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Physical Measurement Laboratory / Sensor Science Division

Optical Radiation Group

News and Updates

Displaying 1 - 25 of 25
model graph

Solved: The Mystery of the Cloudy Filters

There’s a mystery happening in some satellites facing the Sun, and scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Laboratory
laser setup

Seeking COVID’s Kryptonite

To disinfect a surface, you can illuminate it with a blast of ultraviolet (UV) light, which is bluer than the human eye can see. But to specifically inactivate
petri dish

Shrinking (Ultra)Violet

While awaiting full access to their labs due to COVID-19 restrictions, scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have taken this
Overhead view of a room full of scientific equipment

Spotlight: SURF and Solar Storms

When the surface of the Sun erupts, it emits dangerous particles that can knock out GPS and communication links on our planet, but the rain of particles from a
Opposite sides of a quartz crystal resonator

Universe in the Balance

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have found a way to link measurements made by a device integral to microchip
John Curry with HID lamp

HID Lamps: Getting Brighter Faster

NIST has been issued a patent for a novel method to improve the performance and utility of the sort of high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps used for stadium and
scientists testing ocean color tile

Gauging the Hue of the Sea

The world's oceans face multiple threats, and fisheries, marine biologists, and environmental scientists need accurate and timely data about changing conditions
Rob Vest

EUV Calibrations for Satellite Sensors

Thanks to precision calibration measurements recently performed at NIST, satellites may soon be looking at sunlight with new and improved vision. On July 22
Yuqin Zong with LED timetime test enclosure

LEDs Get a Life Sentence

The light-emitting diode (LED) appears on track to become the light of our lives. Switching to bright, energy-efficient, durable, and environmentally friendly
underwater view of MOBY

Seeing the Oceans in Their True Colors

Much of what is known about the state of the Earth's oceans, and how they change over time, comes from satellite monitoring of reflected and thermally emitted
water sample

UV Ray of Hope for Safer Drinking Water

A group of researchers from PML's Sensor Science Division is part of a project that will have a direct effect on improved safety of the nation's drinking water
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