Present Status of the Tsukuba Magnet Laboratory

The Tsukuba Magnet Laboratory (TML) is located 324 km from the seismic center of the first 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan on Friday, March 11, 2011. TML suffered peak ground acceleration of 372 Gal. The large 930 and 1030 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) magnets of TML were severely affected by the earthquake. The hybrid magnet and its control system were not significantly damaged. After the earthquake, serious electricity shortages occurred and our awareness of the importance of energy conservation increased. A control system for a hybrid magnet has been in development for several years. The system has sophisticated monitoring capability, detailed and rapid data recording, and is now nearing completion. The newly developed system provides detailed data; our ability to interpret this data and identify difficulties in the acquisition of critical data is improving. We are now beginning to optimize operations to reduce electricity consumption and achieve higher efficiency magnet operations.