[tz] CCTF survey on Time and Frequency Metrology - Telecom

Michael H Deckers michael.h.deckers at googlemail.com
Mon Jan 25 07:45:07 UTC 2021


    On 2021-01-24 18:53, Paul Eggert wrote:


> I replied to that survey, basically saying that currently our work is 
> based on two timescales (TAI and UTC) and that I hope they don't turn 
> it into four (TAIold, UTCold, TAInew, UTCnew).
>
> Or would it be three? That would be even more confusing....



    No new time scale and no new time scale designations would be
    created.

    The change would just be a redefinition of UTC, to be applied beginning
    with a date in the future (and probably a redefinition or abolition
    of DUT1 and possibly of dUT1). The last such redefinition
    of UTC applies since 1972. No new time scale and no new time scale
    designations were created then, nor would any be created with
    a future redefinition -- much the same as for the redefinition
    of the SI units kg, A, K and mol in 2018, where the old names
    and symbols have been retained.

    As far as tzdb is concerned, the leap second table would just end
    for good (perhaps with TAI = UTC + 42 s), and the "right" tzdb
    timezones would become unnecessary for time stamps from then on.
    As would the zoo of "leap second smearing" schemes in computer
    system time demons.

    Michael Deckers.



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