Conceptual Design of a New Large Superconducting Toroid for IAXO, the New International AXion Observatory

TL;DR

This paper presents the conceptual design of a large superconducting toroidal magnet for the IAXO axion detection experiment, aiming to significantly improve sensitivity to axion-photon coupling.

Contribution

It introduces a novel large-scale superconducting toroid design based on CERN's ATLAS magnet for the IAXO experiment, detailing the magnetic, structural, and cryogenic specifications.

Findings

Designed a 4m diameter, 22m long toroid with 5.4 T magnetic field.

Optimized magnetic field for maximum detector yield.

Performed structural and cryogenic analysis for the magnet.

Abstract

The International AXion Observatory (IAXO) will incorporate a new generation detector for axions, a hypothetical particle, which was postulated to solve one of the puzzles arising in the standard model of particle physics, namely the strong CP problem. The new IAXO experiment is aiming at achieving a sensitivity to the coupling between axions and photons of one order of magnitude beyond the limits of the current state-of-the-art detector, represented by the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST). The IAXO detector relies on a high-magnetic field distributed over a very large volume to convert solar axions into x-ray photons. Utilizing the designs of the ATLAS barrel and end-cap toroids, a large superconducting toroidal magnet is currently being designed at CERN to provide the required magnetic field. The new toroid will be built up from eight, one meter wide and 20 m long, racetrack coils. The toroid is sized about 4 m in diameter and 22 m in length. It is designed to realize a peak magnetic field of 5.4 T with a stored energy of 500 MJ. The magnetic field optimization process to arrive at maximum detector yield is described. In addition, force and stress calculations are performed to select materials and determine their structure and sizing. Conductor dimensionality, quench protection and the cryogenic design are dealt with as well.