"Advancements in Thorium-229 Excitation Propel Development of Nuclear Clock"

Researchers in Germany and Austria have made progress in developing a nuclear clock based on thorium-229, demonstrating the ability to put nuclei of the isotope into a low-lying metastable state with exceptionally low excitation energy. This advancement could lead to a more stable and practical solid-state nuclear clock, offering potential applications in detecting time variations related to new physics beyond the Standard Model and measuring time dilation due to gravitational differences.