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LHC experiments observe previously unseen subatomic process

Two experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN have combined their results and observed a previously unseen subatomic process. This new result precludes or severely limits the parameters of many theories that propose to extend the Standard Model.

BioCision and Brooks Automation launch cryogenic biospecimen handling and transport system

BioCision and Brooks Automation recently launched the CryoPod Carrier, a jointly developed liquid nitrogen-based system for the safe, reliable and protected handling and transport of cryogenic biospecimens. The portable data-logging carrier was unveiled on May 6 at the annual meeting of the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories in...

US-CERN agreement paves way for a new era of scientific discovery

A new agreement between the United States and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) signed on May 7 will pave the way for renewed collaboration in particle physics, promising to yield new insights into fundamental particles and the nature of matter and our universe.

Natural SUSY’s last stand

In a paper entitled “Lessons and prospects from the pMSSM after LHC Run I” published in Physical Review D, researchers M. Cahill-Rowley, J. L. Hewett, A. Ismail and T. G. Rizzo report that, while the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)’s first run did not provide evidence of natural Supersymmetry (SUSY), SUSY...

LHC sees first low energy collisions

On May 5, low energy protons met in the hearts of the four Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments at CERN. These test collisions will help the ALICE, ATLAS, CMS and LHCb collaborations calibrate their detectors in preparation for the high energy collisions scheduled for early June.

Featuring Women in Cryogenics and Superconductivity

Several years ago, Cold Facts had a cover story on women in cryogenics and superconductivity. We thought it was time to introduce our readers to several more women who are excelling in our fields and find out more about their experiences in areas where they are still pretty much in...

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Cold Compressors

A common way to provide cooling below the normal boiling point of helium (4.2K) is to reduce the pressure above the bath of liquid helium, thus also reducing the bath’s equilibrium saturation temperature. For example, to produce a 1.8K bath of liquid helium, the saturation pressure has to be reduced...

Kapitza Conductance

Kapitza conductance refers to the heat transfer between a solid surface and a fluid that covers that surface. Fundamentally, it describes the inherent difficulty in transferring energy from a solid to the fluid covering the solid surface. This phenomenon was first observed by P. L. Kapitza in 1941 while studying...

Thermosyphons

A thermosyphon (or thermosiphon) is a device that transfers heat via natural convection in a fluid. The natural convection is driven by gravity with the colder, denser fluid flowing downhill and the warmer, less dense fluid flowing back up. Thus, thermosyphons connect an object to be cooled with a reservoir...

Magnetic Levitation

From http://www.superconductors.org. Magnetic-levitation is an application where superconductors perform extremely well. Transport vehicles such as trains can be made to “float” on strong superconducting magnets, virtually eliminating friction between the train and its tracks. Not only would conventional electromagnets waste much of the electrical energy as heat, they would have...

Superconductivity

From Superpower website. History of Superconductivity Superconductivity was discovered in 1911 by the Dutch physicist, Heike Kammerlingh Onnes when he was able to liquefy helium by cooling it to 4 Kelvin, or -452°F. This enabled him to cool other materials close to absolute zero and investigate their electrical properties. He...

Medical Applications of Cryogenics

Neutron Therapy Cryogenics is at the heart of nuclear accelerators. Accelerators such as Fermilab’s Tevatron make neutron therapy for cancer possible. From Fermilab Today 4/20/09: Fermilab currently offers neutron therapy. But staff at Fermilab designed and built the proton accelerator used by the nation’s first hospital-based treatment center to use...

Nuclear Physics

Al Zeller National Superconducting Cyclotron Lab (NSCL) at Michigan State University zeller@nscl.msu.edu Cryogenics has a long history in nuclear physics. The technology has its origins in the use of cold traps for maintaining a vacuum, which is required to prevent beam loss and for generating high voltages used in acceleration....

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...