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atomic clock

   Also found in: Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.04 sec.
atomic clock
n.
An extremely precise timekeeping device regulated in correspondence with a characteristic invariant frequency of an atomic or molecular system.

atomic clock
An extremely precise clock whose rate is controlled by a periodic process (such as vibration, or the absorption or emission of electromagnetic radiation) that occurs at a steady rate in atoms or molecules. The standard atomic clock is based on the vibrations of cesium atoms and is so accurate that it would gain or lose less than one second in three million years. Atomic clocks are used to help track satellites, run navigation systems, and study movements of the Earth's crust.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.atomic clockatomic clock - a timepiece that derives its time scale from the vibration of atoms or molecules
ammonia clock - an atomic clock based on vibrational frequency of the nitrogen atom in the ammonia molecule
caesium clock - an atomic clock based on the energy difference between two states of the caesium nucleus in a magnetic field
horologe, timepiece, timekeeper - a measuring instrument or device for keeping time

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Timekeepers argue that both measures are useful but haven't agreed when to add leap seconds to make the planetary and the atomic clock years match up (SN: 4/22/06, p.
A team of researchers from NIST have met a major milestone in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Chip Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC) program by successfully microfabricating a cesium (Cs) vapor cell with a volume of less than 10 m[m.
The new XNTP module allows the host to be synchronized with an atomic clock time server.
 
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