Design of an adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator for studies in astrophysics

An adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator was designed for cooling infrared bolometers for studies in astrophysics and aeronomy. The design was tailored to the requirements of a Shuttle sortie experiment. The refrigerator should be capable of maintaining three bolometers at 0.1 K with a 90% cycle. The advantage are of operations the bolometer at 0.1K. greater sensitivity, faster response time, and the ability to use larger bolometer elements without compromising the response time. The design presented is the first complete design of an ADR intended for use in space. The most important of these specifications are to survive a Shuttle launch, to operate with 1.5 K - 2.0 K space-pumped liquid helium as a heat sink, to have a 90% duty cycle, and to be highly efficient.