We review the principles, techniques and results from primary acoustic gas thermometry (AGT). Since the establishment of ITS-90, the International Temperature Scale of 1990, spherical and quasi-spherical cavity resonators have been used to realize primary AGT in the temperature range 7 K to 552 K. Throughout the sub-range 90 K < T < 384 K, at least two laboratories measured (T − T 90 ). (Here T is the thermodynamic temperature and T 90 is the temperature on ITS-90.) With a minor exception, the resulting values of (T − T 90 ) are mutually consistent within 3 × 10 −6 T . These consistent measurements were obtained using helium and argon as thermometric gases inside cavities that had radii ranging from 40 mm to 90 mm and that had walls made of copper or aluminium or stainless steel. The AGT values of (T − T 90 ) fall on a smooth curve that is outside ±u(T 90 ), the estimated uncertainty of T 90 . Thus, the AGT results imply that ITS-90 has errors that could be reduced in a future temperature scale. Recently developed techniques imply that low-uncertainty AGT can be realized at temperatures up to 1350 K or higher and also at temperatures in the liquid-helium range.

Using a quasispherical, microwave cavity resonator, we measured the refractive index of helium to deduce its molar polarizability A(epsilon) in the limit of zero density. We obtained (A(epsilon,meas) - A(epsilon,theory))/A(epsilon) = (-1.8 +/- 9.1) x 10(-6), where the standard uncertainty (9.1 ppm) is a factor of 3.3 smaller than that of the best previous measurement. If the theoretical value of A(epsilon) is accepted, these data determine a value for the Boltzmann constant that is only 1.8 +/- 9.1 ppm larger than the accepted value. Our techniques will enable a helium-based pressure standard and measurements of thermodynamic temperatures.

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 − T 90 ) 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]

We report on acoustic and microwave measurements made with a purified helium sample maintained close to a single thermodynamic state (Texp ∼ 273.16 K, pexp ∼ 410 kPa) within a 2.1 L volume stainless steel spherical cavity. From these measurements and ab initio calculations of the non-ideality and the refractive index of helium, we determine a value for the Boltzmann constant kB which is consistent with the recommended 2006 CODATA value: (kB − k2006)/k2006 = (−7.5 ± 7.5) × 10−6. We discuss the current limits of the experiment and the prospects of a further reduction in the uncertainty associated with the determination of kB.