quench

Catastrophic loss of superconductivity in the magnet. Helium boils off rapidly and vents through the quench pipe.

Why it matters to buyers: Never-happens-we-hope event. Cost of recovery: $30k–$60k+ in helium, plus downtime.

Why it matters to engineers: Emergency quench switch is a safety feature — operator discretion. Ferromagnetic projectile is the most common trigger.