Accuracy comparison between techniques for the establishment of calibration intervals: application to atomic clocks

This paper deals with two different techniques for the establishment of the optimal calibration intervals of Cesium atomic clocks. In particular, the intervals obtained using a mathematical model derived from a metrological analysis are compared with those calculated with an iterative technique referred to as Simple Response Method (SRM). The remarkable consistency between the results achieved with these different methods, not only provides an experimental cross-validation of both techniques, but it also allows the definition of two interchangeable criteria to ensure the status of metrological confirmation of any atomic clock of this type. Moreover, the general features of the SRM pave the way to further possible applications of this method, which is particularly suitable whenever the amount of data measured by a given instrument is not large enough to model its behavior exactly.