On Tuesday 27 February the ISOLDE facility at CERN opened their doors to students and schools taking part. Liam, Patrick and Chetna and other members of the ISOLDE team, gave us a private tour their facility to share more about their work.
We’ve put together some of our favourite moments from the tour and you can
Let us know your favourite moment from the tour by commenting at the bottom of this post.
🧲 The Magnets
Liam gave us an introduction to the facility and an overview of ISOLDE and what the team work on.
magnets to deflect the beam
Patrick and Chetna (on gimbal) then gave us a tour of the facility, starting with the magnets.
The magnets are used to deflect the beam and direct the path of radioactive ion beams into various experimental setups. This allows researchers to conduct a wide range of experiments in the low-energy section of the facility.
Additionally, ISOL traps are used to weigh nuclei with very high precision, enabling scientists to study fundamental properties of atomic nuclei and their behaviour.
It’s fascinating how these technologies contribute to our understanding of the universe at the most fundamental levels.
☢️ Radioactivity
The Decay Station
This section seemed to spark interest! Radiation, and its dangers and how ISOLDE use it.
The decay station at the ISOLDE facility allows scientists to measure various aspects of radioactivity, providing valuable data for research and safety protocols.
Germanium detectors play a vital role in detecting gamma rays emitted during radioactive decay processes. These detectors operate at high voltages and need to be maintained at very low temperatures, using liquid nitrogen to cool them.
✅ Contamination Check!
Contamination check
When Patrick and Chetna left the lab, they had to make sure they have no contamination from the radiation lab on their hands and feet (most commonly used areas of the body in the lab).
If you’re interested to know more about what would happen if you were contaminated, leave a question for the team, or watch the end of the video 👀.
🔗 Extra resources
Liam has kindly curated a list of brilliant resources which you’re welcome to use and look through if you’re interested, including the PowerPoint he made:
