spare parts for high tech research

TECHNOLOGY GROUP HERAEUS
Spare parts for research
 From WIEBKE RANN MOUNTAIN

At CERN, protons are shooting at each other. Photo: AP
The precious metals and Hanauer technology company rolled and plated for CERN - and thus contributing to the discovery of the Higgs particle.

  Druckenper mail
As the people of Hanau precious metals and technology group Heraeus already a bit proud of Heraeus have provided important spare parts for the particle accelerator at CERN in Geneva, and thus "contribute to the discovery of the Higgs particle," done, tells spokesman Jörg Wetterau.

Two weeks ago, the cheers of the researchers in Switzerland was great: they were the missing element of the so-called Standard Model of particle physics discovered. Named after the British Peter Higgs particles. It has been observed by scientists in the European Organisation for Nuclear Research CERN particle accelerator in its underground.


And to build this mile-long tube system Hanauer experts have contributed a lot. They developed and built special roll clad strips with a sawtooth profile. These were formed into the tube, where the scientists to accelerate protons and ions at nearly the speed of light.

Necessary for this are bands that can withstand not only the minus 270 degrees in particle accelerators, but also still retain their magnetic properties, Wetterau writes. For this "ultra-thin copper plating layer of a few micrometers thick," Hanauer said metal bands and have a sawtooth in the ground cords. The profile of the saw teeth would serve to reflect the radiation, which arises when the particles collided in the tubes. Demand is high precision. Any irregularity of the saw teeth "could change the angle of reflection, and thus lead to incorrect test results."

A job that is not done in a day. Only the external expert, who created the special steel, had taken ten months, Joachim Schmidt, says production manager in the mill. In Hanau, the steel was rolled into ribbons, plated copper ground and into the sawtooth.

70 tons of these tapes, Heraeus had shipped in 2005 at CERN. But there was repaired in 2008 as the accelerator for months, eventually all the spare parts were used. Then came the next mission: to produce more bands. This is now stored at CERN, says Wetterau - as a reserve.

For financial volume of the prestigious job will not comment Wetterau. In any event, Heraeus show with such tasks in addition to the daily business, "we also do special orders."