An essential set of magnets to carefully control an ever intense and focused beam has been delivered. In mid-February, INFN and CERN celebrated the successful completion of the High Order Corrector Magnet (HOCM) project for the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC). This is the first magnet production for the HL-LHC project to be completed. The HOCMs are superferric magnets based on Nb-Ti conductor and cold iron yoke; They are needed in HL-LHC to control the beam and to correct the field errors in the Inner Triplet Magnets (Q1, Q2, Q3) and the dipole magnets (D1 and D2). They are located in a 5-m-long corrector package, together with an orbit corrector provided by the Spanish collaboration.
INFN was responsible for the procurement, monitoring and qualification of the whole magnet series production. Five prototypes were developed in 2015-2019 by INFN-Milano and its LASA laboratory (Laboratorio Acceleratori e Superconduttività Applicata) and tested at LASA and CERN. As all of them met specifications both in terms of field quality and of quench performances, the production series of all 54 magnets could begin.
The HOCMs were manufactured at SAES RIAL Vacuum (SRV) in Italy over 2 years and a half, and then tested and qualified at cold at INFN-LASA laboratory in a vertical cryostat. Finally, the magnets were shipped to CERN for integration into the cold mass of the interaction region corrector string, that already started for the first unit, and will extand over the next three years. The last magnet was delivered on 17th February 2023, in line with the scheduled timeline.
“The completion of the HOCM project is a very significant achievement”, comments Lucio Rossi, former HL-LHC project leader and now professor at the University of Milan. “Besides being the first large in-kind contribution completed for HL-LHC, the HOCM project demonstrated the success of a close collaboration among CERN, INFN (as one of main CERN partner within a Member State) and European industry: the timely delivery of all 54 magnets attest to the hard work, dedication, and expertise of all those involved.”
“Our teams at SAES RIAL Vacuum (SRV) and SAES Getters worked closely with INFN and CERN to build and assemble the HOCMs while ensuring that they met the required specifications and quality standards”, says Paolo Manini, Business Responsible of the HOC Magnet Construction Contract in SAES Getters. “This project required a high level of precision and expertise, and I am grateful to our team for their hard work and dedication. The completion of this project not only marks a significant milestone for the HL-LHC project but also allowed us to develop know-how and expand our business in the field of superconducting magnets.”
“I am proud to have led this project and to have worked alongside so many talented individuals in the field”, says Marco Statera, in charge of the project in LASA laboratories. “I look forward to seeing the continued progress and success of the HL-LHC project and the many other exciting developments in the field of accelerator physics. This remarkable achievement is the result of the exceptional collaboration between INFN, CERN, and industry partners in pursuing our shared goal of advancing science and technology for the greater good of society”.
“As the High Luminosity LHC project leader”, comments Oliver Bruning, “I am glad to celebrate the successful completion of the High Order Corrector Magnet project. It is particularly noteworthy that the production of all 54 magnets was completed within the expected timeline. I am pleased to hear that the HOCM project has opened up new business opportunities in superconducting magnets for SAES, highlighting the potential for technology transfer and economic benefits from scientific research”.