Performance of the LHC magnet system

The LHC magnet system, essentially composed of superconducting magnets operating at 1.9 K, has been largely commissioned in 2007-08. Before the serious incident of 19th September 2008, the magnet system was commissioned up to 7 kA (4 TeV proton beam energy); six (out of eight) sectors were commissioned up to 5.5 TeV and one up to 6.6 TeV. For more than one week, both beams have been injected, circulated and captured in the RF bucket, thus assessing the optics at injection energy. The incident in sector 3-4, originated by a serious defect of a high-current joint between magnets with large collateral damage, has changed the plans: 53 magnets in the damaged zone have been substituted or repaired meanwhile a campaign of consolidation is under way to allow safe restart of the accelerator in fall 2009. All these points and other issues presented and discussed, with emphasis on the incident in sector 3-4.