Magnetic Helium Research Articles

The Differences in the Origination and Properties of the Near-Earth Solar Wind between Solar Cycles 23 and 24

The dependence of the sources and properties of the near-Earth solar wind on solar cycle activity is an important issue in solar and space physics. We use the improved “two-step” mapping procedure that takes into account the initial acceleration processes to trace the near-Earth solar winds back to their source regions from 1999–2020, covering solar cycles (SCs) 23 and 24. Then, the solar wind is categorized into coronal hole (CH), active region (AR), and quiet Sun (QS) solar wind based on the source region type. We find that the proportions of CH and AR (QS) wind during SC 23 are higher (lower) than those during SC 24. During solar maximum and declining phases, the magnetic field strength, speed, helium abundance (A He), and charge states of all three types of solar wind during SC 23 are generally higher than those during SC 24. During solar minimum, these parameters of solar wind are generally lower during SC 23 than those during SC 24. There is a significant decrease in the charge states of all three types of solar wind during the solar minimum of SC 23. The present statistical results demonstrate that the sources and properties of the solar wind are both influenced by solar cycle amplitude. The temperatures of AR, QS, and CH regions exhibit significant differences at low altitudes, whereas they are almost uniform at high altitudes.

Quantifying the influence of clay-bound water on wave dispersion and attenuation signatures of shale: An experimental study

Understanding the elastic and attenuation signatures of shales is of considerable interest for unconventional reservoir characterization and sealing capacity evaluation for CO2 sequestration and nuclear waste disposal. We have conducted laboratory measurements on seven shale samples at seismic frequencies (2–100 Hz) to study the effects of clay-bound water (CBW) on their wave dispersion and attenuation signatures. With nuclear magnetic resonance and a helium porosimeter, the volume of CBW in the shale samples is quantified. The forced-oscillation measurement reveals that Young’s modulus exhibits a continuous dispersion trend from 2 to 100 Hz. The extensional attenuation ([Formula: see text]) shows a weak frequency and pressure dependence on effective pressure ranging from 5 to 35 MPa. The magnitude of extensional attenuation shows a positive correlation with CBW, with an [Formula: see text] value of 0.89. It is found that 4% of CBW in the rock frame causes approximately a 5% modulus increase from 2 to 100 Hz. We adopt a constant [Formula: see text] model for assigning frequency-dependent bulk and shear moduli to the CBW in the rock-physics modeling, which can fit the experimental data of modulus dispersion and attenuation well, indicating that the bulk and shear moduli of CBW in shales might behave viscoelastically.

Status of the Series Fabrication of the Superconducting Magnet Packages for LIPAc Cryomodule

The last acceleration stage of the deuteron beam of the LIPAc linear accelerator is provided by eight superconducting cavities in a cryomodule (SRF Linac). Each cavity needs a magnet package, which consists of a solenoid for beam focusing and two vertical and horizontal dipole correctors for beam steering. The superconducting coils are fed by vapour cooled current leads. The beam position monitor is part of the magnet helium vessel. The series fabrication of eight sets of magnets and current leads has been performed by Elytt Energy, under CIEMAT follow-up. This paper describes the final design used for production, the main challenges addressed during fabrication, together with the quality control procedure, acceptance tests and qualification criteria to validate both the magnets and current leads. Currently some activities are being performed in the magnet helium vessels for improvement of surfaces for handling inside the clean room and reducing the risk of presence of particulate contaminations in the beam tube.

Molecular spin echoes; multiple magnetic coherences in molecule surface scattering experiments.

In this paper we demonstrate that a molecular beam of hydrogen molecules can be magnetically manipulated to produce multiple coherences in the molecular interference pattern. Unlike spin 1/2 magnetic beam experiments, i.e., neutron and helium spin echo, the nuclear and rotational magnetic moments in a molecule are strongly coupled. We show experimentally and theoretically that this coupling leads to multiple magnetic field conditions under which the magnetic moment of molecules travelling with different speeds can be coherently refocussed. We also demonstrate that these multiple coherence signals are extremely sensitive to the scattering event, opening up new possibilities for measuring molecule-surface interactions.

