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Progress and Challenges of Sub-Kelvin Sorption Cooler and Its Prospects for Space Application

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Abstract

The helium sorption cooler plays an important role in both ground and space application because it does not require a magnetic field and is not dependent on gravity. At present, one research focus of sorption cooler is the development of multistage to overcome the disadvantages of the originally developed single-stage structure. The other focus is the development of continuous sorption cooler. Although the sorption cooler has been widely employed in astronomy and Earth atmospherics sciences, space mission and other fields, there are still lots of technologies that can be further improved, such as superfluid film suppression, the development of high on–off ratio gas-gap heat switch and rapidly responsive sorption pump. This paper reviews the principle, structure and performance parameters of the sorption cooler and its suitability to the space application. In addition, the technical challenges and the efforts that scholars are trying will also be introduced.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51706233, U1831203, 51427806), Strategic Pilot Projects in Space Science of China (No. XDA15010400), Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. QYZDY-SSW-JSC028) and Youth Innovation Promotion Association of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. 2019030).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Cryogenics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China

    Xiaotong Xi, Jue Wang, Liubiao Chen, Yuan Zhou & Junjie Wang

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Xiaotong Xi, Jue Wang, Liubiao Chen, Yuan Zhou & Junjie Wang

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  1. Xiaotong Xi
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Correspondence to Liubiao Chen or Yuan Zhou.

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Xi, X., Wang, J., Chen, L. et al. Progress and Challenges of Sub-Kelvin Sorption Cooler and Its Prospects for Space Application. J Low Temp Phys 199, 1363–1381 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-020-02442-1

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