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Researchers characterize electron density wave in cuprates

A team led by researchers from the US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cornell University has characterized a key arrangement of electrons in a high temperature superconductor. The study, published in the October 26, 2015, online edition of Nature Physics, is the first to identify the atomic-scale origins...

New multi-SQUID device cuts costs, improves sensitivity

Physicists in the United Kingdom have built a multi-SQUID device that can operate at 77K, the boiling point of liquid nitrogen. According to research published in Applied Physics Letters, the new device outperforms the industry standard niobium/aluminium trilayer single-SQUIDS maintained at 4.2K. "Since our SQUID arrays operate at 77K using...

Is magnetic cooling the future of cool?

Ames Laboratory scientists almost 20 years ago announced groundbreaking progress in magnetic refrigeration and yet there are still no known commercially available products that use a magnetic cooling system. Magnetic cooling exploits the magnetocaloric effect, a temperature change of a material caused by exposing it to a changing magnetic field,...

Master Bond announces new one component epoxy

Master Bond on October 13 unveiled a new single part adhesive sealant for use in a variety of applications in aerospace, electronic, optical, specialty OEM and related industries. The Master Bond Supreme 10HTF-1 offers cryogenic serviceability from 4K to +400°F and resists an array of chemicals such as water, fuels,...

New atomic absorption spectrometer helps redefine the kelvin

A team of Australian scientists has developed an atomic absorption spectrometer that provides a new way to determine Boltzmann’s constant, a number that relates the motion of an individual atom to its temperature. The research, published in Nature Communication contributes to a worldwide scientific effort to redefine the kelvin, the...

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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...