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Structural analysis of a cryogen-free refrigerator for space.

Author(s) : EMES M. R., HEPBURN I. D., RAY R. J., et al.

Type of article: Article

Summary

Future X-ray observatories in space, such as European Space Agency's (ESA) X-ray evolving universe spectroscopy (XEUS) mission, will require cooling to the region 10-100 mK to enable the utilisation of advanced cryogenic photon detectors in cryogenic spectrometer instruments. Such missions are envisaged to be completely cryogen-free, replacing the traditional superfluid liquid helium cryostat with a space worthy mechanically cooled system. As part of the Mullard Space Science Laboratory's (MSSL) adiabatic demagnetisation refrigerator (ADR) development programme, we have investigated the construction of a flight cryostat containing a 10 mK ADR (the MSSL double ADR (dADR)) that can be cooled by a single Astrium (formally Matra Marconi Space (MMS)) 4 K mechanical cooler. A proto-type dADR has been constructed and will be flight proven as part of a sounding rocket payload, where the dADR system will be used to cool an array of superconducting tunnel junction (STJ) detectors at the focus of an X-ray telescope.

Details

  • Original title: Structural analysis of a cryogen-free refrigerator for space.
  • Record ID : 2004-0004
  • Languages: English
  • Source: Cryogenics - vol. 41 - n. 11-12
  • Publication date: 2001/11

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