Machine learning has been used in high energy physics since a long time, primarily at the analysis level with supervised classification. Quantum computing was postulated in the early 1980s as way to perform computations that would not be tractable with a classical computer. With the advent of noisy intermediate-scale quantum computing devices, more quantum algorithms are being developed with the aim at exploiting the capacity of the hardware for machine learning applications. An interesting question is whether there are ways to combine quantum machine learning with High Energy Physics. This paper reviews the first generation of ideas that use quantum machine learning on problems in high energy physics and provide an outlook on future applications.

Quantum Machine Learning in High Energy Physics

AC loss and contact resistance in highly flexible rebco cable for fusion applications

In the framework of the High Field Magnets program at CERN, lower limits of degradative mechanical loads on reacted and impregnated Nb 3 Sn Rutherford-type cables are being studied with the goal of optimizing the pre-stress applied at room temperature on the accelerator magnets. Coils are loaded during assembly, for instance when transverse load is applied by using a collaring press or the bladder and key technique. Nb 3 Sn is susceptible to transverse compressive stress, which is the loading condition investigated for this study. The purpose of this work is to identify the maximum pressure that can be applied, at room temperature, to reacted cables without generating cracks in the Nb 3 Sn subelements and to quantify the crack propagation with increasing pressure. Metallographic techniques are used to examine the onset and evolution of damage in the transverse planes of impregnated double-stacked Rutherford-type cable specimens with increasing stress. The damage pattern observed at subelement, strand and cable levels is described. Two reaction heat treatment cycles are analyzed.

Onset of Mechanical Degradation due to Transverse Compressive Stress in Nb3Sn Rutherford-Type Cables

In the framework of the High Field Magnets program at CERN, lower limits of degradative mechanical loads on reacted and impregnated Nb3Sn Rutherford-type cables are being studied with the goal of optimizing the pre-stress applied at room temperature on the accelerator magnets. Coils are loaded during assembly, for instance when transverse load is applied by using a collaring press or the bladder and key technique. Nb3Sn is susceptible to transverse compressive stress, which is the loading condition investigated for this study. The purpose of this work is to identify the maximum pressure that can be applied, at room temperature, to reacted cables without generating cracks in the Nb3Sn subelements and to quantify the crack propagation with increasing pressure. Metallographic techniques are used to examine the onset and evolution of damage in the transverse planes of impregnated double-stacked Rutherford-type cable specimens with increasing stress. The damage pattern observed at subelement, strand and cable levels is described. Two reaction heat treatment cycles are analyzed.

Onset of Mechanical Degradation due to Transverse Compressive Stress in Nb3Sn Rutherford-Type Cables

Since the beginning of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) commissioning, spectral components at harmonics of the mains frequency (50 Hz) have been observed in the transverse beam spectrum. This paper presents an overview of the most important observations, collected during the latest physics operation of the LHC in 2018, which clearly indicates that the harmonics are the result of a real beam excitation rather than an instrumental feature. Based on these findings, potential sources of the perturbation are discussed and a correlation with power supply ripple originating from the magnets' power supplies is presented.

Origin of the 50 Hz harmonics in the transverse beam spectrum of the Large Hadron Collider

For next-generation accelerator magnets for fields beyond those achievable using Nb–Ti, Nb3Sn is the most viable superconductor. The high luminosity upgrade for the Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) marks an important milestone as it will be the first project where Nb3Sn magnets will be installed in an accelerator. Nb3Sn is a brittle intermetallic, so magnet coils are typically wound from composite strands containing ductile precursors before heat treating the wire components to form Nb3Sn. However, some mechanical assembly is still required after the coils have been heat-treated. In this paper, we present direct evidence of cracking of the brittle Nb3Sn filaments in a prototype dipole that resulted in degraded magnet performance. The cracking of the Nb3Sn, in this case, can be attributed to an issue with the collaring process that is required in the assembly of dipole accelerator magnets. Metallographic procedures were developed to visualize cracks present in the cables, along with quantitative image analysis for location-based crack analysis. We show that the stresses experienced in the damaged coil are above the critical damage stress of Nb3Sn conductor, as evidenced by a measured Cu stabilizer hardness of 85 HV0.1, which is higher than the Cu stabilizer hardness in a reference Nb3Sn cable ten-stack that was subjected to a 210 MPa transverse compression. We also show that once the collaring procedure issue was rectified in a subsequent dipole, the Nb3Sn filaments were found to be undamaged, and the Cu stabilizer hardness values were reduced to the expected levels. This paper provides a post-mortem verification pathway to analyze the damage, provides strand level mechanical properties, which could be beneficial for improving model prediction capabilities. This method could be applied beyond Nb3Sn magnets to composite designs involving high work hardening materials.

/pdf/metallographic-analysis-of-11-t-dipole-coils-for-high-862klwy383.pdf

Jonathan Cooper

Papers

Metallographic analysis of 11 T dipole coils for High Luminosity-Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC)