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Light tsunami in a superconductor

An international research team at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has managed to selectively influence superconductivity with a powerful terahertz laser. This very precise laser light turns into a vortex which moves through the superconductor like a tsunami.

AMS experiment measures antimatter excess in space

The international team running the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) announced on April 3 the first results in its search for dark matter. The AMS paper, to be published in the journal Physical Review Letters, reports the observation of an excess of positrons in the cosmic ray flux. AMS spokesperson Professor...

Air Liquide celebrates startup of a new plant in Cleburne, Texas

Air Liquide Industrial U.S. LP held a ribbon cutting ceremony on April 5, 2013, to celebrate its new nitrogen liquefier at its facility in Cleburne, Texas. The new liquefier, the second of two now in operation at the Cleburne facility, will enable Air Liquide to increase its supply of liquid...

NASA asks universities for early stage innovation tech proposals

NASA is seeking innovative, early-stage space technology proposals from accredited US universities that will enable NASA's future missions and America's leadership in space. Proposals are sought for science instruments, cryogenic propellant storage for long-duration space exploration, optical coatings for astrophysical pursuits, oxygen recovery for life support systems, and to improve...

Will Ultralow Temperatures Leave the Research Laboratory?

Dr. Joel Ullom, NIST, writes in his guest column: "Cryogenic techniques are widely used in industry and medical imaging. However, cooling to temperatures near 1K and below (into the millikelvin range) remains rare. Such ultralow temperatures (ULTs) are largely confined to research laboratories where they are a powerful tool for...

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Transfer Lines

Transfer lines may in some real sense be thought of as the cryogenic fluid analogy of current leads. While current leads carry electrical power to where it’s required in a cryogenic system, transfer lines do the same with cryogenic fluids. Transfer lines range in complexity from very simple U-tubes containing...

Zero Boiloff

Zero Boil Off cryostats are those that contain liquid cryogens but are designed to eliminate or vastly reduce the boil off of  the liquid. These cryostats combine some of the advantages of Cryogen-Free systems (e.g. ease of use and long operational lifetime) with the advantages associated with a reservoir of liquid...

Cryomodule

Cryomodule is a term that is most commonly used to refer to cryostats that contain superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities. Such cavities are used to accelerate charged particle beams and are a major component of modern particle accelerators. Using the term cryomodule to refer to cryostats containing SRF cavities appears...

Wind Tunnels

Dr. Robert Kilgore The development of the cryogenic wind tunnel is one of many significant breakthroughs in both cryogenics and wind-tunnel technology made during the past millennium. Interest in the development of high-speed commercial and military aircraft resulted in a review of problems of flow simulation in transonic wind tunnels...

History of Cryogenics

From the Fall 1999 issue of Cold Facts magazine Millennium Breakthroughs A variety of CSA members give different perspectives on the past millennium: What were the most significant breakthroughs in cryogenics during the past millennium? Prof. R.G. Scurlock, Kryos Technology, scurlock@soton.ac.uk (“Breakthrough” = way through obstacles — Oxford English Dictionary)...

Cryobiology

Andreas Sputtek Past President Society for Cryobiology sputtek@uke.uni-hamburg.de or http://www.sputtek.de/. The word cryobiology (from the Greek words “cryo” = cold, “bios” = life, and “logos” = science) literally signifies the science of life at low temperatures. In practice, this field comprises the study of any biological material or system (e.g.,...

Cryogenic Insulation

James E. Fesmire Cryogenics Test Laboratory NASA Kennedy Space Center james.e.fesmire@nasa.gov Introduction In today’s world, the use of cryogenics and low-temperature refrigeration is taking a more and more significant role. From the food industry, transportation, energy, and medical applications to the Space Shuttle, cryogenic liquids must be stored, handled, 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...