High precision measurement of gyro rotor sphericity

Abstract Quartz gyro rotors with a sphericity of better than one part per million are needed for the Relativity Gyroscope Experiment. This paper describes the measurement techniques that are employed to ensure that this requirement is met. The basic measurement is a surface irregularity map, generated with the help of a computer-aided roundness instrument with a measurement uncertainty approaching 2.5 nm. Analysis and plotting of the data, and the impact of the results on gyro performance, are discussed