All articles tagged with #vacuum chamber
Researchers used neon plasma at 800°C inside a vacuum chamber to clean contaminated porous tungsten wall tiles inside a nuclear fusion reactor. The treatment removes bound carbon and oxygen and drives surface purity from 0% to 87% metallic tungsten, happening entirely within the reactor to avoid air exposure and preserve liquid-metal channels, a step that could streamline in-situ maintenance for future fusion power.
Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new technique called CAVS (cold atom vacuum standard) for measuring extremely low gas pressures. The CAVS method has been validated as a "primary standard," meaning it can make accurate measurements without needing to be calibrated to reference pressure readings. The technique uses a cold gas of lithium or rubidium atoms trapped in a magnetic field, and the intensity of light emitted by the atoms serves as a measure of pressure. CAVS can measure vacuum pressures as low as a trillionth of the Earth's atmospheric pressure and has applications in semiconductor manufacturing, quantum computers, gravitational wave detectors, and particle accelerators.
Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed and validated a new method called the cold atom vacuum standard (CAVS) for measuring ultralow gas pressures. CAVS can serve as a "primary standard" without needing to be calibrated to reference pressure readings. The technique uses a cold gas of lithium or rubidium atoms trapped in a magnetic field, which fluoresce when illuminated by a laser. The intensity of the glow is measured to determine pressure. The CAVS sensors were tested alongside the traditional gold-standard method and showed the same accuracy and reliability. This new method has potential applications in semiconductor manufacturing, quantum computers, gravitational wave detectors, and particle accelerators.
Engineers at the ESA Propulsion Laboratory are using the CORONA test facility, the largest vacuum chamber, to evaluate a compact electric propulsion design for microsatellites and CubeSats. Electric propulsion, which achieves high efficiency by accelerating propellant through electrical or magnetic methods, requires vacuum conditions for operation. The test chambers are equipped with pumps and coolers to create a vacuum environment. The lab also conducts testing for cold gas thrusters and liquid flow, and aims to accelerate the development of propulsion systems, simulation tools, and training for the next generation of engineers.