Quantitative investigation of surface structure and interatomic potential with impact-collision ion scattering spectroscopy

Helium ion beam interactions with materials have important implications for magnetic confinement fusion, material modification, and helium ion microscopy. These interactions depend on the precise physics of how helium ions channel into the materials, which can vary greatly based on the local crystalline orientation. In this work, we performed a dedicated experiment to investigate helium ion channeling in a well-characterized tungsten single crystal. Time-of-flight impact-collision ion scattering spectroscopy was used to obtain multi-angle maps of the backscattering intensity for 3 keV He+ → W(111). We found that the backscattering intensity profile arising from helium ion channeling could be well described by a shadow cone analysis. This analysis revealed that subsurface W atoms as deep as the ninth monolayer contributed to the backscattering intensity profile. Binary collision approximation simulations were performed with MARLOWE to model the experimental maps with sufficient accuracy to allow for quantitative comparisons using reliability factors. These quantitative comparisons were applied to investigate how the W lattice structure and He–W interatomic potential affect the multi-angle maps.

Charged particle track reconstruction with S[formula omitted]RIT Time Projection Chamber

In this paper, we present a software framework, SπRITROOT, which is capable of track reconstruction and analysis of heavy-ion collision events recorded with the SπRIT time projection chamber. The track-fitting toolkit GENFIT and the vertex reconstruction toolkit RAVE are applied to a box-type detector system. A pattern recognition algorithm which performs helix track finding and handles overlapping pulses is described. The performance of the software is investigated using experimental data obtained at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Facility (RIBF) at RIKEN. This work focuses on data from 132Sn + 124Sn collision events with beam energy of 270 AMeV. Particle identification is established using dE∕dx and magnetic rigidity, with pions, hydrogen isotopes, and helium isotopes.

Thermal engineering of optical mirrors for use at cryogenic temperature inside a LHC magnet cryostat

In the frame of the HL-LHC project, innovative technical solutions are sought to measure accurately the position of the magnet helium vessel inside the cryostat. To this end, a system based on laser-interferometry is being designed to monitor the displacement of the vessel through dedicated openings in the new HL-LHC magnet cryostats. In order to test such a system on a full-scale setup in representative operating conditions, a LHC dipole cryostat was modified to integrate the system optical lines of sight and the reflective mirrors were mounted onto the magnet helium vessel.Upon the first cool down of the magnet to 80 K, severe ice-like condensation started forming on the reflective surface of the mirrors hence making the system unusable at cold. This was attributed to the condensation of the residual gas remaining in the cryostat insulation vacuum on the mirror surface. In this configuration the mirrors acted as local “cold spots” since they were purposefully sticking out of the multi-layer insulation (MLI) that is otherwise covering the magnet helium vessel.In order to cope with this condensation issue, a dedicated study was carried out to design and manufacture a passive temperature regulation system based on a thermal insulating support and a thermal radiation intercept in order to keep the mirrors just above the expected freezing temperature in operational conditions.This paper details the thermal engineering study leading to the design of the insulated mirrors and presents the technical solution retained as well as the latest test results.

A Massive Magnetic Helium Atmosphere White Dwarf Binary in a Young Star Cluster

We have searched the Gaia DR2 catalogue for previously unknown hot white dwarfs in the direction of young open star clusters. The aim of this experiment was to try and extend the initial-final mass relation (IFMR) to somewhat higher masses, potentially providing a tension with the Chandrasekhar limit currently thought to be around 1.38 M$_{\odot}$. We discovered a particularly interesting white dwarf in the direction of the young $\sim$150 Myr old cluster Messier 47 (NGC 2422). All Gaia indicators (proper motion, parallax, location in the Gaia colour-magnitude diagram) suggest that it is a cluster member. Its spectrum, obtained from Gemini South, yields a number of anomalies: it is a DB (helium-rich atmosphere) white dwarf, it has a large magnetic field (2.5 MG), is of high mass ($\sim$1.06 M$_\odot$) and its colours are very peculiar --- particularly the redder ones ($r$, $i$, $z$ and $y$), which suggest that it has a late-type companion. This is the only magnetized, detached binary white dwarf with a non-degenerate companion of any spectral type known in or out of a star cluster. If the white dwarf is a cluster member, as all indicators suggest, its progenitor had a mass just over 6 M$_\odot$. It may, however, be telling an even more interesting story than the one related to the IFMR, one about the origin of stellar magnetic fields, Type I supernovae and gravitational waves from low mass stellar systems.

