New measurement of the Boltzmann constant k by acoustic thermometry of helium-4 gas

Type Article
Date 2017-12
Language English
Author(s) Pitre L.1, Sparasci F.1, Risegari L.1, Guianvarc'h C.1, Martin C.1, Himbert M. E.1, Plimmer M. D.1, Allard AlexandreORCID2, Marty B.3, Albo P. A. Giuliano4, Gao B.5, Moldover M. R.6, Mehl J. B.7
Affiliation(s) 1 : LCM LNE Cnam, 61 Rue Landy, F-93210 La Plaine St Denis, France.
2 : LNE, 29 Rue Roger Hennequin, F-78197 Trappes, France.
3 : CRPG CNRS, UMR 7358, 15 Rue Notre Dame Pauvres, F-54500 Vandoeuvre Les Nancy, France.
4 : Ist Nazl Ric Metrol, Thermodynam Div, Str Cacce 91, I-10135 Turin, Italy.
5 : Chinese Acad Sci, Tech Inst Phys & Chem, 29 Zhongguancun East Rd, Beijing 100190, Peoples R China.
6 : NIST, Sensor Sci Div, Gaithersburg, MD 20899 USA.
7 : 36 Zunuqua Trail,POB 307, Orcas, WA 98280 USA.
Source Metrologia (0026-1394) (Iop Publishing Ltd), 2017-12 , Vol. 54 , N. 6 , P. 856-873
DOI 10.1088/1681-7575/aa7bf5
WOS© Times Cited 42
Keyword(s) Boltzmann constant, acoustic resonance, microwave resonance, quasi-sphere, triaxial ellipsoid, speed of sound, definition of the kelvin
Abstract

The SI unit of temperature will soon be redefined in terms of a fixed value of the Boltzmann constant k derived from an ensemble of measurements worldwide. We report on a new determination of k using acoustic thermometry of helium-4 gas in a 3 l volume quasi-spherical resonator. The method is based on the accurate determination of acoustic and microwave resonances to measure the speed of sound at different pressures. We find for the universal gas constant R = 8.314 4614(50) J.mol(-1).K-1. Using the current best available value of the Avogadro constant, we obtain k = 1.380 648 78(83) x 10(-23) J.K-1 with u(k)/k = 0.60 x 10(-6), where the uncertainty u is one standard uncertainty corresponding to a 68% confidence level. This value is consistent with our previous determinations and with that of the 2014 CODATA adjustment of the fundamental constants (Mohr et al 2016 Rev. Mod. Phys. 88 035009), within the standard uncertainties. We combined the present values of k and u(k) with earlier values that were measured at LNE. Assuming the maximum possible correlations between the measurements, (k(present)/< k> -1) = 0.07 x 10(-6) and the combined u(r)(k) is reduced to 0.56 x 10(-6). Assuming minimum correlations, (k(present)/< k> -1) = 0.10 x 10(-6) and the combined u(r)(k) is reduced to 0.48 x 10(-6).

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Pitre L., Sparasci F., Risegari L., Guianvarc'h C., Martin C., Himbert M. E., Plimmer M. D., Allard Alexandre, Marty B., Albo P. A. Giuliano, Gao B., Moldover M. R., Mehl J. B. (2017). New measurement of the Boltzmann constant k by acoustic thermometry of helium-4 gas. Metrologia, 54(6), 856-873. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1088/1681-7575/aa7bf5 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00692/80434/