Activity Report of Open Application Course vol.18
College students and graduate school students from Thailand learned cryogenic system theory and its applications
Accelerator Laboratory, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization
Report from Prof. Hirotaka Nakai
In Japan, practical applications are being pursued for the opening of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen in 2027 (between Shinagawa and Nagoya). In this respect, the term “superconductivity” became synonymous with state-of-the-art technology, but opportunities to actually see superconductive phenomena, even in Japan, have finally become more frequent in recent years. Unfortunately, even in Thailand, there is almost no opportunity to actually see superconductivity phenomena, and what they have is a knowledge of such phenomena and applications obtained from textbooks.
Supported by the SAKURA Exchange Program in Science, seven excellent undergraduate students and graduate school students, who speak English fluently and are interested in cryogenics, from Silpakorn University, Mahasarakham University, and Chiang Mai University in Thailand, and two staff members, were invited. The Inter-University Resarch Institute Corporation High Energy Accelerator Research Organization invited them for 10 days from September 13th to September 22nd, 2018. Lectures and practical training were provided, including the cryogenics basics as well as applications of superconductivity in the accelerator. We conducted science and technology training which hopefully will be the beginning of cryogenics development in Thailand.
Since cryogenics is a complex scientific field that encompasses not only thermodynamics and hydrodynamics, but also statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, and the theory of physical properties, it cannot be studied in a short period of ten days. So, we decided to run this program for three years as a multi-year program with the idea of handing down the knowledge and experience in Thailand. For the training this year, which was the first year of training, we held a big opening ceremony with nine invited guests from Thailand and ten participants from each university.
The lecture was based on the cryogenics course held at the Graduate University for Advanced Studies, and was summarized from the introduction of cryogenics to the introduction of the cryogenics system for the state-of-the-art superconducting accelerator which has already been in operation. In addition, they took a tour of the superconducting research facility in the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, and tried to confirm their knowledge by observing the actual facility that embodied the knowledge they had gained in the lecture.
They participated in a practical training using liquefied helium and liquefied nitrogen that are indispensable to superconducting technology, to learn cryogenics based on experience as well as knowledge. We learned later that the participants voluntarily studied in a group every day after the lectures and practical training to review the contents they had learned on that day and to solve problems.
At the end of the training, the participants made presentations of what they had learned from the lecture and practical training which played a role in reviewing the lecture. Time for the preparation of the presentation materials was made for them, just in case, but they had already completed the preparation of the materials the night before the day of the presentation and the allotment of the presentation as well. We could see that the invited guests have good teamwork and diligence.
We believe that these 10 days were satisfactory for them, because the program had a variety of content, including the facility tour in the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, the National Museum of Emerging Science visits, and a social gathering with other students at a Japanese restaurant. In their letters sent to us after they went back home, they told us about how the opportunity to see the big research facilities of the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization and the cryogenic technologies, which have been developed and realized, had made a big impact on them . The training for the next year will be much improved after reviewing the achievements of this year’s program.
