image: RHIC's "siberian snake" magnets have a corkscrew-like design, which causes the direction of the magnetic field to spiral along the direction of the beam. There are two snakes in each of RHIC’s two 2.4-mile-circumference rings, located at opposite sides of each ring. As the beam moves through the snakes, the magnetic field flips the polarization allowing scientists to maintain a stable beam. view more
Credit: Courtesy of Brookhaven National Laboratory