This facility -- operated by the Department of Technical Services -- produces and provides Memorial researchers with access to liquid nitrogen and helium for a wide variety of research instrumentation. It is critical there be a constant supply available for regular "fills" of devices operating at low temperature.

Liquid nitrogen is a cryogenic liquid used for refrigeration, preservation of biological samples and for low temperature scientific experimentation. For example it is often used to cool energy dispersive X-ray detectors in analytical equipment. Liquid helium, because of its low boiling point, is used in many  cryogenic systems when temperatures below the boiling point of nitrogen are needed. A convenient way to cool many kinds of apparatus, such as super-conducting magnets, is to submerge them in liquid helium or liquid nitrogen. The NMR superconducting magnets needs to be maintained at a cryogenic temperature in order to work.