Helium-3 Shortage Making Physics Projects Suffer!
The world is suddenly witnessing a sharp and surprising decline in the Helium-3 availability! This stable isotope of Helium plays a crucial role in MRI lung research, low temperature experimental physics and the most crucial neutron detectors!
He-3 is an isotope of Helium gas that is used in party balloons. One neutron is missing in this isotope compared to the He-4 which is made up of 2 neutrons and 2 protons. The lighter isotope, that is the He-3 is rare in nature and is also a by-product of the decay of tritium (hydrogen-3) in thermonuclear weapons.
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CERN Magnet
The unique structure of He-3 is a great advantage in refrigerating science experiments that require a temperature below 1 kelvin. Major laboratories such as the <em>European Organization for Nuclear Research</em> (known as CERN) require such kind of conditions and hence He-3 plays an important role. While He-4 can push the temperature up to 1.8 kelvin, He-3 can push it even lower, up to 0.01 K!
Recently, the He-3 has brought revolution in pulmonary science and medicines too. But now, the shortage of He-3 is creating a lot of obstacles in all these experiments. The origin of this shortage is the United States.
Actually, the United States has been the biggest supplier of He-3 all over the world. But it all started after the September 11 attacks in New York City and Washington. After the attacks, the government agencies dedicated to security have raised the security to an unprecedented level. For these security measures, large number neutron detectors were commissioned. Thousands of such scanners can be found at airports, shipyards and border crossings to watch out for plutonium.
These scanners completely rely on He-3 and as per the reports, consumed about 80% stock of the gas used in US from 2005 to 2010. At the same time, the annual rate of production of He-3 in US has fallen. After the attacks, due to the neutron detectors, the He-3 stock has come down to 50K liters today from 200K liters in 2001.
Russia, in 2008 stopped supplying He-3 to other countries. So the rest of the world mostly depends on US for the supply of the gas. United States itself is struggling to make up its own requirement. The market has become out-of-balance and the prices are touching the sky! <em>Physics Today</em> reported that a Netherland based company paid $2150 for 1 liter of He-3 in 2010 which would have cost just $100 a year earlier.
The ambitious projects such as at CERN are suffering badly due to this shortage. The US is somehow managing its own research requirements. But research labs at other countries (like CERN in Geneva) are going through a tough time. They have to pay a very high amount for a little amount of He-3. The United States can’t compromise on its security too! The detectors get the first priority. I think its time to invent some substitute to these He-3 run neutron detectors. Otherwise, all the ambitious science projects worldwide are going to come to a saddening halt!
He-3 is an isotope of Helium gas that is used in party balloons. One neutron is missing in this isotope compared to the He-4 which is made up of 2 neutrons and 2 protons. The lighter isotope, that is the He-3 is rare in nature and is also a by-product of the decay of tritium (hydrogen-3) in thermonuclear weapons.
CERN Magnet
The unique structure of He-3 is a great advantage in refrigerating science experiments that require a temperature below 1 kelvin. Major laboratories such as the <em>European Organization for Nuclear Research</em> (known as CERN) require such kind of conditions and hence He-3 plays an important role. While He-4 can push the temperature up to 1.8 kelvin, He-3 can push it even lower, up to 0.01 K!
Recently, the He-3 has brought revolution in pulmonary science and medicines too. But now, the shortage of He-3 is creating a lot of obstacles in all these experiments. The origin of this shortage is the United States.
Actually, the United States has been the biggest supplier of He-3 all over the world. But it all started after the September 11 attacks in New York City and Washington. After the attacks, the government agencies dedicated to security have raised the security to an unprecedented level. For these security measures, large number neutron detectors were commissioned. Thousands of such scanners can be found at airports, shipyards and border crossings to watch out for plutonium.
These scanners completely rely on He-3 and as per the reports, consumed about 80% stock of the gas used in US from 2005 to 2010. At the same time, the annual rate of production of He-3 in US has fallen. After the attacks, due to the neutron detectors, the He-3 stock has come down to 50K liters today from 200K liters in 2001.
Russia, in 2008 stopped supplying He-3 to other countries. So the rest of the world mostly depends on US for the supply of the gas. United States itself is struggling to make up its own requirement. The market has become out-of-balance and the prices are touching the sky! <em>Physics Today</em> reported that a Netherland based company paid $2150 for 1 liter of He-3 in 2010 which would have cost just $100 a year earlier.
The ambitious projects such as at CERN are suffering badly due to this shortage. The US is somehow managing its own research requirements. But research labs at other countries (like CERN in Geneva) are going through a tough time. They have to pay a very high amount for a little amount of He-3. The United States can’t compromise on its security too! The detectors get the first priority. I think its time to invent some substitute to these He-3 run neutron detectors. Otherwise, all the ambitious science projects worldwide are going to come to a saddening halt!
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