Work

Conceptual Design and Technology Demonstration Program of the SHiP Spectrometer MgB$_{2}$ Magnet

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The SHiP experiment, to be located at CERN in the ECN3 North Area cavern, aims at detecting feebly interacting particles, potentially shedding light on neutrino mass and dark matter. A key component of the detector is the Hidden Sector Spectrometer, potentially the first large-scale, energy-efficient experimental magnet relying on superconducting MgB2 cables. This technology, initially developed for the High Luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) at CERN, has been adapted for electromagnets, cooled by gaseous helium (GHe) at about 20 K. We present the current status of the proof of-principle demonstrator, which features a coil from MgB2 cable wound onto an aluminum former and mounted inside a low carbon steel yoke. The demonstrator has been successfully tested in GHe at 20 K. In the next development, the demonstrator will be upgraded to test indirect cooling of the MgB2 cables, while the yoke will remain at ambient temperature. This work represents a validation step toward the design of the spectrometer magnet for SHiP, with a focus on achieving good homogeneity at a magnetic integrated field of 0.65 T.m over a large aperture of 4 m x 6 m. The conceptual design of the magnet is outlined, along with the production challenges.

Source: IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity

DOI: 10.1109/tasc.2025.3628541