Lesson plan
Nuclear clock
A nuclear clock or nuclear optical clock is an atomic clock which uses photons from a nuclear isomeric transition as its reference frequency, instead of the atomic electron transition energy used by conventional atomic clocks. Such a clock is expected to be more precise than the best current atomic clocks by a factor of about 10, with an achievable precision approaching the 10 −19 level. The only nuclear state suitable for the development of a nuclear clock using existing technology is thorium-229m, an isomer of thorium-229 and the lowest-energy nuclear isomer known. With an energy of , this corresponds to a frequency of , or wavelength of , in the vacuum ultraviolet region, making it accessible to laser excitation.
Article summary
A nuclear clock or nuclear optical clock is an atomic clock which uses photons from a nuclear isomeric transition as its reference frequency, instead of the atomic electron transition energy used by conventional atomic clocks. Such a clock is expected to be more precise than the best current atomic clocks by a factor of about 10, with an achievable precision approaching the 10 −19 level. The only nuclear state suitable for the development of a nuclear clock using existing technology is thorium-229m, an isomer of thorium-229 and the lowest-energy nuclear isomer known. With an energy of , this corresponds to a frequency of , or wavelength of , in the vacuum ultraviolet region, making it accessible to laser excitation.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.