ADVERTISEMENT

Schematic-for-the-Pair-Density-Modulation-Within-Lattice-Unit-Cell

Atomic-Scale Imaging Unlocks New Paths to Next-Gen Superconductors

Atomic-scale imaging reveals that chalcogen atoms play a crucial role in Cooper pairing in Fe-based superconductors, offering new insights into high-Tc superconductivity mechanisms. Superconductivity in quantum materials, whether the Cooper pairing on the Fermi surface is mediated by phonons or by electronic fluctuations, is fundamentally described by Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory....

Superconductivity Inspires New Dark Matter Contender

As traditional dark matter candidates—such as weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), axions, and primordial black holes—continue to elude detection, theorists are exploring more exotic possibilities. Guanming Liang and Robert Caldwell of Dartmouth College have proposed a new dark matter model inspired by the physics of superconductivity [1]. Their proposal draws...
Glen and colleague at NASA, Cape Canaveral. Credit: McIntosh Family Collection

A Salute to an Old Friend, Glen McIntosh-1925-2025

As they say, oftentimes in life we don’t know what we’ve got until it’s gone. And only later, upon reflection, do we come to realize and appreciate what we had. Such is the case with my old friend Glen McIntosh. I first met Glen in about 1995, when applying for...
Dylan Temples. Credit: Dan Svoboda, Fermilab

Fermilab’s Lederman Fellows Drive Quantum Research to Discover Dark Matter

A trio of Lederman fellows at Fermilab are developing ways to use quantum technology to probe the universe for dark matter and other physics phenomena. While doing so, they are sharing their enthusiasm for their work to inspire the next generation of scientists. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is a leader...
The patented Cryostat-the-First (CS1) insulation test apparatus, of the original NASA CTL, in 1998. Credit: Fesmire

Remembering Dr. Stan Augustynowicz, a Cryogenics Pioneer

Stanisław (“Stan”) was my mentor, business partner, and dear friend. He was a distinguished colleague, a visionary trailblazer, and a true leader in cryogenics. Stan played a pivotal role in the Cryogenic Society of America as Director of International Affairs and Board Member, and he served as VP-USA for the...
HyPStore project team at the University of Southern Queensland. Credit: HyPStore

HyPStore’s Cryogenics-at-the-Core Vision for Liquid Hydrogen Storage

As global industries push toward decarbonization, hydrogen has re-emerged as a promising energy carrier. From aviation to long-haul trucking, hydrogen offers a zero-carbon fuel alternative that could reshape mobility. But unlocking its full potential depends on solving one of its biggest hurdles: storage. Hydrogen is challenging to contain, particularly in...

ADVERTISEMENT

Mixed Refrigerant Cycles

Most cryogenic refrigeration systems, both large scale systems and cryocoolers, use helium as a working fluid. There are a number of advantages to helium, not the least of which is that helium remains a fluid down to the lowest achievable temperatures. In order to freeze helium, pressures of over 20...

Fountain Pumps and He II Phase Separators

Helium II (He II), the second liquid phase of the 4He isotope described in this column in Cold Facts Spring 2010 (http://2csa.us/he2), can be modeled as consisting of two interpenetrating fluids. One, the superfluid component, has zero viscosity and entropy and the other, the normal fluid component, has nonzero viscosity...

Turboexpanders

A vital technology in the refrigerators and liquefiers described in Cold Facts Volume 31 Number 3 is that of turboexpanders. These devices are rotating machines in which the process fluid (e.g., helium) does work against the turboexpander while moving from high pressure to a lower pressure and thus is cooled....

Cryogenic Treatment of Materials

F.J. Diekman Controlled Thermal Processing, Inc. info@metal-wear.com Cryogenic Processing (also called cryogenic treatment, and incorrectly “cryogenic tempering”) is a process that uses cryogenic temperatures to modify materials to enhance their performance. Cryogenic Processing involves the slow reduction in temperature of the material to at least -300°F (-185°C) and holding the...

Cryogenics in Space

Peter Kittel University of California-Berkeley pkittel@cal.berkeley.edu Space Cryogenics is the application of cryogenics to space missions. These applications fall into two broad areas, supporting space science missions and supporting the space transportation infrastructure. Science applications: The atmosphere is opaque to much of the electro-magnetic spectrum. In space, the absence of...

Cryosurgery

Review of Cryosurgery Boris Rubinsky, PhD Hebrew University School of Science and Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Engineering 78b Ross Building Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904 Israel rubinsky@cs.huji.ac.il as published in Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering, August 2000, Vol. 2, pp. 157-187. Abstract: Cryosurgery is a surgical technique that employs freezing...

Liquefied Natural Gas

Liquefied Natural Gas as it relates to the Field of Cryogenics John W. Bonn VJ Systems, LLC johnbonn@vjsystems-lic.com Today the world is looking for a cleaner fuel and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plays a large part in achieving this goal. LNG in a liquid form is at -162°C (-259°F) and...

An Issue of Pressure and Flow Rate in a Supply Tank

Please help solve this problem: A supply tank requires a vaporizer to generate sufficient pressure to pump stored fluid up into a vehicle or tank. The available head is limited as the tank level falls and it is important to minimize the system pressure drop to maintain the desired flow...

Using MLI on VJ Line Joints or Cryo Storage Tanks

When installing Multi Layer Insulation (MLI) blankets on VJ line joints or cryo storage tanks should they be wrapped and tied down tight or loose? These are usually pre-cut to size. Also should they have an access hole at the point of where the molecular sieve is installed to help...