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Experiments with Supersonic Beams as a Source of Cold Atoms

Experiments with Supersonic Beams as a Source of Cold Atoms

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approximations are made in this calculation. The first approximation is that the cou-<br />

pling between the spindle and feedthrough is truly rigid. The second approximation<br />

comes from the fact that this finite element package cannot simulate two materials<br />

simultaneously. The entire rotor structure is simulated <strong>as</strong> stainless steel, since the<br />

stainless steel spindle comprises most <strong>of</strong> the m<strong>as</strong>s, and because the point which the<br />

calculations indicate is flexing the most is the stainless steel shaft <strong>of</strong> the spindle. In<br />

the experimental setup, the rotor is made from titanium and weighs about 700 g less<br />

than the stainless steel rotor <strong>of</strong> the finite element calculation. This decre<strong>as</strong>e in m<strong>as</strong>s<br />

should result in incre<strong>as</strong>ed resonant frequencies in the actual rotor. A final uncertainty<br />

lies in the fact that this calculation does not include the shaft <strong>of</strong> the feedthrough,<br />

<strong>as</strong> the rigidity <strong>of</strong> the bearings is unknown. However, given that the finite element<br />

calculation predicts resonant frequencies in the same region where they are observed<br />

leads to a belief that the pendulum modes <strong>of</strong> the spindle shaft are the cause <strong>of</strong> the<br />

resonance which limits the rotor velocity.<br />

3.3.2.3 Improved Spindle Design<br />

Led by the finite element calculation described in section 3.3.2.2, the spindle<br />

w<strong>as</strong> redesigned <strong>with</strong> the goal <strong>of</strong> incre<strong>as</strong>ing the resonant frequencies <strong>of</strong> the vibrational<br />

modes. To do this, the spindle material is changed to titanium instead <strong>of</strong> stainless<br />

steel, and redesigned to have minimal m<strong>as</strong>s, which reduced the weight <strong>of</strong> the spindle<br />

from 4.07 kg to .88 kg. The reduction in spindle m<strong>as</strong>s means that the rotor does not<br />

spin around the axis <strong>with</strong> the greatest moment <strong>of</strong> inertia, but this is viewed <strong>as</strong> an<br />

acceptable trade <strong>of</strong>f. Additionally, the method <strong>of</strong> clamping the spindle to the shaft<br />

<strong>of</strong> the feedthrough is completely redesigned. Rather than having a thin shaft extend<br />

from the top <strong>of</strong> the spindle, which is connected to the shaft <strong>of</strong> the feedthrough by<br />

a clamp, the spindle is designed to be a clamp itself. This design is similar to the<br />

42

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