RE: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Undersea telescope...

["Karl S. Luttrell" <SDECO@prodigy.net>]

The particle guys and gals are just working out the smaller and smaller
divisions of matter and energy, trying to equate physical evidence with
theory and math models.  The astrophysicists are looking for new spectra to
view the universe, beyond the visible, infra-red, radio, x-ray, etc. that
they now have, again looking for physical evidence to corelate with
theoretical and mathematical models of stars, interstellar matter, etc.

The depth component of detectors is to screen out influences like solar and
cosmic rays, which in my simple understanding is analagous to static on an
AM radio.  The links from the ANTARES page have some much better
explanations.  Dr. Learned's on the Univ. of Hawaii's (DUMAND) page seemed
to be a very good plain language summary.

The IMB detector was 2000 feet underground and had a detector tank of
ultra-pure reverse osmosis water about 63 feet deep at the deepest point.
>From a diving point of view, it was the antithesis of diving at altitude.
The weight of the air in the mine shaft was nearly equal to three feet of
sea water.  Thus for decomp calculations, we had to add this to the pressure
of the water in feet of sea water to determine maximum depth for the tables.
But on the other hand, we surfaced to a three foot "safety stop" lasting
until we exited the mine up a five minute elevator ride.  All in all, it was
safer than altitude diving: in addition to the three foot "safety stop", the
transition from water pressure to air pressure was less drastic (unlike
altitude where it is more drastic)and our dive profiles nearly always placed
our theoretical "fast tissues" closer to saturation than our "slow tissues"
which would preferentially on-gas at our shallow three foot air equivalent.
We didn't stay in the mine overnight and usually only made a couple of dives
less than an hour in length for one or two days every three weeks. We had no
dive accidents in those ten years, but occasionally got a diver tangled in
the nylon monofilament suspending the photomultiplier tubes and their
electrical power and signal cables.  I don't remember ever having to send
the safety diver down the communications umbilical to assist, though it was
close a few times.

Sorry if I'm rambling off subject, but that job had a lot of unique aspects.

Karl aka Scidiver

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org
[mailto:owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org]On Behalf Of Captain Nemo
Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2000 5:48 AM
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Undersea telescope...



----- Original Message -----
From: "Karl S. Luttrell" <SDECO@prodigy.net>
To: <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2000 5:39 PM
Subject: RE: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Undersea telescope...


> Great Site!
> It brings back lots of memories. I led a clean room dive team that
serviced
> the internals of the IMB detector located 2000 feet underground in a road
> salt mine east of Cleveland,OH.  I took a photo of one of my divers in
front
> of the PMTs that appeared in National Geo in 1988, just after the neutrino
> blast from a supernova star had been detected.  Worked that project for
> about ten years.  Good to see the info on the newer detectors and
recognized
> lots of names from the IMB years.  Thanks for passing along that link.
>
> Karl Luttrell

Hmmmm!  2000 feet again; interesting correlation to Vance's post.  Same
depth.  Something to do with the detection process, maybe?

I heard the Japanese have a similar station way down in the belly of a lead
mine, too.    Tell me something, Karl: why are scientists interested in
neutrinos?

VBR,

Pat