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The Rise and Rise of Cryogenic Electron Microscopy

Speaking at the 68th Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting in Germany, biophysicist Joachim Frank says that the field of structural biology is entering a new era with a bright future thanks to advances in cryogenic electron microscopy. Cryo-EM rapidly freezes molecular samples in solution and images them with an electron beam...

DARPA Completes Engine Tests for Experimental Spaceplane Program

DARPA engineers have completed a test series on the AR-22 engine, advancing toward the agency's goal of developing an experimental spaceplane (XSP) capable of rapid turnaround and on-demand launches.

State Senator Writing Bill to Protect Embryos Stored in Cryo Systems

Ohio State Sen. Joe Schiavoni (D) is working on a bill to establish both guidelines and penalties for fertility clinics responsible for storing embryos at low temperature. More than 100 lawsuits have been filed against University Hospitals in Ohio after a failure of the group's liquid nitrogen systems in March...

General Atomics Awarded Contract for Cryofracture Munitions Destruction System

The US Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center has awarded General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems a contract to upgrade its portable prototype cryofracture system and perform additional design and procurement to interface the system with a rotary kiln incinerator.

Microscopic Trampoline Absorbs Energy and Bounces Light in Quantum Systems

Researchers from JILA, a joint institute of the University of Colorado Boulder and NIST, have developed a device that uses a small plate to absorb microwave energy and bounce it into laser light, calling this microscopic trampoline a crucial step for sending quantum signals over long distances.

Dearman Expands Liquid Nitrogen Engine Options in US and Europe

Dearman has expanded its Hubbard zero emission transport refrigeration unit with a nosemount option that allows a slimmer fit of the engine and closer integration with the refrigeration system.

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

Cryogenic Electronics

Randall Kirschman, consulting physicist, Mountain View, California ExtElect@gmail.com Cryogenic electronics—the operation of electronic devices, circuits, and systems at cryogenic temperatures—has been a valuable technology for decades. Cryogenic electronics (also referred to as low-temperature electronics, or cold electronics) can be based on semiconductive devices, on superconductive devices, or on a combination...

Particle Physics: High Energy Physics

Cryogenics and High-Energy Physics 1. From symmetry magazine: http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/cms/?pid=1000627: Cryogenics is the study of how materials behave at temperatures near absolute zero. In high-energy particle accelerators, such frigid temperatures reduce the electrical resistance of wires in superconducting magnets, increasing the magnet strength and allowing faster particle acceleration. The same holds...

HTS Degaussing Systems

From the Spring 2009 issue of Cold Facts (Volume 25, Number 2): Thanks to a joint project by the US Navy and a number of industry partners, high temperature superconducting (HTS) technology is now at the heart of an advanced degaussing system aboard the USS Higgins at the naval station...

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

From http://www.superconductors.org: An area where superconductors can perform a life-saving function is in the field of biomagnetism. Doctors need a non-invasive means of determining what’s going on inside the human body. By impinging a strong superconductor-derived magnetic field into the body, hydrogen atoms that exist in the body’s water and...

Latest in Ask the Experts

In need of books to start a cryogenic engineering department

My company is going to create a cryogenic engineering department and we need some books in order to facilitate this project. This is the kind of information we would like to obtain from the books: 1- Calculations for determining the storage facilities, such as storage tanks, pumps, compressors, etc. 2-...

What does "n" stand for?

We have a picture where the various layers of a transfer line are labeled.

Having some difficulty with the design of a cryogenic pressure vessel

I am a graduate student in the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering at West Virginia University. As a part of my research, I’m doing a case study of design of a Cryogenic Pressure Vessel. I’m facing a little difficulty in the process, and would be very grateful to you if you...

What's the difference between a cryocooler and a cryostat?

What’s the difference between a cryocooler and a cryostat?

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