
Retired equipment lives on in new physics experiments - elorant
https://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/retired-equipment-lives-on-in-new-physics-experiments
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daddylonglegs
Close to where I am the ISIS [1] neutron source [2] notoriously used a lot of
second hand stuff when it was built. It is a tremendously successful science
facility despite the fact that some parts date from the 1950s [3] [4].

I was told that some electrical equipment that had previously helped power the
London Underground; I have never been able to find a source for this but I
desperately want it to be true.

[1] Named in the 1980s [2]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISIS_neutron_source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISIS_neutron_source)
[3] [https://www.isis.stfc.ac.uk/Pages/Inside-the-ISIS-linear-
par...](https://www.isis.stfc.ac.uk/Pages/Inside-the-ISIS-linear-particle-
accelerator.aspx) [4]
[https://www.isis.stfc.ac.uk/Pages/ISIS_AR_2017.pdf](https://www.isis.stfc.ac.uk/Pages/ISIS_AR_2017.pdf)
picture on page 4

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IgorPartola
I studied physics in college. One of the more surprising things I learned was
just how much scientific equipment was bought and sold via eBay. And we aren’t
talking like run of the mill high frequency generators. No, it was specialized
stuff like high field density magnets with cryo chambers, helium 3 systems,
etc.

~~~
sametmax
Gee, Brain, what do you want to do tonight?

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mmmBacon
I briefly worked on an experiment at Fermilab (FNAL) that was trying to
measure the birefringence of the vacuum (QED theory states the vacuum is
birefringent in presence of magnetic field). Key to the experiment were the
final 2 remaining magnets from the SSC (Super Conducting Super Collider).
There was much donated equipment, some of it repurposed from experiments at
SLAC and elsewhere within FNAL. Gotta say those folks at FNAL really knew how
to stretch a dollar.

