Around 1900, the concept and implementation of cryostats were still in their early stages of development. A cryostat, derived from the Greek words “krios” (cold) and “stasis” (stationary), is a device used to maintain very low and stable temperatures for long periods, essential for experiments in low-temperature physics, biology, and medicine, among other fields.

During this period, advancements in the understanding and manipulation of extremely low temperatures began to accelerate, thanks to pioneers in cryogenics and low-temperature physics such as James Dewar and Heike Kamerlingh Onnes. Dewar, for example, was responsible for developing the Dewar flask in 1892, a vacuum-insulated container that became a crucial component in future cryostat designs for storing and handling cryogenic liquids, such as liquid nitrogen and liquid helium.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the liquefaction of gases became an area of intense interest, with the production of liquid oxygen, liquid nitrogen, and eventually liquid helium, achieved by Kamerlingh Onnes in 1908. These advances allowed experiments at temperatures close to absolute zero, paving the way for new research into physical phenomena such as superconductivity and the behavior of materials at low temperatures.

The cryostat presented is designed to operate in the temperature range between ˗190 and ˗250°C and is one of two cryostats designed by Karol Olszewski.

Ewa Wyka, PhD (Museu da Universidade Jaguelônica, Collegium Maius)