Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Single-Ion Clock 100 Times More Accurate Than Atomic Clock

Posted by timothy on from the so-now-you're-really-late dept.

New submitter labnet writes with this excerpt from news.com.au: "University of New South Wales School of Physics professor Victor Flambaum has found a method of timekeeping nearly 100 times more accurate than the best atomic clocks. By using the orbit of a neutron around an atomic nucleus he says the system stays accurate to within 1/20th of a second over billions of years. Although perhaps not for daily use, the technology could prove valuable in science experiments where chronological accuracy is paramount, Prof Flambaum said."

5 of 169 comments (clear)

  1. Eventually... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Eventually you'll be so accurate that walking by the thing will cause enough relativistic distortions that you can no longer claim to have any accuracy at all.

    1. Re:Eventually... by Bowdie · · Score: 5, Funny

      Grr! You changed the clock by observing it!

      Damm kids!

      --
      yes, www.dotcomforwardslash.com is my real URL.
    2. Re:Eventually... by huge · · Score: 5, Informative

      As the old saying goes: "A man with one clock knows what time it is. A man with two clocks is never sure."

      --
      -- Reality checks don't bounce.
  2. Link to actual paper by foo1752 · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://arxiv.org/abs/1110.2490

  3. Re:Orbit of neutron around the nucleus? by CaptainJeff · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here you go. Nuclear Shell Model