Mark Jennings grew up in London and is an avid follower of science and technology. A self confessed techno-file who, from his very earliest memories was asking How? and Why?

Originally training and working in civil engineering on London's Underground. At 21 he followed his passion for Aviation to become a flying instructor then an airline pilot, and upon later moving to New Zealand working as a commercial helicopter pilot.

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Displacement: 14,335 tonnes.138m x 12.5metres x 10.6

Powered by: K15 PWR reactor

Speed : 25+ submerged knots max depth approx 400m

Crew: 15 officers, 96 sailors equipped with Sonar DMUX 80, Sonar DUUX 5, Sonar DSUV 61B VLF tactical operational system

Armament: 4 x 21" torpedo tubes for F17 torpedoes and Exocet SM39 anti-ship missiles. 16 x M45 SLBM/M51 SLBM with TN 75 warheads

Seats: Pilot + up to 4 passengers. Used for police patrol and crew transfers

Equipment:Quick fit baggage/utility pod or quick fit FLIR and Night-sun

Empty weight: 493 kg Max

Takeoff Weight:1,157 kg

Power-plant:1 × Rolls Royce/Allison 250-C20B Turboshaft, 415 hp

Maximum speed: 152 knots

Cruise speed: 120knots

Range: 375 miles

Rate of climb: 1,500 ft/min

Seats: Pilot + up to 5 passengers. Police/Search/rescue

Equipment: Quick fit FLIR and Night-sun. Medivac stretcher

Empty Weight: 1305kg

Takeoff Weight: 2540kg or 2600kg with external sling load

Power Plant:2 × Rolls Royce/Allison 250-C20R Turboshaft, 450 hp

Maximum speed: 137knots

Cruise speed: 117knots

Range: 380 miles

Service ceiling: 16,000 ft

Rate of climb: 1,400 ft/min

Land based version of PWR3 latest generation submarine reactor. Very stable, will produce less power as temperatures increase. Secondary coolant\turbine loop is separate from the primary cooling loop, hence water in the secondary loop remains uncontaminated by radioactive materials. The control rods are held out by electromagnets and fall by gravity if power is lost. full insertion safely shuts down the primary nuclear reaction. Developed for use in compact secure underground facilities where operation needs to be undetectable. Service life 25 years at normal load. No refuelling required. (shown during construction)

Used in liquid form to maintain CryoDipole and Quad-pole containment magnets at 1.9k / -271˚c. This is cold enough to operate as superconductors and accelerate/contain the two Counter rotating beams of accelerated particles. CERN utilises 96,000 litres of liquified Helium 4. The largest storage facility for helium in the world. In liquid form it is a super-liquid. Upon evaporation back to a gas, Helium will expand 757 times. CERN's volume would expand from 96,000 litres in liquid form to 7,267,200 litres in gas form.
At Cern the Helium is stored in the containment sections themselves as in the numerous storage tanks spread around the 8 sections of the 27km long LHC Loop. (image shows one of many cryogenic line connections to a cryostat)

At CERN 1232 of these sections accelerate, direct and contain the accelerated particles around the LHC 27km loop, along with 362 evenly spaced Quadrapole beam focusers. Each section is 15 metres long and carry various services including the Dipole and Qaudrapole electrical bus bars. Magnets are cooled to -271˚c by a massive cryogenic supply network which enables magnets to operate as superconductors. Particles carried in two high vacuum beam pipes. Surrounded by super conductive coils.
(Image courtesy of CERN)

A modified version of the SP 2009/2340. It entered service with the French Police and Gendarmerie in 2002 for a planned service life of 20 years. fires 9mm ammunition from 15 round magazine. Polycarbonate used extensively to reduce weight and achieve better balance.

Manufactured by Sako of Finland. Bolt action hunting rifle. Medium action firing .308 rounds. Single set or magazine (holds 5 rounds) capable of 3" grouping at 800m. Integral tapered scope mount rail and one-piece forged bolt. Free-floating barrel, cold hammer-forged. Mechanical Ejection.

