Minimum quench energies of LHC strands

Within the framework of the LHC project a program has been initiated at CER N to establish the influence of various strand parameters (coating, Cu/Sc r atio, RRR, billet design, cooling) on the Minimum Quench Energy (MQE) of LH C prototype strands operating in superfluid helium at 1.9 K in peak-fields of 9 T, The experimental technique is based on a graphite-paste tip heater described in [1]. The analysis of the measurements was facilitated by a the oretical model based on the numerical solution of the one-dimensional heat balance equation.