The improvements to our suite of sample-environment apparatus are as follows:
All cryofurnaces and bottom-loading cryorefrigerators have been refurbished, and our gas delivery sticks have been tested and improved. Vacuum furnace VF-1 has been completely rebuilt and fully tested, and we believe we now have accurate temperature control from 100C up to 1800C. We have also built a second vacuum furnace from spare parts: VF-2.
We have improved cryostat OC-1, with automatic needle-valve regulation: it is now able to achieve a base temperature of 1.4K, and liquid helium consumption has been cut by half, to the point that we now need to re-fill only every second day, instead of every 24 hours. OC-1 has been already used for a successful experiment on TAIPAN. The second orange cryostat OC-2 will undergo the same transformation during the coming weeks.
The new sorption system has been commissioned and some training and experiments have been performed using it. Some work has also been performed new on the 12-T vertical-field magnet, especially on the software side, with drivers for temperature control and the pressure gauge. Our 8-T cryogen-free vertical-fiield magnet has been also fully re-tested.
QUOKKA's 20-position sample changer (SC-2) has been modified and adapted to the changed space in QUOKKA's enclosure. The 10-position (high-temperature) sample changer (SC-1) has also been modified and will soon be re-assembled and tested.
Our sample-environment team has done a terrific job during the shutdown, and we are now ready for the restart of the user program on the thermal instruments in April.
Published: 19/03/2013