How do we define a second? What does frequency have to do with timekeeping? And how have humans measured time throughout history? Follow the second learning unit in our Optical Time and Frequency Networks (OTFN) eAcademy, titled “Introduction to Time & Frequency” to get an understanding of fundamental T&F concepts, including definitions, frequency standards, and timescales. You will also learn about the history of time measurement, as well as how advancements in clock technology have highly improved timekeeping precision, especially in the last decades.
Upcoming courses in the OTFN eAcademy will expand on this introduction, gradually deepening your understanding of Time & Frequency Networks.
Access the unit here: https://e-academy.geant.org/moodle/course/view.php?id=524 (login required).
Course duration: 30 minutes
Trainers: Wojbor Bogacki and Krzysztof Turza (PSNC)1 and the Time and Frequency Networks Training Development Team
About the OTFN eAcademy
The Optical Time & Frequency Networks (OTFN) eAcademy is a new training programme in the GÉANT Network eAcademy, developed by the GÉANT Project’s Network Development team. The programme consists of eleven units, currently being released at a regular pace, covering different types of T&F services, monitoring, how-to cookbooks, and a specific focus on CERN’s White Rabbit technology.
You can find all courses and also the familiar course map – this time in a “clock format” – by visiting the Optical Time & Frequency Networks (OTFN) eAcademy. Follow the programme at your own pace – either by advancing through each learning unit clockwise or by simply selecting the units that interest you the most.
Visit the Network eAcademy training portal (part of the NETDEV wiki) to access the Network Automation eAcademy, the Quantum Tech eAcademy, and the OTFN eAcademy. If you have any questions, please contact network-eacademy@lists.geant.org.
If you would like to find out more about the Time and Frequency work in the GÉANT community, check the new Special Interest Group on Time and Frequency Network (SIG-TFN): community.geant.org/sig-tfn
The group met for the first time in Amsterdam last October. The second SIG-TFN meeting will now take place in Ispra, Italy on 12-13 March 2025, hosted by the European Commission Joint Research Center (EC JRC). Details of this meeting and future meetings can also be found on the SIG-TFN wiki.
1- The scientific work is published for the realisation of the international project co-financed by Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education from financial resources of the programme entitled “PMW”
