Thermal design and performance of the SCUBA-2 instrument 1-K and mK systems

Various research fields require large and complex instruments containing detectors operating at millikelvin temperatures. The materials and techniques traditionally used in cryogenics are often unsuitable for the demanding requirements of such instruments. We describe the thermal design and performance of the 1-K and millikelvin systems of the SCUBA-2 instrument. This is an astronomical “camera” operating at wavelengths of 450 and 850 μm. It is the largest and most complex instrument ever built for sub-mm astronomy, and the first to use a cryogen-free dilution refrigerator. The design consists of a mix of traditional techniques (but used in demanding situations) as well as novel elements. The thermal performance has been stable and very successful, and we hope that the details described here will be useful to the designers of future large instruments.