ICARUS inaugurated at Gran Sasso National Laboratory
The Imaging Cosmic and Rare Underground Signals (ICARUS) experiment was inaugurated at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy on March 29.
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Lindgren chosen as Fermilab’s head of Particle Physics Division
Mike Lindgren has been appointed as the head of Fermilab's Particle Physics Division. Lindgren has been a scientist with the lab since 2004, and most recently served as acting head of the division.
Japan’s earthquake brings major science institutions to a standstill
In the wake of the March 11 earthquake that rocked Japan, major science experiments and research institutions are taking stock of the damage to their facilities and dealing with a number of setbacks.
Fermilab’s Alex Romanenko unlocks hidden secrets for improving SRF cavities
Fermilab’s Alex Romanenko recently unlocked secrets hidden beneath the mirror-smooth surface of niobium superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavities that may hold the key to the success of future linear colliders. Romanenko’s discovery, which was carried out as part of his doctoral thesis at Cornell University, has earned him “The Particle Accelerator...
UCLA Engineering establishes Endowed Chair in Cryogenics
UCLA Engineering has established the Traugott and Dorothea Frederking Endowed Chair in Cryogenics. The chair will support junior faculty for terms up to five years as they build their careers in areas related to cryogenics.
Lake Shore Cryotronics CEO appointed to PECSEA
Michael Swartz, CEO of Lake Shore Cryotronics, Inc., was appointed to the President's Export Council Subcommittee on Export Administration (PECSEA) by US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke earlier this month.
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Stability
Stability refers to the ability of a device employing superconductors to remain in its superconducting state after part of the superconductor transitions back to its normal conducting state due to a disturbance. While the concept can apply to many superconducting devices—transmission lines, generators, motors, etc.—it is most commonly considered in...
Cable-in-Conduit Conductors
Cable-in-Conduit Conductors (CICC) are a common form of superconducting cable used in large-scale applications. There are several varieties of CICCs, but they all consist of many small, stabilized superconducting wires contained within a conduit through which a coolant (typically supercritical He II) flows. Figure 1 shows the cross section of...
Bayonet Coupling
A bayonet coupling is a demountable joint that allows for quick and easy connection and disconnection of cryogenic components, including transfer lines, cryostats, liquefiers and refrigerators. Bayonets provide a number of advantages, chief among them the ability to connect and disconnect the bayonets while components they connect are still at...
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...
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...
Separated layers of ice over a pipe
I want to know that why there are different layers of ice over a pipe carrying a cryogenic fluid, each layer separated with clear marks / lines? What do these layers signify?