Estimation of Free Core Resonance Parameters Based on Long-Term Strain Observations in the Diurnal Frequency Band

Abstract

The free core nutation (FCN) is one of the Earth’s rotational eigenmodes, which is caused by the retrograde motion of the liquid core relative to the mantle. The FCN period and Q-factor are determined by the elastic properties of the core/mantle boundary (CMB) and their electromagnetic interaction. In the celestial coordinate system, the FCN period is about 430 days; in the Earth-fixed reference frame this effect manifests itself in the form of the free core resonance (FCR) whose frequency falls in the diurnal tidal band. FCR observation requires highly accurate measurement of the amplitudes and phases of the near-diurnal tidal waves. In particular, the parameter estimates for minor waves K1, P1, PSI1, and PHI1 are critically important for evaluating the FCR effect, i.e., the period and decay of this resonant mode. The progress in the experimental study of FCR is mainly due to the accumulation of the data from superconducting gravimeters and VLBI; at the same time, also the data of the precision laser strainmeters were used. In this work, the FCR effect is studied based on the long-term strain precision records by two European stations: Baksan, Russia (laser interferometer–strainmeter with a measuring armlength of 75 m (Milyukov et al., 2005; 2007) and Gran Sasso, Italy (two perpendicular laser interferometer–strainmeters, BA and BC, each with a measuring armlength of 90 m (Amoruso and Crescentini, 2009)).