Prototype Conduction Cooled Capture Solenoid Test Design and Plans

Large aperture superconducting solenoid magnets are needed for the production and capture of pions, which decay to create intense muon beams in future experiments to search for direct muon to electron conversion. The COMET experiment in Japan and the Mu2e experiment in the U.S. are jointly conducting research into the design of capture solenoid coils made from aluminum-stabilized NbTi superconductor that is cooled by conduction to a supply of liquid helium. A prototype coil of 1.3-m inner diameter, having four layers of eight turns each, has been wound with pure aluminum interlayer fins for the conduction cooling. The test coil includes two types of welded splices, two film heaters for quench studies, and extensive instrumentation to evaluate strain, temperature profiles, and coil voltages. Details of the cryogenic conduction cooling scheme, test systems design, and test program plans will be discussed.