X-ray diffractometer for the investigation of temperature- and magnetic field-induced structural phase transitions

This article reports the development and characterization of a laboratory-based high-resolution X-ray powder diffractometer equipped with a 5.5 T magnet and closed-cycle helium cryostat that is primarily designed for the investigation of magneto-structural phase transitions. Unique features of the diffractometer include the position-sensitive detector, allowing the collection of an entire diffraction pattern at once, and the high energy resolution with Mo Kα1radiation. The ability to utilize a lower energy resolution but higher photon flux by switching to an X-ray mirror monochromator makes it a versatile setup for a variety of compounds. In this contribution, details of the design and performance of the instrument are presented along with its specifications.

Thermal stability analysis of a superconducting magnet considering heat flow between magnet surface and liquid helium

This paper represents a numerical calculation method that enables highly-accurate simulations on temperature analysis of superconducting magnets considering the heat flow between the magnet and liquid helium during a quench. A three-dimensional (3D) superconducting magnet space was divided into many cells and the finite-difference method (FDM) was adopted to calculate the superconducting magnet temperatures governed by the heat transfer and joule heating of the each cell during a quench. To enhance the accuracy of the temperature calculations during a quench, the heat flow between the superconducting magnet surface and liquid helium, which lowers the magnet temperatures, was considered in this work. The electrical equation coupled with the governing thermal equation was also applied to calculate the change of the decay of the magnet current related to the joule heating. The proposed FDM method for temperatures calculation of a superconducting magnet during a quench process achieved results that were in good agreement with those obtained from an experiment.

The crab cavities cryomodule for SPS test

RF Crab Cavities are an essential part of the HL-LHC upgrade. Two concepts of such systems are being developed: the Double Quarter Wave (DQW) and the RF Dipole (RFD). A cryomodule with two DQW cavities is in advanced fabrication stage for the tests with protons in the SPS. The cavities must be operated at 2 K, without excessive heat loads, in a low magnetic environment and in compliance with CERN safety guidelines on pressure and vacuum systems. A large set of components, such as a thermal shield, a two layers magnetic shield, RF lines, helium tank and tuner are required for the successful and safe operation of the cavities. The sum of all these components with the cavities and their couplers forms the cryomodule. An overview of the design and fabrication strategy of this cryomodule is presented. The main components are described along with the present status of cavity fabrication and processing and cryomodule assembly. The lesson learned from the prototypes and first manufactured systems are also included.

Engineering, Manufacture and Preliminary Testing of the ITER Toroidal Field (TF) Magnet Helium Cold Circulator

The ITER cryodistribution system provides the supercritical Helium (SHe) forced flow cooling to the magnet system using cold circulators. The cold circulators are located in each of five separate auxiliary cold boxes planned for use in the facility. Barber-Nichols Inc. has been awarded a contract from ITER-India for engineering, manufacture and testing of the Toroidal Field (TF) Magnet Helium Cold Circulator. The cold circulator will be extensively tested at Barber-Nichols’ facility prior to delivery for qualification testing at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency's (JAEA) test facility at Naka, Japan. The TF Cold Circulator integrates features and technical requirements which Barber-Nichols has utilized when supplying helium cold circulators worldwide over a period of 35 years. Features include a vacuum-jacketed hermetically sealed design with a very low helium leak rate, a heat shield for use with both nitrogen & helium cold sources, a broad operating range with a guaranteed isentropic efficiency over 70%, and impeller design features for high efficiency. The cold circulator will be designed to meet MTBM of 17,500 hours and MTBF of 36,000 hours. Vibration and speed monitoring are integrated into a compact package on the rotating assembly with operation and health monitoring in a multi-drop PROFIBUS communication environment using an electrical cabinet with critical features and full local and network PLC interface and control. For the testing in Japan and eventual installation in Europe, the cold circulator must be certified to the Japanese High Pressure Gas Safety Act (JHPGSA) and CE marked in compliance with the European Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) including Essential Safety Requirements (ESR). The test methodology utilized at Barber-Nichols’ facility and the resulting test data, validating the high efficiency of the TF Cold Circulator across a broad operating range, are important features of this paper.

