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Ray Davis Pics

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This huge storage vessel some 48 feet long and 20 feet in diameter is the heart of the Homestake neutrino observatory. Located 4,850 feet underground, it con-tains 100,000 gallons of perchloroethylene, a dry-cleaning fluid rich in chlorine. The liquid "traps" neutrinos emitted at the core of the sun. Raymond Davis stands above the unit.
Photo courtesy of Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Raymond Davis shapes glass tubing for the intricate argon gas extraction and purification system installed in the Homestake neutrino observatory.
Photo courtesy of Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Schematic diagram of the Homestake neutrino observatory, circa 1965.
Photo courtesy of Brookhaven National Laboratory.

The 100,000-gallon storage vessel was about half completed when this photo was taken. The finished tank is 48 feet long and 20 feet in diameter. Photo courtesy of Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Schematic diagram of the Homestake neutrino observatory, circa 1965.
Photo courtesy of Brookhaven National Laboratory.

These pumps circulate helium gas through the tank of perchloroethylene. The helium carries any radioactive argon-37 produced by a neutrino "capture" through the extraction and purification unit. Raymond Davis is at right.
Photo courtesy of Brookhaven National Laboratory.

In the Homestake neutrino observatory’s control room, Raymond Davis (left) and research assistant John Galvin monitor the instruments that regulate the storage tank and system of pumps.
Photo courtesy of Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Raymond Davis (facing camera) and research assistant John Galvin watch the gauges of the system that gathers radioactive argon-37 gas from the storage tank. The gas is filtered out by this extraction and purification system, which traps it with a charcoal filter cooled to -320 degrees Fahrenheit.
Photo courtesy of Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Raymond Davis draws liquid nitrogen to cool the argon extraction system’s charcoal filters. This system gathers radioactive argon-37 gas from the 100,000-gallon tank of perchloroethylene.
Photo courtesy of Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Raymond Davis places an argon-37 counter in a device at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This apparatus made the first measurements of radioactive argon-37 from the Homestake neutrino observatory.
Photo courtesy of Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Raymond Davis holds a small proportional counter that he is preparing to fill with radioactive argon-37 recovered from the Homestake neutrino observatory. The extremely sensitive counter registers the radioactive decay of argon-37 pro-duced in the storage tank by a neutrino "capture."
Photo courtesy of Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Updated June 29, 2004