The double-helix dipole - a novel approach to accelerator magnet design

• Published in: IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity Vol. 13; no. 2; pp. 1365 - 1368
• Main Authors: Goodzeit, C.L., Ball, M.J., Meinke, R.B.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.06.2003; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Accelerator magnets; Apertures; Applied sciences; Coils; Conductors; Cost engineering; Design engineering; Dipoles; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electromagnets; Exact sciences and technology; Iron; Manufacturing; Particle accelerators; Solenoids; Superconducting coils; Superconducting magnets; Superconductivity; Systematic errors; Transfer functions; Various equipment and components; Wounds; Particle accelerator; Solenoid; superconducting dipoles; Development cost; Bias; System design; Accelerator magnets
• ISSN: 1051-8223; 1558-2515
• DOI: 10.1109/TASC.2003.812672

We describe a new technology for superconducting dipoles that has significant advantages for use in particle accelerators. The dipole field is obtained by using concentric pairs of helically-wound coils that are tilted at opposite angles; this effectively cancels the solenoid component of the field and adds the dipole content of each layer. This coil configuration produces a dipole field with systematic errors <10/sup -8/ of the main field in 85% of the coil aperture. We show, using a design example, how many of the inherent problems with the traditional cosine theta type of coil are eliminated and the cost of development and manufacturing the magnets is substantially reduced.