PROGRESS ON A VACUUM-TO-AIR MASS CALIBRATION SYSTEM USING MAGNETIC SUSPENSION TO DISSEMINATE THE PLANCK-CONSTANT REALIZED KILOGRAM

Patrick J. Abbott, Ronald C. Dove, Eric C. Benck, Zeina J. Kubarych

Abstract

The kilogram is the unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI) and has been defined as the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram (IPK) since 1889. In the future, a new definition of the kilogram will be based on precise measurements of the Planck constant. The new definition will occur in a vacuum environment by necessity, so NIST is developing a mass calibration system in which a kilogram artifact in air can be directly compared with a kilogram realized in a vacuum environment. This apparatus uses magnetic levitation to couple the kilogram in air to a high precision mass balance in vacuum. Details of the levitation technique, vacuum mass metrology, and a roadmap to dissemination of the new kilogram definition will be presented.

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IMEKO TC

TC3 - Measurement of Force, Mass, Torque, and Gravity

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