NIST Develops Revolutionary Radioactivity Measurement Standard
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has launched a groundbreaking project to create a new primary standard for measuring radioactivity. The TrueBq initiative aims to achieve unprecedented accuracy and precision in detecting and quantifying radioactive materials using advanced metrology techniques.
Key Features of the TrueBq Standard:
– Utilizes Decay Energy Spectrometry (DES) with Transition Edge Sensors (TESs) for 100% detection efficiency of alpha decay
– Leverages the SI redefinition of the kilogram (2020) for primary calibrations at any mass scale
– Combines DES with inkjet technology for accurate mass measurement of dispensed solutions
Potential Applications:
– Enhanced radioactive dating for security and forensics
– Portable environmental analysis systems
– Improved assay of emerging radiopharmaceuticals
– Reduced radiation-induced errors in quantum computing
The multidisciplinary team at NIST brings together expertise from five divisions and three operating units, focusing on TES design, mass metrology, radioactive source preparation, detector electronics, and algorithm optimization.
This revolutionary standard will provide the SI-traceable accuracy needed for emerging technologies in medicine, energy, national security, and beyond, while also reducing radiation-induced errors in critical computing applications like quantum computing.
Keywords: Absolute DES
