Large size, cooling requirements, non-metallic construction all combine to make the nEDM@SNS magnet a complicated engineering and assembly challenge. Construction of the magnet is now well underway at Caltech.
The nEDM@SNS experimental signal is a burst of scintillation light following the capture of a neutron by a Helium-3 nucleus. Processing electronics that use silicon photomultipliers to count the number of emitted photons and record their arrival time have now been completely tested.
Unusual requirements for the nEDM@SNS experimental building include a magnetic keep-out zone near the apparatus and a deep basement for access to the cryogenic interior. Final design of the building was recently completed. 3D CAD model of nEDM@SNS experimental building. Drawing of the experimental building and environs from final design …
Non-magnetic components for the Dilution Refrigerator arrived at Indiana University in preparation for assembly.
A helium liquefier, associated compressors and large Helium gas storage tanks were recovered from the old Alpha-2 building at Y-12 ahead of its imminent demolition. They have a new lease on life and will supply the nEDM@SNS experiment with up to 40 liters of liquid helium per hours at a …
The final design of the nEDM@SNS Cryovessel (a large aluminum vacuum vessel which functions effectively like a giant thermos) was recently completed. Long-leadtime components are being ordered and fabrication will be starting imminently.
Two SULI recently completed all-virtual summer internships working on the nEDM@SNS experiment. Devon Loomis carried out simulations to optimize the design of the measurement cell windows and shielding and Michael Kline pioneered spin-tracking simulations using an array of GPUs.
The nEDM@SNS experiment requires a magnetic field monitor operating near absolute zero temperature. Operating at zero temperature, especially given the experiment’s metallic keep-out zone is challenging. The cryogenic magnetic field monitor was recently completed at the University of Kentucky.
Building 8713 at the Spallation Neutron Source provides a home for experiments carried out at the Fundamental Neutron Physics Beamline. A recent facelift (removal of a stairway and addition of a new roll-up door) prepared the way for installation of the first nEDM@SNS equipment.
The Inner Magnet Volume (or IMV) holds the nEDM@SNS magnet package. It is maintained near 4 degrees Kelvin by a flow of cooled Helium gas providing thermal shielding that keeps the internal components of the experiment cold. Fabrication of the IMV was recently completed at Alloy Fabrications, in Clinton Tennessee
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is managed by UT-Battelle LLC for the US Department of Energy
