[ntp:questions] Re: Use of "Atomic Clock" Nomenclature

Richard B. Gilbert rgilbert88 at comcast.net
Fri Jan 20 17:33:45 UTC 2006


fm at nowhere.invalid wrote:

>Ulrich Windl <Ulrich.Windl at rz.uni-regensburg.de> wrote:
>  
>
>>"Max Power" <mikehack at u.washington.edu> writes:
>>    
>>
>
>  
>
>>>Use of "Atomic Clock" Nomenclature
>>>      
>>>
><snip>
>
>It seems that Cs clocks are  now  forbidden  to  fly
>because cs133 is highly flamable (or  even  does  it
>burn spontaneously ?) in the ambiant air.
>
>  
>
Cesium belongs to the same chemical family as Sodium and Potassium.  It 
will burn spontaneously when exposed to air and/or water!  I would be 
surprised, however, if the amount of cesium in a cesium beam tube were 
sufficient to be serious problem.  And if I were shipping a cesium beam 
tube or an entire cesium clock by air, I would take extreme care in 
packing it.  I'm told that the cheapest cesium clocks cost about $40,000 US.




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