An Optimization Model for the Energy-Efficient Design of Spectrometer’s Magnets for High-Energy-Physics Experiments

Large aperture high-field magnets are essential in high energy physics (HEP) experiments, as those performed at CERN and other primary laboratories, providing fundamental functions, in particular as detectors. The nuclear particle identification is, in fact, basically obtained by analyzing the curvature of their tracks within a given magnetic field. The design of these magnets is a quite well-consolidated process in the literature and laboratories' practice, based on the balance of detection performance and cost, and meeting all the physical constraints. Nevertheless, a modern design approach includes, within the fundamental goals, minimizing the use of energy/power and, more generally, material resources. Such a requirement is, by the way, reflected in the new general guidelines at primary laboratories for sustainability reasons. We propose an integrated optimization model that prioritizes the energy efficiency in the design of large resistive magnets. Using a case study based on the CERN SND@LHC spectrometer magnet, we show how this approach provides new insights into the optimal design trade-off. Specifically, the model identifies a design point that reduces the power consumption by approximately 40%, while maintaining the acceptable detection performance. The analytical model's accuracy is confirmed by the FEM analysis, with detection performance predictions deviating by less than 3% from simulation results. The proposed optimization framework is, in principle, directly extendable to a broader class of magnets, both for research and industrial use.