[ RadSafe ] Rb-87 Atomic Clocks

[Robert Atkinson]

As Joseph says most "atomic" clocks are actually radio controlled. For a real primary standard you want a HP / Agilent / Symmetricon 5071A (with clock option) see http://www.symmetricom.com/products/frequency-references/cesium-frequency-standard/5071A/ Price is in tens of thousands of dollars. Or I could do you somthing custom based on RB for a 20th of the cost.
The best non-independent time source you can use is GPS. A "timing" unit in a fixed location is good for a few microseconds. In my home lab I can resolve to 20 picoseconds and absolute to a few tens of nanoseconds.

Here is a link to Agilents view on hazards,
http://www.agilent.com/metrology/hazardous.shtml
Appaently as of July 2001 Rb is non radioactive, as least as far as ICAO shipping regulations are concerned.

Robert G8RPI.

--- On Fri, 29/7/11, Bernard L. Cohen <blc at pitt.edu> wrote:

From: Bernard L. Cohen <blc at pitt.edu>
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Rb-87 Atomic Clocks
To: "The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List" <radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu>
Date: Friday, 29 July, 2011, 16:29

Where can you buy atomic clocks?

-- Bernard L. Cohen
Physics Dept., University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Tel: (412)624-9245  Fax: (412)624-9163
e-mail: blc at pitt.edu  web site: http://www.phyast.pitt.edu/~blc

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