Evaluating and Enhancing Candidate Clocking Systems for CHIME/FRB VLBI Outriggers

Abstract: As the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) has become the leading instrument for detecting Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), CHIME/FRB Outriggers will use very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) to localize FRBs with milliarcsecond precision. The CHIME site uses a passive hydrogen maser frequency standard in order to minimize localization errors due to clock delay. However, not all outrigger stations will have access to a maser. This report presents techniques used to evaluate clocks for use at outrigger sites without a maser. More importantly, the resulting algorithm provides calibration methods for clocks that do not initially meet the stability requirements for VLBI, thus allowing CHIME/FRB Outriggers to remain true to the goal of having milliarcsecond precision.