A One-Kilogram Quartz Resonator as a Mass Standard

Published

February 1, 2013

Author(s)

David A. Howe, J Vig

Abstract

The unit of mass, the kilogram, is the last remaining SI base unit defined by an artifact” [1]. This artifact, the primary mass standard, suffers from long term instabilities that are neither well understood, nor easily monitored [2]. A mass standard consisting of a one kilogram quartz resonator is proposed. The frequency stability of such a resonator is likely to be far higher than the mass stability of the primary mass standard, the International Prototype Kilogram. Moreover, the resonator would provide a link to the SI unit of time-interval. When locked to an atomic frequency standard, the frequency of the resonator could be monitored, on a continuous basis, with ultrahigh precision. It could also be coordinated, worldwide, with other resonator mass standards. [1] Z. J. Jabbour, P. Abbott, E. Williams, R. Liu, and V. Lee, “Linking air and vacuum mass measurement by magnetic levitation,” Metrologia vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 339-344, Jan-Feb 2009. [2] R. Courtland, “Consider the kilogram,” IEEE Spectrum, vol. 49, no. 5, pp. 35-39, May 2012

Citation

IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control

Volume

60

Issue

2

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

DOI Link

Keywords

Accuracy, Drift, Mass, Oscillator, Primary, Quartz, Secondary, Stability, Standard

Citation

Howe, D. and Vig, J. (2013), A One-Kilogram Quartz Resonator as a Mass Standard, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control, [online], https://doi.org/10.1109/TUFFC.2013.2580 (Accessed October 16, 2025)