A power outage hit the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) campus in Boulder, Colorado, on December 19. This disruption impacted the NIST-F4 atomic clock, a crucial timekeeper for modern technology.
Strong winds and dry conditions led the National Weather Service to issue a rare fire warning. To prevent wildfires, Xcel Energy temporarily cut power to parts of Boulder County.
During the outage, a backup generator failed, affecting the equipment that distributes time signals from NIST’s atomic clocks. This disruption impacted radio broadcasts and the internet time servers that many devices rely on, including smartphones and computers.
Jeff Sherman, who oversees NIST’s Time Realization and Distribution Group, reported that they quickly activated a backup system using other atomic clocks on campus. This restored the time signal accuracy to within a few nanoseconds. Sherman confirmed that the Boulder Internet Time Service was back on track.
The NIST-F4 cesium fountain atomic clock is vital for precise timekeeping. It supports GPS systems, financial trading, and synchronizes clocks in devices worldwide. Ten atomic clocks globally, including ones at the U.S. Naval Observatory, help maintain Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), managed by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in France.
During a recent visit to the NIST campus, I met Judah Levine before his retirement. He shared insights about NIST-7, an atomic clock used until 1999, now on display. Levine discussed how changing the clock’s setup allows for greater precision by cooling cesium atoms. This innovation reflects the ongoing advancements in timekeeping technology.
Such disruptions highlight our reliance on precise time signals. In a world where even billionths of a second matter, maintaining accuracy is crucial. As technology evolves, experts like Sherman and Levine continue to shape the future of timekeeping.
For further details on accuracy in time distribution, you can check the International Bureau of Weights and Measures.
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