Vacuum science has been integral to major scientific advancements. One of the most prominent of these is gravitational wave detectors. Gravitational waves are ripples in space-time that are caused by violent processes such as exploding stars, collisions between neutron stars or the merging of black holes – a concept predicted by Einstein’s theory of General Relativity in 1915.
One of the most discussed concepts amongst the astrophysics community is black holes. A black hole is a volume of space where the presence of gravity is so extreme that fast moving particles or light cannot escape.
For a vacuum pump system, a vital consideration in its design is the conductance. Conductance in vacuum systems is the characteristic of a vacuum component or system to readily allow the flow of gas and can be thought of as the inverse of resistance to flow. Its units are that of the volumetric capacity of gas flow in a passive component (or aggregate component of a vacuum system), such as an opening or a pipe, divided by time.
When working with high vacuum (HV) and ultra-high vacuum (UHV), there are specific aspects to consider to ensure an efficient and safe system.
To clarify, the pressure range of UHV conditions are defined as between 10-7 and 10-12 mbar, whereas HV conditions are defined as between 10-3 and 10-7 mbar. Some of the main applications of HV include metallurgical processes, nuclear physics, space simulation and analytical instruments. On the other hand, UHVs are used for surface analysis, in high-energy physics and Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE).
In this blog, we discuss the three main considerations you need to bear in mind when working under HV or UHV conditions.
Ion getter pumps (also called sputter ion pumps or simply ion pumps) produce ultra-high vacuum (UHV) without the aid of moving parts or valves. This makes them highly effective, quiet and low maintenance.
Anyone without a deep understanding or knowledge of pumps might think that vacuum generation is simply a question of “plugging in a pump”, starting it up and waiting for the vacuum to drop to the required level.
When it comes to choosing a vacuum gauge, understanding the application and vacuum pressure measurement required is crucial to making the right choice.
But while pressure measurement plays an important role in all vacuum applications, there’s no universal vacuum gauge that will respond accurately throughout the range from atmospheric pressure to 10-12 mbar.
In our latest interview we spoke to Peter Lambertz, a Business Development Manager in the R&D Market, and one of the contributors to the Vacuum Science World knowledge platform.
With over ten years of experience in the field of vacuum science research, we discussed his background, specific interests and the challenges he has encountered in the vacuum industry over the years.
In another addition to our expert interview series, we spoke to Dr Andrew Chew, who is a Global Applications Manager in the Scientific Vacuum Sector.
In his role, he is developing customised solutions for a large number of R&D applications such as Surface Analysis, Electron Microscopy, Mass Spectrometry, and many more. Find out more about his background and involvement with vacuum technology by reading our Q&A below.
Turbomolecular pumps (TMPs) are kinetic vacuum pumps which operate using a very fast spinning rotor (usually rotating at between 24,000 and 90,000 RPM). Their typical operating pressures are in the high to ultra-high pressure range between 10-3 and 10-11 mbar, employing pumping speeds of between 10 and 4,000 l/s.
