Cryogenic Tests of the g-2 Superconducting Solenoid Magnet System

Abstract

The g-2 muon storage ring magnet system consists of four large superconducting solenoids that are up to 15.1 m in diameter. The g-2 superconducting solenoids and a superconducting inflector dipole will be cooled using forced two-phase helium in tubes. The forced two-phase helium cooling will be provided from the J-T circuit of a refrigerator that is capable of delivering 625 W at 4.5 K. The two-phase helium flows from the refrigerator J-T circuit through a heat exchanger in a storage dewar that acts as a phase separator for helium returning from the magnets. The use of a heat exchanger in the storage dewar reduces the pressure drop in the magnet flow circuit, eliminates most two phase flow oscillations, and it permits the magnets to operate at variable thermal loads using the liquid in the storage dewar as a buffer. The g-2 magnet cooling system will consist of three parallel two-phase helium flow circuits that provide cooling to the following components; 1) the four large superconducting solenoids, 2) the current interconnects between the solenoids and the solenoid gas cooled electrical leads, and 3) the inflector dipole and its gas cooled electrical leads. This report describes a cryogenic test of the two 15.1 meter diameter superconducting solenoids using two-phase helium from a dewar. The report describes the cool down procedure for the 3.5 ton outer solenoid magnet system using liquid nitrogen and two-phase helium. Low current operation of the outer solenoids is discussed.