The 1- to 4-K refrigeration techniques for cooling masers on a beam waveguide antenna

The status of technology is reported for various 1- to 4-K commercially available refrigeration systems capable of producing 1.5-K refrigeration to cool masers and superconducting cavity oscillators on the proposed beam waveguide antenna. The design requirements for the refrigeration system and the cryostat are presented. A continuously operating evaporation refrigerator that uses capillary tubing to provide a continuous, self-regulating flow of helium at approximately 1.5 K has been selected as the first refrigerator design for the beam waveguide antenna.