[time-nuts] H-Maser drift (was: Why discipline Rubidium oscillator?)

Attila Kinali attila at kinali.ch
Tue Nov 21 14:25:11 UTC 2017


On Tue, 21 Nov 2017 15:14:59 +0100
Ole Petter Ronningen <opronningen at gmail.com> wrote:

> > [...] The advantage of the platinum valve
> > system is that it "generates" single atom Hydrogen, as required
> > by the maser.
> 
> Picking nits here.. It was my understanding that the splitting of molecular
> hydrogen into atomic hydrogen happens using RF in the dissociator - not in
> the platinum leak valve. Is my understanding incorrect?

Good question. I don't know. I've only read a dozen or so papers on
maser construction. I have never owned or operated one. Much less
taken appart and studied its construction.

> > Within the cavity there is a small glass bulb that keeps the atoms
> > in the right position of the cavity field.
> 
> 4.5 liters in EFOS type masers - so not *that* small. I believe other
> masers are the same order of magnitude.

Hehe.. Yes. It's "small" compared to the cavity. Depending on the
exact cavity construction, the storage space can be as small as
a tenth of the total cavity volume.


			Attila Kinali

-- 
It is upon moral qualities that a society is ultimately founded. All 
the prosperity and technological sophistication in the world is of no 
use without that foundation.
                 -- Miss Matheson, The Diamond Age, Neil Stephenson



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