SHAFAQNA SCIENCE- German researchers bring us one step closer to making nuclear clocks.
For years’ atomic clocks have been our standard of accuracy when it comes to clocks. The best optical atomic clocks have a precision rate of 10-18, which is equivalent to an inaccuracy of one second every 30 billion years.
The discovery that caused quite a stir in scientific circles was the direct detection of thorium-229 isomer. An isomer is an atom whose nucleus is in a higher energy state. This can be achieved using light of a specific frequency.
This is the most precise measurement of the isomer’s energy and the accuracy has seen improvements by a factor of seven when compared to previous results, the researchers claim. A lot more work needs to be done before a nuclear clock can be built but the research shows that Thorium-229 is our best bet to building one.
Source: interestingengineering