Direct detection of nuclear transition in thorium-229 hints at possibility of nuclear based clock
(Phys.org)—A group of researchers affiliated with several institutions in Germany has developed a means for the direct detection of the nuclear transition in thorium-229 which opens the door to the development of a clock even more accurate than an atomic clock—a nuclear based clock. In a paper published in the journal Nature, the researchers outline how they came up with their technique and the testing they carried out to ensure that the results they were getting were accurate. In a related News & Views piece in the same journal edition, Marianna Safronova, with the University of Delaware discuses the work done by the team, the likelihood that their work will lead to a nuclear based clock and the possible uses for such a clock if one could be developed.