Speaker
Description
HTS magnets employed in fusion plants and high-energy physics experiments will be subjected to significant gamma ray fluxes. Gamma rays ($E_γ$ > 100 keV) have energies orders of magnitude more than the binding energies of REBCO lattice ions ($E_b$ ~ 10s eV) and Cooper-pairs ($E_b$ ~ 10s meV) and are, in principle, therefore capable of altering REBCO microstructure and suppressing superconductivity. The potential of gamma rays to affect the superconducting properties of REBCO has been investigated by researchers since REBCO’s discovery. Unfortunately, the literature is inconsistent, with many papers reporting conflicting results. In this presentation, we delve into this literature (focussing on more recent works), present the general understanding on the effect of gamma rays on REBCO, and suggest directions for future work.
