Students must have an introductory background in the structure of solids as well as a command of basic physics (laws of electricity and magnetism, basic circuits and fields, introductory concepts of quantum mechanics)

Textbooks:

A. C. Rose-Innes and E. H. Rhoderick, "Introduction to Superconductivity," Pergamon Press, 1978.

M. N. Wilson, "Superconducting Magnets," Oxford, 1983.

References:

V. L. Newhouse, "Applied Superconductivity," Academic Press, 1975.

W. D. Gregory and W. N. Mathews, Jr., "Science and Technology of Superconductivity," Vol. II, Plenum Press, 1973.

J. E. C. Williams, "Superconductivity and its Applications," Pion LTD, 1970.

M. Tinkham, "Introduction to Superconductivity," R. E. Krieger Co., 1985.

Course objectives: It is the instructor's intention to...

present an overview/explanation for phenomenology of superconductivity.

define issues of concern for conductor and magnet design.

present accepted practice for conductor and magnet design.

expose students (through their own oral presentations) to topics of recent interest in superconductivity research.

Course Outcomes: Students must be able to...

explain fundamental concepts of and compare and contrast type I and type II superconductors, especially with respect to critical currents and critical fields.

assess the stability of various composite superconductors.

calculate fields and forces realized in common magnet windings.

describe loss mechanisms associated with superconducting magnets.

describe protection methods for superconducting magnets.

assess an overall superconducting magnet design and identify possible improvements.

NEEP 562 meets three times per week in traditional 50-minute lectures.

The following statement indicates which of the following considerations are included in this course: economic, environmental, ethical, political, societal, health and safety, manufacturability, sustainability.

Economics and manufacturability are both important issues in the use of superconductors, particularly in the choice between low-temperature superconductors (NbTi, Nb_3 Sn) and high-temperature superconductors (various ceramics).

This course is cross-listed with ECE and MS&E and serves as a senior technical elective or graduate student breadth elective in all three majors. With respect to the NE program, NEEP 562 provides students interested in fusion with an understanding of superconducting magnet technology, a crucial technological component of magnetic fusion energy systems. It also foxters the devleopment (see assessment tools below) of oral communication skills.