Critical current and instability threshold measurement of Nb3Sn cables for high field accelerator magnets

Rutherford-type cables made of high critical current Nb₃Sn strands are being used in several laboratories for developing new generation superconducting magnets for present and future accelerators and upgrades. Testing of cable short samples is an important part of these R&D programs and the instability problem found in some short model magnets at Fermilab made these tests even more significant. Fermilab in collaboration with BNL, CERN and LBNL has developed sample holders and sample preparation infrastructure and procedures for testing Nb₃Sn cable short samples at BNL and CERN test facilities. This paper describes the sample holders, sample preparation and instrumentation, and test results. Several samples made of MJR or PIT strands 1 mm in diameter have been tested. Some samples were unstable (i.e. quenched at low transport currents) at low fields and reached the critical surface at higher fields.