Pass-sectional view of the 28 GHz ECRIS superconducting magnet. Credit score: Berkeley Lab
Researchers from Berkeley Lab’s Accelerator Generation & Implemented Physics (ATAP) Department have teamed up with colleagues from Michigan State College’s Facility for Uncommon Isotope Beams (FRIB), the sector’s maximum tough heavy-ion accelerator, to increase a brand new superconducting magnet according to niobium-tin (Nb3Sn) era.
This magnet, the primary of its sort, may considerably reinforce FRIB’s efficiency and improve its features, opening up new packages in medication, trade, and analysis. The paper is revealed within the magazine IEEE Transactions on Implemented Superconductivity.
At FRIB, beams of ionized atoms (ions) of parts spanning the periodic desk, together with heavy parts like uranium, are speeded up to part the velocity of sunshine. When those beams collide with a goal, they damage aside to create short-lived isotopes.
Through finding out those uncommon isotopes, a few of that have by no means been seen, scientists can higher perceive the construction of topic and the formation of our universe.
“A key part of FRIB is an electron cyclotron resonance ion supply, or ECRIS, which creates high-current, high-charge state ions for injection into the accelerator beamline,” explains Tengming Shen, a workforce scientist in ATAP’s Superconducting Magnet Program (SMP) who’s main the improvement of the brand new magnet.
“This ECRIS makes use of a sextupole magnet and solenoid to restrict the electrons and ions in a plasma. The electrons are then heated with high-frequency (28 GHz) microwaves, growing high-energy electrons that strip electrons from impartial atoms within the plasma to supply excessive fee state ions.” (This configuration, notes Shen, is according to the Flexible ECRIS for Nuclear Science (VENUS) design used within the cyclotron accelerator at Berkeley Lab.)
Fabricated at Berkeley Lab, this sextupole magnet is wound with superconducting niobium-titanium (Nb-Ti) coils. Then again, 28 GHz Nb-Ti magnets have a top subject of 6.7 tesla (T) on the liquid helium temperatures (4.2 Kelvin, -452.1°Fahrenheit) at which the ECIRS is operated.
Shen says that to reinforce the power’s efficiency and enlarge its vary of packages, the ECRIS must be built with magnets that may produce upper magnetic fields to permit operation at upper microwave frequencies.
“Our objective is to extend the microwave frequency to over 45 GHz. At this frequency, the height magnetic subject will increase to ten.8 T; then again, the current-carrying capability of Nb-Ti subject material considerably diminishes.”
Towards this finish, the researchers selected a magnet design according to superconducting coils constituted of Nb3Sn. Coils constituted of Nb3Sn can lift a excessive latest density of greater than 100 amperes according to sq. millimeter at a lot upper magnetic fields—doubtlessly as much as 22 T—than the ones produced by means of Nb-Ti at 4.2 Ok.
Then again, whilst the superconducting houses of Nb3Sn exceed the ones of Nb-Ti, Shen says the conductor traits of Nb3Sn are very other from the ones of Nb-Ti.
“As an example, not like Nb-Ti, Nb3Sn is brittle and touchy to pressure. Moreover, coils constituted of Nb3Sn go through dimensional adjustments all the way through fabrication, which calls for better control of the fabrication procedure.
“Moreover, the magnet is built the use of small conductors moderately than the massive Rutherford cables utilized in latest magnet designs and calls for round 300 turns for each and every coil.”
He says those components upload to the complexity of manufacturing the coils and assembling a magnet.
“In consequence,” he continues, “fabricating Nb3Sn coils is more difficult, particularly for this first-of-its-kind magnet for which no blueprint lately exists. Subsequently, growing one of these magnet calls for intensive revel in designing and fabricating superconducting magnets.”
Thankfully, Berkeley Lab has really extensive revel in running with Nb3Sn-based magnets. Final yr, as an example, the Lab effectively fabricated and assembled the primary set of quadrupole magnets constituted of Nb3Sn superconducting cables.
This paintings is a part of the U.S. Accelerator Improve Mission’s ongoing contribution to the Prime Luminosity Massive Hadron Collider Accelerator Improve Mission, which targets to improve the features of the Massive Hadron Collider, promising new discoveries in high-energy and particle physics.
The advance of this ECRIS magnet “is a superb instance of the way high-field accelerator magnet R&D for long term colliders can get advantages different science packages,” says Soren Prestemon, Deputy Director of Generation at ATAP and Head of SMP.
“Moreover, it supplies a very good alternative for our gifted workforce of scientists, engineers, and technical workforce to give a contribution without delay to new and running amenities like FRIB and the development of high-energy physics analysis.”
Shen says the workforce has already performed a lot of magnetic and mechanical design calculations to regulate Nb3Sn’s stain-sensitive nature.
“We have now additionally evaluated the conductor fabrication procedure, performed winding and fabrication trials, and advanced a brand new design that addresses the demanding situations of coil fabrication. We’re with regards to finishing the observe coil, tooling design, fabrication procedures, and processes.”
He provides that paintings has already began on winding a full-sized prototype coil, and so they intend to check a full-length model quickly to make sure its superconducting efficiency. If the check proves a success, he says they plan to increase, assemble, and check a 28 GHz device with “an eye fixed to long term upgrades.”
In line with Jie Wei, director of the Accelerator Techniques Department at FRIB and the power’s lead collaborator at the paintings, the brand new magnet design according to Nb3Sn era “will result in the next magnetic subject than the present Nb-Ti supply, providing awesome efficiency whilst offering a better protection margin. Extra importantly, it allows a brand new ECR supply design for running at upper frequencies (as much as 45 GHz) and higher plasma energy.”
When finished, he says the magnet “will make sure that FRIB stays on the frontier of basic clinical analysis.”
Additional information:
Tengming Shen et al, Design and Building of a 28 GHz Nb3Sn ECR Ion Supply Superconducting Magnet, IEEE Transactions on Implemented Superconductivity (2024). DOI: 10.1109/TASC.2024.3358767
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Lawrence Berkeley Nationwide Laboratory
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Niobium-tin magnet may well be key to unlocking attainable of heavy-ion accelerator (2024, October 4)
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