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First APAs Delivered for ProtoDUNE Detectors

The first prototype Anode Plane Assemblies (APAs) for ProtoDUNE have arrived at CERN, where two large liquid argon detectors are under construction to test the engineering specifications for the US-based Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). Scientists will use the APA screens to record streaks of ionization charge inside the detectors.

WSU Recreates Titan Seas for NASA Submarine Mission

NASA's Cassini spacecraft ended its exploration of Saturn in 2017, but the space agency is already planning a more immersive return mission, aiming to plunge a submarine into the seas of Titan, the largest of Saturn’s many moons. Researchers at Washington State University are working with NASA, replicating the moon's...

Cryo-EM Advances Fight Against Hepatitis B

Indiana University researchers used cryo-electron microscopy to make an important step forward in the design of drugs that fight the hepatitis B virus, known to cause liver failure and liver cancer. A vaccine exists, but there is no cure. The study explains how the structure of the hepatitis B virus...

Physicists Create New Form of Light

A research team led by scientists at MIT and Harvard has observed groups of three photons interacting and, in effect, sticking together to form a completely new kind of photonic matter. The behavior could open a path toward using photons in quantum computing, according to the team, or even more...

Physicists Discover New Type of Quantum Material

An international team of researchers led by physicists at Rice University has stumbled upon a theoretical result that could help experimental physicists create a "Weyl-Kondo semimetal," a quantum material with an assorted collection of properties seen in disparate materials like topological insulators, heavy fermion metals and high-temperature superconductors.

Both Frozen and Fresh Embryos Offer Similar Chances of Baby after IVF for Most Women

For women using in vitro fertilization to have a child, using either fresh or frozen embryos results in similar success rates for most women, according to an international team of researchers.

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

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...

Latest in Ask the Experts

Seeking technical publication that explains the science behind the cryogenic treatment of aluminum

Would you know of a technical publication that would list the benefits and explain the science behind the cryogenic treatment of aluminum, specifically a 356-T6 aluminum cylinder head casting? Eddie Phillips

Source of emissivity data for aluminum and aluminized Mylar at room temperature, 77K and 4.2K

Can anyone recommend a source of emissivity data for aluminum and aluminized Mylar at room temperature, 77K and 4.2K? Also, I would be interested in finding a facility that can measure this information. Any information will be greatly appreciated. William Einziger, GE Healthcare

Looking to purchase new LN2 freezer: any suggestions?

I will be purchasing a new liquid nitrogen freezer soon, but I am limited by space restrictions. The freezer cannot be more than 38 inches wide. However, it would be beneficial if the freezer holds a high number of racks such as 24. In addition, we prefer not to purchase...

Affordable flow meter to measure LN2 flow through a pipeline

I am trying to find out if anyone knows of or has used an affordable flow meter that can measure liquid nitrogen flow through a pipeline. It doesn’t need to be very accurate as it’s really to allow people in different departments to allocate cost rather than for scientific measurement....

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