Acoustic measurements of the thermodynamic temperature between the triple point of mercury and 380 K

Abstract

We have measured the differences between the Kelvin thermodynamic temperature and the temperature of the International Temperature Scale of 1990 on nine isotherms between the triple point of mercury and 380 K, by means of a primary acoustic thermometer. For the present measurements the standard uncertainty of (T − T90) ranges from 0.9 mK at 234 K to 1.7 mK at 380 K. The experimental method is based on the measurement of the acoustic resonance frequencies of an argon-filled spherical cavity and the microwave resonance frequencies of the same cavity when evacuated. The present results agree within the remarkably small combined uncertainties with both NIST acoustic thermometry ([1] Moldover M R et al 1999 J. Res. Natl Inst. Stand. Technol. 104 11–46; [2] Strouse G F et al 2002 Progress in primary acoustic thermometry at NIST: 273 K to 505 K 8th Temperature Symp. (Chicago, 21–24 October 2002)) and UCL acoustic thermometry ([3] Ewing M B and Trusler J P M 2000 J. Chem. Thermodyn. 32 1229–55) in the overlapping temperature range.