relativity and Gravitational Theory
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › GNSS positioning and interference
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Advanced Frequency and Time Standards
- Keywords
- global positioning system, relativity, atomic clocks, gravitational frequency shift, time dilation, Sagnac effect, equivalence principle, speed of light, TOPEX/Poseidon, frequency jumps, GPS navigation, tests of relativity
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