Following a March 17 fire in the access shaft of the Soudan Underground Laboratory, scientists have now been able to enter the mine to assess the potential damage to the CDMS and MINOS experiments. Power is out completely in the MINOS cavern, and has been limited in the CDMS experiment.
“There are still some unknowns, and we don’t know how long it will take for the laboratory to be fully functional again,” said Rob Plunkett, co-spokesperson for the MINOS experiment. “The good news is that there seems to be very little damage to the experiments.”
Residue from water and fire-fighting foam were found on the MINOS cavern floor, but it appeared that no water or foam got on the connectors to important electronics. Only the experiment’s large electromagnetic coil was exposed to water and will need to be dried out. Scientists are still inspecting other parts of the experiment to check for damage.
There appear to be no problems with the CDMS experiment, and the cryogenic systems are working as designed.
Repair and cleanup crews continue their work in the mine’s access shaft. After that, electricians will install a new cable between level 22 and 27 in order to fully restore power to the lab.
