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Summary
The NIST Thermodynamic Metrology Group maintains and develops national standards of temperature (in the range 0.65 K to 1235 K), and supports calibration of all types of contact thermometers up to 2370 K.
Description
Our goals include:
- Supporting the equivalence of temperature measurements in the U.S. and abroad, through calibrations, standardized methods, and comparisons and proficiency testing
- Providing customers access to the highest quality of temperature reference standards, through calibrations, reference data, and standard reference materials
- Improving the recipe for the International Temperature Scale, by research on temperature standards, acoustic thermometry, and Johnson noise thermometry
- Supporting accurate measurements of temperature for various applications, such as semiconductor processing.
Acoustic thermometry - By measuring the speed of sound in argon gas, we have determined thermodynamic temperature with unprecedented accuracy in the range 0 °C to 552 °C. Our results are used to improve the...
Johnson noise thermometry - Johnson noise thermometry (JNT) is a primary temperature measurement technique based on the fundamental properties of thermal fluctuations in conductors. We measure these fluctuations with respect...
Photonic thermometry - For nearly a century, accurate temperature measurements in the manufacturing and bio-medically relevant range of –189.3442 ˚C to 961.78 ˚C have been made using electrical measurements...
Promoting alternatives to mercury thermometers - Mercury-filled thermometers have historically served numerous industries as reliable temperature standards. Increased regulation and the high cost of cleaning up mercury spills have encouraged the...
Radiation thermometry - Calibration standards for radiation thermometry are disseminated in the form of radiation thermometers, tungsten strip lamps and blackbodies. These disseminated standards are made traceable to the...