Content by Jennifer Lauren Lee
The Mystery of the Cloudy FiltersSolved at last
Thu, 03/30/2023 - 12:02
There’s a mystery happening in some satellites facing the sun, and scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) are on the case. The team has been trying to…
NIST Improves Flagship Device for Measuring MassNIST-4 Kibble balance incorporates quantum standard for electrical resistance
Thu, 02/09/2023 - 12:02
In a brightly lit subterranean lab at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) sits a room-sized electromechanical machine called the NIST-4 Kibble balance. The instrument can already measure the mass of objects of roughly 1…
Back to the Future: Gear EditionAfter 30 years NIST is once again calibrating gear artifacts, which could improve electric cars
Wed, 09/28/2022 - 12:03
As mechanical objects, gears have been around for so long that people generally take them for granted. But gears are sophisticated parts that play a vital role in cars, airplanes, construction and mining equipment, food processing, clock making, and…
Shrinking (Ultra)VioletNIST researchers describe unique system for testing how well narrow wavebands of UV light kill germs
Thu, 09/03/2020 - 12:02
While awaiting full access to their labs due to Covid-19 restrictions, scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have taken this rare opportunity to report the technical details of pioneering research they conducted on…
Tucking in to NIST’s ‘3D Printer’ TestbedNIST builds Additive Manufacturing Metrology Testbed to better understand additive manufacturing processes
Wed, 02/12/2020 - 12:01
3D printing of metal objects is a booming industry, with the market for products and services worth more than an estimated $2.3 billion in 2015, a nearly fivefold growth since 2010, according to Wohlers Report 2016. For this type of manufacturing, a…
Taking the Heat: New High for NIST’s ‘Light Force’ Laser Power Meter Makes measurements using the force exerted by the laser light itself
Thu, 05/24/2018 - 12:03
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have been developing a novel way of measuring laser power. Their device, called the Radiation Pressure Power Meter (RPPM), makes its measurements using the force exerted by the…
Expanding the Repertoire of NIST’s World-Class Coordinate Measuring Machines‘Bob’ takes on ultra-high precision measurements for industry
Thu, 02/22/2018 - 12:01
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is home to one of the most sensitive machines in the world for measuring objects’ dimensions. Customers who rely on the instrument include the military, academia, instrument manufacturers,…
How Bright Is the Moon, Really?Nobody knows exactly how bright the Moon is... but that could change soon
Thu, 02/01/2018 - 12:01
The “inconstant moon,” as Shakespeare called it in Romeo and Juliet, is more reliable than his pair of star-crossed lovers might have thought. Now researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) plan to make the Moon even…
Improving Space Cameras With a Better Model for Ultra-Bright Lamps Valuable for calibrating hyperspectral imagers
Wed, 01/03/2018 - 12:01
Studio photographers may be familiar with the 1,000-watt quartz halogen lamps known as “FELs.” Scientists use them, too—specially calibrated ones, at least—to test the performance of light sensors that monitor Earth’s weather, plant life, and…
Photonic Pressure Sensors vs. Mercury-Based StandardNew device goes head to head with traditional manometer
Wed, 05/11/2016 - 15:15
When a team of researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML) first tested a new kind of pressure sensor two years ago, initial results showed it was faster and had higher resolution…