What's That?

The MagLab is full of weird contraptions. Find out what they are, how they work and why we need them.
1400 Megavolt Ampere Generator
The Pulsed Field Facility's 240-ton generator is so massive and so powerful that it can't sit on the ground.
Bus Room
Sure, it looks a subway tunnel for giants. But while MagLab's bus tunnel is used for transportation, it's not the kind of transportation you're thinking of.
Cable-in-Conduit Winding Spool
This high-tech spool is one big bobbin.
Chillers
The Magnet Lab relies on four chillers for the big job of keeping the biggest magnets cool.
Current Leads
To get millions of watts of electricity into our magnets, we need a couple of these.
Dewar
This important container protects people in the lab from Oxygen Deficiency Syndrome.
Diamond Anvil Cell
Diamonds are a scientist's best friend — especially if that scientist needs to compress a material.
Dilution Refrigerator
Dilution fridges owe their cooling power to the incredible element helium. This animation illustrates how dil fridges exploit the element's properties to make things very, very cold.
Faraday Cage
A faraday cage is an important tool for some scientists at the MagLab. But they don't work with it — they work inside it.
Helium Recovery Bag
These bags are part of a recovery project that helps control the lab's helium bill.
HiPER 9 Tesla Magnet
Stroll by physicist Steve Hill's lab on the MagLab's first floor, and you're likely to stop short and stare. That's how most folks react when they first see HiPER.
Image Furnace
Scientists use image furnaces to grow crystals at very high temperatures; a built-in camera allows them to observe in action a delicate process that is equal parts art and science.
Lithium Niobate
This crystal isn't just pretty; it's at the core of modern communication.
Probes
Without this instrument, the lab's high powered magnets would be useless.
Resin Bed
This modest-looking tank is a MagLab hero in disguise.
Water Cooling Towers
You could grow quite a garden with all the water we store at the MagLab. But we prefer to use it to keep our magnets cool.