SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MAINTAINING VACUUM IN SUPERCONDUCTING MAGNET SYSTEM IN EVENT OF A LOSS OF COOLING

An apparatus includes: a getter material disposed within a vacuum chamber to absorb stray molecules within the vacuum chamber; a thermal mass disposed adjacent the getter material and in thermal communication with the getter material; a cold station disposed within the vacuum chamber above the thermal mass; and a convective cooling loop connected between the thermal mass and the cold station and configured to convectively cool the thermal mass when the cold station is at a lower temperature than the thermal mass, and to thermally isolate the thermal mass from the cold station when the cold station is at a higher temperature than the thermal mass. The thermal mass may be water ice and may be thermally isolated from the walls of vacuum chamber by low loss support links and/or thermal reflective shielding.