Improved Estimates of the Isotopic Correction Constants for the Triple Point of Water

Published

September 14, 2010

Author(s)

Weston L. Tew, D. R. White

Abstract

In 2006, the CIPM clarified the definition of the kelvin by specifying the isotopic composition of the water to be used in the realisation of the triple point. At the same time, the Consultative Committee on Thermometry gave recommended values for the isotopic correction constants to be used for water departing from the specified composition. However, the uncertainties in the values for the correction constants were undesirably large due to unresolved differences between the data sets from which the values were determined. This paper derives improved values of the constants by considering additional data derived from isotopic fractionation measurements and the heats of fusion and freezing points of the relevant water isotopologues. Values of the corrections determined from the expanded data are AD = 671(10) microK, A18O = 603(3) microK, and A17O = 60(1) microK. A typical correction made with these values lies just within the expanded uncertainty (k = 2) of the corrections made with the older values, but has about half the uncertainty.

Citation

International Journal of Thermophysics

Volume

31

Issue

8-9

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

Water Triple Point, kelvin, unit of temperature, isotopes, Standard Mean Ocean Water, isotopic fractionation, ITS-90, thermometric fixed points

Citation

Tew, W. and White, D. (2010), Improved Estimates of the Isotopic Correction Constants for the Triple Point of Water, International Journal of Thermophysics, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=905083 (Accessed January 22, 2025)