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Metrology

News and Updates

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Fundamental Constants: The Latest . . . and the Last?

October 26, 2015

In a world of incessant change, some things have to stay the same. One is the set of values for the fundamental physical constants – such as the speed of light

A New, World-Class Facility for Infrared Calibrations

October 21, 2015

NIST is about to open the world's most accurate facility for calibrating infrared (IR) detectors. It is made possible by the establishment of an extremely

NIST Calibrates Quartz Crystals for Fusion Device

September 29, 2015

Last spring, PML's x-ray calibration facilities were used in a pinch – a Z pinch, that is. The Sandia National Laboratories' Z Pulsed Power Facility, or "Z

GaN Nanowires: Knowing Which End Is Up

September 21, 2015

Many people who have heard of gallium nitride (GaN) know it as the semiconductor used in bright light-emitting diodes for flashlights and energy-efficient light

Hydrogen Storage Formulation Patented

September 21, 2015

The prospect of a "hydrogen economy" – in which vehicles powered by fuel cells would travel the nation's roadways emitting nothing from their tailpipes but

SPS Interns Get the NIST Experience

September 17, 2015

It's not every day that undergraduate students contribute in a meaningful way to research at a national lab in the span of a few weeks. But that's what happened

NIST to Host First App Challenge to Improve Data Access

July 27, 2015

Researchers looking for information on the properties of methane at high temperatures or the isotopic composition of an element know they can rely on standard

JILA instrument for accurately tracking microscopic objects such as DNA molecules

Ultra-stable JILA Microscopy Technique Tracks Tiny Objects for Hours

June 30, 2015

JILA researchers have designed a microscope instrument so stable that it can accurately measure the 3D movement of individual molecules over many hours—hundreds

Raising restored deadweight component from truck

Progress Report with Photos: Restoration of NIST's Million-Pound Deadweight Machine

June 30, 2015

Restoration is well underway for NIST's 4.45-million newton (equivalent to one million pounds-force) deadweight machine, the largest in the world. The three

NIST Group Maps Distribution of Carbon Nanotubes in Composite Materials

June 29, 2015

Despite their small size and simple structure, carbon nanotubes—essentially sheets of graphene rolled up into straws—have all sorts of potentially useful

NIST-led Effort Yields New International Standard for Dynamic Liquid Measuring Systems

June 26, 2015

When measuring large volumes of relatively expensive liquids such as gasoline, beer, and milk, even small inaccuracies can mean large losses for companies and

NIST's Michal Chojnacky with Gates Foundation representative

Gates Foundation Rep Visits PML Vaccine Transport Lab

June 26, 2015

This month, a representative from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation visited the vaccine thermometry laboratory of Michal Chojnacky, of NIST PML's

40th Time and Frequency Seminar Serves Industry, Government, Academe

June 23, 2015

About 40 participants from industry, US government agencies and academia participated in the 40th Annual Time and Frequency Metrology Seminar at NIST Boulder

Vacuum Fluctuations: Measuring the Unreal

June 23, 2015

In this universe, anything that can vibrate will vibrate, and no oscillator is ever truly at rest. Even when an object such as an atom or subatomic particle is

Reading the Secrets of Ancient Light

June 19, 2015

Much of what we know about the origin and early history of the universe comes from a phenomenon discovered by accident 50 years ago: The cosmic microwave

International Symposium on Forensic Science Error Management Announces Brandon Mayfield and Steven Wax as Keynote Speakers

June 9, 2015

#NISTForensics We are pleased to introduce our two keynote speakers for the first-ever International Symposium on Forensic Science Error Management, an event