Waterproof thermal monopod. Displays image gathered in infrared rather than visible light frequencies. Displays image using thermal difference in fractions of degrees even over considerable distances. Gives huge advantage operating in total darkness, fog, light snow, rain, and other low visibility situations. Hand held or Quickly mounts to standard Picatinny rail. Features visible red laser marker and infrared aiming laser for invisible and accurate sighting of targets. waterproof up to 66 feet. Lightweight. Battery life 4 hours. Recoil resistant. (sale restricted to military/police agencies)

Upon detonation, emits an intensely loud "bang" and blinding flash of up to 8 million candela and 170–180 dB, sufficient to cause instant ( temporary) flash blindness, deafness, tinnitus, and inner ear disturbance. victim experiences disorientation, confusion loss of coordination and balance. Non lethal. Non fragmenting.

Both the staff entrance from reception lobby and the service ramp feed into this level. This is the top of 4 levels that make up the reactor facility. All set within 1 metre thick concrete walls, lined with lead. This containment wall encases the entire subterranean facility. Designed to be able to withstand an earthquake up to magnitude 8.5 or most types of ordnance. Power operated containment doors seal off facility at the Main entrance, the Alpha and Bravo stairwells/lifts and service lift entrances. The only other access is out through duct to CERN which carries electrical and water feeds. These doors are only operable from inside the facility. Main entrance leads from surface Reception/lobby and down through large containment door. All staff/visitors pass through security here.

ON THIS LEVEL: All containment doors, Security/vetting, staff changing rooms, staff room, Intake duct, Intake duct plant room, I.T suite, sprinkler room/coolant reservoir access hatch and gantry crane cab entrance way.

Provides most space for facility service storage and temporary contractors storage. Bravo lobby doors open completely to enable access to service lift for large items in contractors stores.

ON THIS LEVEL: Coolant reservoir tank. General stores for supplies and safety equipment. Storage : Gas cylinders for Halon flood system to protect control room and electrical plant room.

Most used level for day to day operations. Secure control room and security suite located here with reinforced glass overlooking the two reactor caps and reactor control rod housings as well as the two main generator turbines. Reactor hall is serviced by large overhead gantry crane accessed from sub level. All escorted visitors vetted by security. Service lift opens out directly into reactor hall providing maximum clearance for largest components which are found or accessed from this level.

ON THIS LEVEL: Control room, Security control room, Main reactor hall, Cafeteria, Kitchen, Administration offices.

Lowest level of facility. slightly smaller dimensions. Currently contractors completing and commissioning reactor 2. Sump area allows access to base of reactors and generator housings. Most main services to reactor floor carried on sump level keeping reactor hall clean and uncluttered. Sump Room houses all pumps and services including water treatment and wastes management.

ON THIS LEVEL: Sump room, Stores, Lower access to reactors, Lower access to Generators.

World renowned English physicist and chemist who excelled in the field of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. The Faraday Cage (or effect) is the principle of electrical shielding due to electrical charges only existing on the exterior of a charged conductor and therefore having no effect on anything within it. Considered the best experimentalist in the history of science. He established that magnetism could affect light rays, giving rise to the CRT screen. His inventions of electromagnetic induction and electromagnetic rotary devices formed the foundation of electric motors. As a chemist, Faraday discovered benzene. He made familiar the terms: anode, cathode, electrode, and ion. The SI unit for capacitance 'farad' is named after him.

Constructed in a huge underground Cavern, it is a general purpose detector to investigate a wide range of physics, including the search for the Higgs boson, extra dimensions, and particles that could make up dark matter. The CMS detector is built around a huge solenoid magnet. This takes the form of a cylindrical coil of superconducting cable that generates a magnetic field of 4 teslas, about 100 000 times that of the Earth. The magnetic field is confined by a steel 'yoke' that forms the bulk of the detector's weight of 12 500 tonnes.
(image courtesy of CERN)