Physical Sciences Lab

New Trigger System for HAWC

webmaster — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:45:36 +0000

IceCube research center has engaged PSL in the initial design of the trigger system for High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC). The trigger system will initially be an analog one using exiting electronics with possibility of upgrading to a fully digital system.

DUSEL

webmaster — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:44:35 +0000

PSL has started work on the Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment being planned for Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL). This experiment will measure neutrino mass and oscillation parameters for a beam going from Fermilab in Illinois to DUSEL in Lead, South Dakota. PSL’s present task is engineering design and integration studies in preparation for a technical design report.

PSL Delivers RAM Drill

webmaster — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:19:44 +0000

PSL finished the construction of the Rapid Air Movement (RAM) drill head for research in Antarctica. The drill was built for the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven, Germany. Having tungsten weights, and two air motors to drive the cutters, the slender and dense drill head will be used with associated equipment from AWI in 2009-2010 field season.

Small Animal Ventilator

webmaster — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:48:11 +0000

PSL recently designed, produced and shipped a third-generation ventilator prototype for small animals (primarily mice and rats) for MRI studies relating to respiratory research for Associate Prof. Sean Fain and Bob Cadman in the UW SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH, after study of UW Biomedical Engineering students’ second generation design. The intent is to improve diagnosis methods for respiratory diseases with the noninvasive approach of MRI using 80%3He, 20%O2 to image the air passages of patients. Asthma is responsible for over 4000 deaths per year in the US. COPD is the 4th leading cause of death in the US. (COPD refers to both chronic bronchitis and emphysema.) Pneumonia is a leading cause of death in the elderly and young children.

PSL to build testing apparatus

webmaster — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:34:44 +0000

PSL has entered in an agreement with Compact Particle Accelerator Corporation to participate in the development of testing apparatus for the excitation system of the Dielectric Wall Accelerator (DWA). The DWA will be the basis of a cancer treatment system to be developed by TomoTherapy.

WHAM moves to Chile

webmaster — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:57:30 +0000

Recently the UW Astronomy Department was funded by the National Science Foundation to upgrade some of the WHAM hardware and then relocate WHAM to the Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory in Chile. This will enable WHAM to reach portions of the southern sky (the black region in the image below) not accessible from the Kitt Peak location and complete the all-sky survey for the H-Alpha spectral line.

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WSJ catches up with IceCube

webmaster — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:40:22 +0000

The Wisconsin State Journal published an article on the progress of the IceCube project at the South Pole, detailing the success of the 2009-2010 season, as well as the economic benefit IceCube has brought to Dane County.

Read the article

PSL helps improve WiscSIMS

webmaster — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:16:17 +0000

PSL was contacted by Dr. Noriko Kita of the Geology & Geophysics Department regarding improving the resolution of a visible light microscope built into the WiscSIMS Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer by converting the illumination to ultraviolet light (UV). PSL engineers implemented an immediate economical improvement by replacing the halogen lamp with a blue LED. Users of the WiscSIMS Lab find this change very helpful. Full implementation of a deep UV light source for further improvement is pending evaluation.

More Information

Improving Gas Mixture Delivery for Rodent MRIs

webmaster — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:29:22 +0000

PSL’s proposal to Sean Fain (Medical Physics) for reengineering for reliability of a gas mixture delivery system to small rodents for respiratory passage MRI has been accepted.

Click here for more information on hyperpolarized Helium MRI.

PSL to Build RAM Drill

webmaster — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:23:31 +0000

PSL has received a contract from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven Germany for construction of a Rapid Air Movement (RAM) Ice Drill for glaciological research in Antarctica. The drill will be similar to that built by PSL for Ice Coring and Drilling Services in 2003.