Let's Explore Experimental Equipment #1 Accelerator (1)
Hello it's Haerang. As I said yesterday, I came to see you in science category. Today, I would like to introduce you to the biggest experiment equipment, Accelerator.
I spend more than a week per a year to do accelerator experiments. I have to do experiment there right next Thursday. It seems that only the synchrotron specialists may use the accelerator, but it is actually used for sample analysis in various fields such as chemistry, materials, and biology.
If you hear accelerator, this image maybe come up first. This circular accelerator is a third-generation accelerator called a "storage ring" and stores the bundle of electrons in this circular orbit to emit radiation. As you can see, it boasts a tremendous size of about 90 meters in diameter. (I can see the researchers who ride on a kickboard in storage ring!)
When you enter the front door, there are many pictures of the past presidents. I know that former President Park Geun-hye also visited.
It is a dangerous experimental equipment that may be exposed to radioactivity, so it is not possible to enter except for those who have been registered as a user of Pohang Accelerator Laboratory and who need to conduct experiment here. If you are interested in the Accelerator, you can apply for a tour of this facility and visit with a friendly guide.
To apply for the tour, please visit the PAL website (pal.postech.ac.kr).
I was going to enter the radiation zone, so I received a necklace with a radiation dose meter and a pass. After the experiment, you can submit your necklace to check whether you are exposed to radioactivity or not. I have been experimenting for several years, but I have not been exposed.
When you enter the storage ring finally, there is a map to see at a glance how the beamline is arranged. The beamline is arranged in line with the tangential direction when the bundle of electrons turns into a circular shape and shoots out.
Why did you suddenly find a container box? They put this box to prevent radiation that can escape from where real experiments are taking place. If you turn around, there is a container box that looks exactly the same so you can not distinguish each other. This beamline is mainly where I conduct experiments, and I took this picture on the second floor while my juniors were experimenting.
I thought they conducted experiment hard, but when I look closely, one guy was doing starcraft. When I took this picture, it past 2:00 am so he made every effort to wake up.
I entered the synoptic zone where real experiments are taking place. This ghastly equipment is inside of container box. I can meausre a sample with the bundle of electrons along the long tube fixed at its end! As electron strike the sample, there exhibited different patterns depending on the interaction between the two. I can analyze this pattern and get information from the sample.
This can be used to reveal how the polymer thin film is constructed in micro/nano scale.
The 2nd floor of storage ring is space for everyday life such as the researcher's office. There is also a room with microwave, refrigerator, computer and TV. Since the accelerator is in an isolated place, it is difficult to go out to eat something and we usually order delivery foods.
There is also a sleeping room where you can sleep for a while when you are tired of a long experiment. It is a cozy space with a partition for quiet rest. Unlike what you see, you may feel a nausea in the slight vibration of the storage ring itself.
I want to finish the first story of accelerator here. The second one is about newly opened science museum for accelerator. I think everyone can easily enjoy it. Thank you for reading.