The Next 5 Extreme Research Machines You Need to Know - Forget the Large Hadron Collider

Forget the Large Hadron Collider: Whether they’re tracking Martian robots, simulating hurricanes or fending off the supernova apocalypse, these supersize science projects don’t just look cool—they’re hunting some of the world’s biggest unsolved mysteries.

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1. Super-Kamiokande

It isn’t the biggest neutrino observatory in the world, or the most sensitive. But if a supernova ever goes off in the Milky Way, physicists will be grateful for the Super-Kamiokande (Super-K, pictured above). Buried more than 3000 ft. underground in central Japan, and filled with 50,000 gal. of purified water, the Super-K is designed to detect various types, or “flavors,” of neutrinos. Specifically, it analyzes Cherenkov light, the visible blue radiation that’s generated when a particle exceeds the speed of light (didn’t know that could happen, did you?). Likened to an optical sonic boom, Cherenkov light is a familiar—if unnerving—sight in nuclear reactors. It occurs when charged particles passing through some sort of medium, such as water, in which the light is actually slowed down (okay, so we’re stretching the truth on the speed-of-light thing).

The Super-K, which is composed of a 135-ft.-tall stainless steel cylinder and a smaller, interior structure, employs thousands of light sensors to detect the neutrinos at work within the Cherenkov radiation. Researchers have used the observatory to confirm that the sun produces neutrinos. Also, the Super-K was among the first detectors used to dispute the theory that neutrinos have a non-zero mass. But the observatory’s most accessible function, and potentially its most important, is its role in the Supernova Early Warning System (SNEWS). The Milky Way is overdue for a supernova—the last one happened 400 years ago—which could be a research goldmine for physicists. That’s assuming they know it’s coming, and have the proper instruments ready to collect the incoming data. Since the more visible—and violent—effects of a supernova are preceded by a burst of neutrinos, the Super-K is on a constant lookout for a sudden, suspicious influx of the faster-than-light particles. By the way, a supernova could eliminate all life on Earth by bathing us in lethal gamma rays. Scientists say the next supernova probably will be too far off to cause us harm. Otherwise, though, the Super-K will provide a crucial few hours in which to hop into our transgalactic escape pods. Or, more likely, to bend over and kiss our charged particles goodbye.

2. 45 Tesla Hybrid

As world records go, the one held by the 45-T hybrid magnet at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State is a little confusing. It’s the largest, most powerful magnet in the world ... that generates a sustained field. So while there are stronger pulsed magnets, this 22-ft.-tall, 35-ton model is the most consistently powerful, capable of fields as strong as 45 tesla. That means it’s around one million times stronger than the planet’s magnetic field, and as much as 20 times stronger than the magnet in an MRI machine.

To achieve fields that powerful, this hybrid magnet—it’s composed of a 11.5 tesla superconducting magnet and a 33.5 tesla resistive magnet—is surrounded by pipes filled with purified water and liquid helium, which keep the machine running at 1.8 Kelvin, or –456 F. None of which explains why this high-powered magnet is in such high demand among researchers. Molecules behave differently in strong magnetic fields, becoming easier to analyze (like a molecular, zoomed-in version of an MRI scan) or sometimes even taking on different basic properties. The holy grail of high-field magnetic research is room-temperature superconductivity, which would provide all the benefits of superconductive materials (essentially zero resistance to electric currents) without the need for expensive liquid helium or nitrogen systems. There’s no guarantee that the 45-T will chase down that particular grail, but it remains one of the most powerful—and useful—magnets in the world.

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Holy fucking shit! =O

The rest of the article here, plus some amazing photos: [link to www.popularmechanics.com]