atomic clock
nounDefinition of atomic clock
: a precision clock that depends for its operation on an electrical oscillator regulated by the natural vibration frequencies of an atomic system (such as a beam of cesium atoms)
Examples of atomic clock in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cesium atomic clocks are precision devices that measure time using the frequency of atomic emissions from the element cesium, according to a website maintained by the U.S. Naval Observatory. — Joe Dworetzky, latimes.com, "South El Monte man charged with illegally exporting cesium atomic clocks," 28 June 2019 The US Department of Commerce controls the export of atomic clocks for national security and anti-terrorism reasons, the indictment said. — Allison Hagan, BostonGlobe.com, "Calif. man accused of tricking Mass. firm in export scam," 27 June 2019 Currently, most terrestrial atomic clocks are the size of a refrigerator. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "How a Toaster-Sized Atomic Clock Could Pave the Way for Deep Space Exploration," 26 June 2019 This includes testing an atomic clock for deep space navigation and a new ultrasafe green satellite fuel, studying radiation and space weather, and demonstrating WiFi communication between cubesats and GPS signals for weather forecasts. — Daniel Oberhaus, WIRED, "SpaceX Is Launching a Solar Sail the Size of a Boxing Ring," 24 June 2019 Starting in December 2015, Yue, Zee, and Premium Tech Systems allegedly conspired to procure and export atomic clocks to Hong Kong by deceiving the manufacturer, according to the indictment. — Allison Hagan, BostonGlobe.com, "Calif. man accused of tricking Mass. firm in export scam," 27 June 2019 Scientists working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have developed a new type of atomic clock. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Here Is the World's Most Stable Atomic Clock," 28 Nov. 2016 In 2017, Yue allegedly tried to purchase another cesium atomic clock, this time representing that it would be used at a calibration laboratory in California. — Joe Dworetzky, latimes.com, "South El Monte man charged with illegally exporting cesium atomic clocks," 28 June 2019 The middle-of-the-night rideshare features a deep space atomic clock, solar sail, clean and green rocket fuel, and even human ashes, including an astronaut's. — Fox News, "SpaceX launches hefty rocket with 24 satellites, human ashes," 25 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'atomic clock.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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