Carbon-wire loop based artifact correction outperforms post-processing EEG/fMRI corrections—A validation of a real-time simultaneous EEG/fMRI correction method

Simultaneous EEG-fMRI combines two powerful neuroimaging techniques, but the EEG signal suffers from severe artifacts in the MRI environment that are difficult to remove. These are the MR scanning artifact and the blood-pulsation artifact — strategies to remove them are a topic of ongoing research. Additionally large, unsystematic artifacts are produced across the full frequency spectrum by the magnet's helium pump (and ventilator) systems which are notoriously hard to remove. As a consequence, experimenters routinely deactivate the helium pump during simultaneous EEG-fMRI acquisitions which potentially risks damaging the MRI system and necessitates more frequent and expensive helium refills.We present a novel correction method addressing both helium pump and ballisto-cardiac (BCG) artifacts, consisting of carbon-wire loops (CWL) as additional sensors to accurately track unpredictable artifacts related to subtle movements in the scanner, and an EEGLAB plugin to perform artifact correction. We compare signal-to-noise metrics of EEG data, corrected with CWL and three conventional correction methods, for helium pump off and on measurements. Because the CWL setup records signals in real-time, it fits requirements of applications where immediate correction is necessary, such as neuro-feedback applications or stimulation time-locked to specific sleep oscillations. The comparison metrics in this paper relate to: (1) the EEG signal itself, (2) the “eyes open vs. eyes closed” effect, and (3) an assessment of how the artifact corrections impacts the ability to perform meaningful correlations between EEG alpha power and the BOLD signal.Results show that the CWL correction corrects for He pump artifact and also produces EEG data more comparable to EEG obtained outside the magnet than conventional post-processing methods.

Controlled Cold Helium Spill Test in the LHC Tunnel at CERN

The helium cooled magnets of the LHC particle accelerator are installed in a confined space, formed by a 27km circumference 3.8 m diameter underground tunnel. The vacuum enclosures of the superconducting LHC magnets are protected by a lift plate against excessive overpressure created by eventual leaks from the magnet helium bath, or from the helium supply headers. A three-meter long no stay zone has been defined centered to these plates, based on earlier scale model studies, to protect the personnel against the consequences of an eventual opening of such a lift plate. More recently several simulation studies have been carried out modelling the propagation of the resulting helium/air mixture along the tunnel in case of such a cold helium release at a rate in the range of 1kg/s.To validate the different scale models and simulation studies, real life mock-up tests have been performed in the LHC, releasing about 1000 liter of liquid helium under standard operational tunnel conditions. Data recorded during these tests include oxygen level, temperature and flow speed as well as video recordings, taken up- and downstream of the spill point (-100 m to +200 m) with respect to the ventilation direction in the LHC tunnel. The experimental set-up and measurement results are presented. Generic effects found during the tests will be discussed to allow the transposal to possible cold helium release cases in similar facilities.

SU-E-T-20: Removal of Electron Contamination in Longitudinal Field MRI-Linac Systems: A Monte Carlo Study.

