Wh. Huber et al., Improved calibrator for the evaluation of batch produced strain gauges in cryogenic environments, REV SCI INS, 70(6), 1999, pp. 2872-2874
We have constructed a simple, improved apparatus for calibrating strain gau
ges down to liquid helium temperatures to permit an estimate of the repeata
bility and linearity of commercially available, batch produced, metal foil
strain gauges. The apparatus is based upon an original design first propose
d by McClintock [R. M. McClintock, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 30, 715 (1959)]. Cali
brations performed on a particular batch produced metal foil strain gauge i
ndicate that it behaved ideally at low temperatures. Although the gauge res
istance was strongly temperature dependent, the gauge factor was virtually
independent of temperature and did not display any detectable nonlinearity
or hysteresis. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0034-6748(99)04506
-2].