LHC low-beta quadrupole magnets: cryogenic refrigeration capacity and improved controls for luminosity optimization

Abstract

The LHC low-β quadrupole magnets, also known as “Inner Triplets”, are the final focusing magnets located on each side of LHC interaction points. The current LHC Inner triplets are NbTi superconducting magnets operated in superfluid helium at 1.9 K and use a bayonet heat exchanger to extract the heat deposited by the secondary particles coming from the proton collisions. The dynamic heat loads in Inner Triplet are consequently proportional to the LHC luminosity and due to the recent upgrades of LHC and its injectors, the cryogenic capacity limit can be reached around ATLAS and CMS experiments where the luminosity can go slightly beyond the LHC ultimate luminosity. First, this paper summarizes the history of the Inner Triplet cryogenics with the different tests performed in the past to assess their cooling capacity. Then, the different techniques implemented in the cryogenic control system to handle the luminosity transients are detailed and finally, a new control interaction between the cryogenic system and the LHC luminosity server is detailed to optimize online the LHC luminosity.