The prototype inline MRI-linac system has some advantages over perpendicular models including avoiding the electron return effect. One of the disadvantages of the inline approach is the increased skin dose, estimated to be 400-1000% of the dmax dose. The purpose of this work was to design a feasible method to reduce this skin dose to acceptable levels. Magnetic modeling of proposed MRI-linac designs have been simulated with the inclusion of an optimized permanent magnet system to purge/deflect the electron contamination. The region of air above the phantom was also replaced with a helium bag (region of helium gas) and a beam scrapper below the deflector was added to collect deflected off-axis contamination. Monte Carlo simulations were then performed including the accurate 3D magnetic field maps. Surface dosimetry was recorded to verify the changes to the skin doses. Magnetic modelling showed that an optimized NdFeB permanent magnet system located outside the MRI coils (below the MLC's) can provide a strong enough region to purge/deflect a significant portion of the electron contamination from the x-ray beam. The impact on the MRI uniformity is around 100 ppm and hence is correctable via active/passive shimming of the MRI. The helium region also significantly limits the production of contamination traveling towards the phantom surface. Entry doses near CAX are predicted to be similar to the 0 T case. Magnetic and Monte Carlo modeling were performed to estimate the effect that a permanent magnet purging system, beam scrapper, and helium bag would have on lowering the skin doses in an inline MRI-Linac system. MRI non-uniformities introduced by the deflector could be corrected, contamination is mostly purged or blocked, and the helium bag minimizes air-generated contamination. As a result skin doses are comparable to having zero magnetic field.

Control system design and test for cryogenic ground support equipment

The cryogenic ground support equipment (CGSE) is an important part of Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-02 (AMS-02) experiment which is a particle physics experiment. CGSE is used to cool down the superconducting magnet of AMS-02 to its operating temperature of 1.8K and to fill the magnet helium tank with superfluid helium. This paper introduces the control system of CGSE and presents the performance of the system.

Conceptual Design of Cryogenic Facilities for Super-FRS of FAIR

We present the concept design of the cryogenic feedbox for the superconducting dipole and quadrupole/multi-pole magnets of the Super-FRS (FRagment Separator) project. It also includes the warm gas control and management, the instrumentation and the control logic related with different operation modes of the magnet cooling. As one of the most important trip scenarios for cryogenic facilities, the over pressure in the magnet helium vessel caused by quench has been simulated for a prototype dipole. For safety reason, the safety relief valve and its sizing have also been taken into account.

Electrical and Mechanical Properties of DI-BSCCO Type HT Reinforced With Metallic Sheathes

Electrical and mechanical characteristics of Type HT tape, which is standard 4.2 mm wide DI-BSCCO tape reinforced with metallic tapes, have been evaluated. Longitudinal distributions of critical current and n-index in kilometer long Type HT tape has proved uniform from end to end just like the original insert tape, which is Type H tape. Type HT-CA reinforced with 50 mum thick heat-resistant copper alloy is highly balanced tape with high mechanical properties and low splice resistance. Type HT-SS reinforced with 20 mum thick stainless steel has the best mechanical properties, which has been demonstrated under the actual environment in high field magnet, namely the hoop stress load test energizing a one-turn coil in external high magnetic field and liquid helium.

Development and characterization of scintillating fiber—APD-based detector

We report about a detector based on the use of scintillating fibers readout by Avalanche Photodiodes (APDs). The APDs are suitable for use in harsh environments, like high magnetic fields and helium atmosphere. In addition they can be employed where a compact device is needed. We investigated several issues related to such a detector: moulding of fibers with customized shapes, optimization of the light transport along the fiber and the right coupling to the readout device. Here we report on our tests about fiber bending and several measurements on various coatings to achieve the best results. Finally, we discuss the final performance of our detector employed in the MEG experiment, assembled and ready to use.

Anomalous fiber optic gyroscope signals observed above spinning rings at low temperature

Precision fiber optic gyroscopes were mounted mechanically de-coupled above spinning rings inside a cryostat. Below a critical temperature (typically <30 K), the gyroscopes measure a significant deviation from their usual offset due to Earth's rotation. This deviation is proportional to the applied angular ring velocity with maximum signals towards lower temperatures. The anomalous gyroscope signal is about 8 orders of magnitude smaller then the applied angular ring velocity, compensating about one third of the Earth rotation offset at an angular top speed of 420 rad/s. Moreover, our data shows a parity violation as the effect appears to be dominant for rotation against the Earth's spin. No systematic effect was found to explain this effect including the magnetic environment, vibration and helium gas friction suggesting that our observation is a new low temperature phenomenon. Tests in various configurations suggest that the rotating low temperature helium may be the source of our anomalous signals.