Operation for LHC Cryomagnet Tests: Concerns, Challenges & Successful Collaboration

The LHC construction phase is coming to a close, with installation work progressing rapidly and beam start-up foreseen by end 2007. For the testing of the 1706 LHC cryomagnets in cryogenic conditions and its successful completion by early 2007, considerable challenges had to be overcome since 2002 to assure certain semi-routine tests operation at CERN. In particular, the majority of staff for tests and measurement purposes was provided by India on a rotating, one-year-stay basis, as part of the CERN-India Collaboration for LHC. This was complemented by some CERN accelerator Operation staff. While only 95 dipoles were tested till 2003, the efforts and innovative ideas coming from the Operation team contributed significantly to the completion of tests of nearly all 1706 magnets by end-2006. These included the improvements and management of the tests work flow as well as the test rates. Amongst these, certain pivotal ideas to stream-line the tests methodology as proposed and implemented successfully by the Indian Associates deserve a special mention. An insight into this as well an overall view of the tests operation will be given, together with an indication of some of the operation-related results from the tests programme.