Schmidt, J.
, Gavioso, R.
, May, E.
and Moldover, M.
(2007),
The Polarizability of Helium and Gas Metrology, Physical Review Letters
(Accessed February 19, 2026)
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
The Polarizability of Helium and Gas Metrology
Published
Author(s)
, R Gavioso, E May,
Abstract
Using a quasi-spherical, microwave cavity resonator, we measured the refractive index of helium to deduce its molar polarizability Aε in the limit of zero density. We obtained (Aε,meas - Aε,theory)/Aε = (-1.8plus or minus} 8.4)× 10-6, where the standard uncertainty (8.4 ppm) is factor of 3.6 smaller than that of the best previous measurement. If the theoretical value of Ae is accepted, these data determine a value for the Boltzmann constant that is only (1.8 plus or minus} 8.4) ppm larger than the accepted value. Our techniques will enable a helium-based pressure standard and measurements of thermodynamic temperatures.Citation
Physical Review Letters
Volume
98
Issue
06/22/07
Pub Type
Journals
Keywords
Boltzmann constant, dielectric constant, fundamental constant, helium, index of refraction, microwave resonator, polarizability, pressure standard, temperature standard
Citation
Issues
If you have any questions about this publication or are having problems accessing it, please contact [email protected].
Created June 21, 2007, Updated October 12, 2021