Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Fermilab (CSA CSM) have achieved the highest magnetic field strength ever recorded for an accelerator steering magnet, setting a world record of 14.1 teslas, with the magnet cooled to 4.5 kelvin or minus 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory held the previous record of 13.8 teslas, achieved at the same temperature, for 11 years.

A hydrogen-powered passenger bus has been deployed in France for the first time, a step toward the country’s goal of a 100% clean-fueled bus fleet. With a range of 300km, the bus will run between the towns of Versailles and Jouy-en-Josas in the Yvelines region, and refuel its hydrogen tank at an Air Liquide (CSA CSM) station located in Loges-en-Josas.

Quest Thermal Group’s integrated multilayer insulation (IMLI) is currently being used in space on the ISS with NASA's RRM3 flight experiment and on the NASA/Ball Aerospace GPIM spacecraft. The group is also currently designing IMLI for use on the Lucy spacecraft—scheduled to go to Jupiter's asteroids—and is expected to have a small role on the WFIRST space telescope.

In 2015, it was discovered that neutrinos have mass, so in theory, they can impact matter and give up some of their kinetic energy. Neutrino Energy Group is developing neutrino-based power generators by designing materials that can convert the kinetic energy of a neutrino into electricity. Such devices could be tiny and built into machines of all sizes to autonomously power the Internet of Things (IoT) without the need for a grid.

CSA was recently asked about a universal symbol to denote cryogenic hazards. Our contacts at NIST have helped answer those inquiries. While OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) does not provide a symbol, a cryogen “shipped” container would be labeled with the Gas Cylinder pictogram and a description of the cryogenic hazard. However, ISO 7010 provides this standard graphical symbol for use on safety signage internationally.

An innovative particle accelerator designed and built by scientists from the US Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cornell University has achieved a significant milestone that could greatly enhance the efficiency of future particle accelerators. After sending a particle beam for one pass through the accelerator, machine components recovered nearly all of the energy required for accelerating the particles. This recovered energy can then be used for the next stage of acceleration—to accelerate another batch of particles—thus greatly reducing the potential cost of accelerating particles to high energies.

Pragma Industries has received an order for 1,000 bicycles from Chilean president Sebastian Pinera after 200 hydrogen bicycles were made available to journalists and world leaders at the recent G7 summit in Biarritz. The company’s founder, Pierre Forté, envisions that the bicycles will have an environmental impact in developing countries.

Accelerators have been at the heart of the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) since its inception in 1931, and are still a driving force in the laboratory’s mission and its R&D program. Accelerator R&D and experiments at the lab—and lab scientists’ participation in experiments at other sites—have enabled discoveries of many subatomic particles and their properties, including the Higgs boson.

After failing several times in its attempt to develop a cryogenic engine, India’s space agency—ISRO—persisted and succeeded in using the engine to launch India's second lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2, to lunar orbit.

Celebrity hairstylist Savio John Perreira is using cryogenics to treat hair at his Mumbai salon with the Cryo Detox hair treatment by Kerasol. The process includes a step where liquid nitrogen is sprayed on the hair strands. What could go wrong?

Scientists and engineers gathered in Hartford CT for the 2019 CEC/ICMC conference. Held in the Connecticut Convention Center, with plenary sessions in the adjoining Marriot Hotel, CEC/ICMC hosted cryogenic experts and industry leaders sharing information and ideas from July 21-25. The traditional oral and poster sessions were held throughout the week. The exhibit hall held 48 manufacturers, distributors and cryogenic industry suppliers and was open throughout the conference. This year’s conference featured a special tribute to Dr. Glen McIntosh for his outstanding contributions to the field of cryogenics and his dedicated attendance at every CEC held since its inception.

The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (CSA CSM) at FSU in Tallahassee FL recently introduced a novel magnet half the size of a spent toilet tissue roll that usurped the title of “world’s strongest magnetic field” from the metal titan that had held it for two decades. MagLab scientists and engineers have shown a way to build and use electromagnets that are stronger, smaller and more versatile. This new magnet is a “plucky David to the MagLab’s conventional Goliaths,” said MagLab director Greg Boebinger. “This is indeed a miniaturization milestone that could potentially do for magnets what silicon has done for electronics,” he said. “This creative technology could lead to small magnets that do big jobs in places like particle detectors, nuclear fusion reactors and diagnostic tools in medicine.”

Scientists at DESY in Hamburg have achieved a new world record for an experimental type of miniature particle accelerator. For the first time, a terahertz-powered accelerator has more than doubled the energy of the injected electrons. At the same time, the setup significantly improved the electron beam quality compared to earlier experiments with the technique, as Dongfang Zhang and his colleagues from the Center for Free-Electron Laser Science (CFEL) at DESY report in the journal Optica. “We have achieved the best beam parameters yet for terahertz accelerators,” said Zhang.

Researchers at the Center for Quantum Nanoscience within the Institute for Basic Science at Ewha Woman’s University in Korea recently made a major scientific breakthrough by performing the world’s smallest magnetic resonance imaging. In an international collaboration with colleagues from the US, QNS scientists used their new technique to visualize the magnetic field of single atoms.

The global market is facing its third shortage of helium. Beginning in the spring of 2018, a series of planned and unplanned outages affected global access to supply. While many may immediately think this means party balloons are at the greatest risk, those who know and use helium—scientists, researchers, doctors, engineers, physicists and students across the world—are taking serious note. As helium is a nonrenewable resource, the recurring shortages are cause for concern for many essential global industries including medicine, energy, national defense, scientific research and space exploration.

Anti-embolism stockings are designed to promote healthy blood flow and prevent blood clotting. The cost can range from $50 to $200 and they wear out quickly, leading to more expense. To ease the financial burden on cancer patients, Circle City Cryogenics in Indianapolis has developed a cryotreating process that improves the durability and elasticity of these stockings and is offering it free to Indiana residents. Brian Tomlinson, cryogenic treatment specialist at Circle City Cryogenics, began treating anti-embolism hose in July of 2018.