Deformations of a gauging surface texture under wringing conditions

This paper deals with some basic problems of interferometric length measurements. Traditionally, all the deformations of a material artifacts, associated with the wringing procedure, were included into the length of a block, as there were no reliable ways to measure these deformations and to apply the corresponding corrections. Here, we present the first measurements of the surface texture deformations, arising in the wringing contact between the two gauging surfaces of similar materials and surface finish. The deformation value is obtained as a result of the measurements of the peak-to-peak length value of a free, unperturbed block and of the mechanical length of the block, which is obtained with the reproducible wiring technique and the slave-block method. Basically new concept for the optical length metrology - the physical length of a free artifact has been introduced in to the measuring practice. The way for crucial improvement of the realization of the SI length unit in the corresponding range has been outlined.