Proton irradiation effects on Nb$_{3}$Sn wires and thin platelets in view of High Luminosity LHC upgrade

In order to estimate the lifetime of quadrupole magnets in the High-Luminosity (HL) LHC accelerator, a precise knowledge of the potential damage on the superconductors caused by the simultaneous action of several high energy irradiation sources is needed. The present work treats the effects of high energy proton irradiation on the physical properties of Nb$_{3}$Sn, the superconducting material used in the quadrupoles of HL – LHC: the critical current density (Jc), the critical temperature (Tc), the upper critical field (Hc2) and finally the Bragg - Williams atomic order parameter (S) in the Nb$_{3}$Sn wires in the quadrupoles. The significant variations of the critical surface induced by radiation could indeed lead to loss of performance of the superconducting magnets.