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“Orange” You Excited for SLAC’s New X-Ray Laser?

See upgrades to SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory’s X-ray laser, including some of the 37 cryomodules to be completed, in a collection of photos showcasing its trademark orange styling, and learn more about the experiments it will enable.

SOFIA Soars to Observe the Universe

SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, is a unique plane-based observatory housed inside a 747 aircraft. A joint project between NASA, Universities Space Research Association, and the German Aerospace Center-DLR since 1997, it takes advantage of the stratosphere to eliminate the absorbing effect atmospheric water has on infrared observations....

Cryogenics Takes Center Stage for PIP-II at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

Construction of the Proton Improvement Plan II (PIP-II) is underway at Fermi National Laboratory (CSA CSM) in Batavia IL. Since the groundbreaking ceremony on March 15, the laboratory team has been preparing for the beam that will contribute to international high energy physics research experiments. The superconducting radio-frequency (SRF)-powered linear...

Cryoablation of Breast Cancer Cells Offers Non-Invasive Option

Breast cancer patients at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles have a promising cryogenic option to significant intrusive surgeries thanks to cryoablation. Dr. Peter Julien, chief of thoracic imaging and tumor ablation at the S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center at Cedars-Sinai, has been conducting a study using cryoablation to treat...

Young Professionals 2019: The Next Generation in Cryogenics Part 3

Young Professionals 2019 Part 3 introduces outstanding young professionals (under 40 years of age) who are doing interesting things in cryogenics and superconductivity and who show promise of making a difference in their fields.

Fermilab Achieves World-Record Field Strength for Accelerator Magnet

Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Fermilab (CSA CSM) have achieved the highest magnetic field strength ever recorded for an accelerator steering magnet, setting a world record of 14.1 teslas, with the magnet cooled to 4.5 kelvin or minus 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory held the previous record...

Latest in Defining Cryogenics

Dewar

A dewar is a type of cryostat named after Sir James Dewar, the researcher who first developed the concept of a vacuum insulated container with silvered walls to reflect thermal radiation. Dewar was the first to liquefy hydrogen, and he created the device to store his discovery. The thermos bottle...

Stirling and Gifford-McMahon Cryocoolers

Stirling and Gifford-McMahon (GM) cryocoolers are two of the most commonly used cryocoolers in cryogenics. Both devices have a significant industrial base and operate at a wide range of temperatures and capacities. The thermodynamic cycles for both of these cryocoolers are quite similar. The Stirling cycle consists of a compressor,...

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)

A significant commercial application of cryogenics is the liquefaction, transport and storage of natural gas. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is generally 95 percent methane with a few percent ethane and much lower concentrations of propane and butane. LNG liquefies at 111.6 K. Unlike many applications of cryogenics, the motivation for...

Latest in Cryo Central

Magnets

From “Superconductivity: Present and Future Applications” by the Coalition for the Commercial Application of Superconductors. Particle physics uses accelerators to recreate the conditions of the early universe in an attempt to piece together the complex puzzle of how we got to where we are today. These huge machines are used...

Energy Storage

From “Superconductivity: Present and Future Applications” by the Coalition for the Commercial Application of Superconductors. With power lines increasingly congested and prone to instability, strategic injection of brief bursts of real power can play a crucial role in maintaining grid reliability. Small-scale Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) systems, based on...

Astronomy

ASTRONOMY IN SPACE by Peter V. Mason, retired, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Visiting Associate, California Institute of Technology. Pmason@alumni.caltech.edu In thinking about the reasons to perform astronomy in space, we first consider the effect of the earth’s atmosphere. On a scale of decreasing energy, gamma rays, cosmic rays, X-rays and...

Cryocoolers

What is a Cryocooler? A mechanism that can extract heat from an object (cooler) and by doing so draw its temperature down below approximately 150 Kelvin (cryo). — (Courtesy Dr. Willy Gully) What is the difference between a Cryocooler and a Cryostat? A cryostat is any device designed to maintain...

Latest in Ask the Experts

Definition or max temp which defines “cryogenic”?

Please help me with a definition: I am calculating material and fabrication costs for a quote for a hydrocarbon meter station.

Thermal shock on steel cylinder when dropped into liquid nitrogen

We are a research team at the University of South Florida, studying the “thermal shock” on a steel cylinder when it is dropped into liquid nitrogen. We want to make sure that the thermocouple does not get influenced by the surrounding LN2. Any advice?

Getter materials to absorb out gassed materials?

Here’s one for the scientists: We would like to sell vacuum insulated pipe for high temperature fluid applications. Are there any good getter materials that we can place in the vacuum space of our VJP to absorb outgassed materials at elevated temperatures?

Data on Carbon Fibres Reinforced Plastic at temperatures between 4 and 300K.

I am looking for data on Carbon Fibres Reinforced Plastic at temperatures between 4 and 300K. I would appreciate it if someone could give me some hints on where to find it.

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