MEMORANDUM



To: J. Albertine, D. Helms, W. Skinner

cc: Division (M7), FEL Coordination Group

From: F. Dylla

Subject: IRFEL Weekly Report Feb. 10-14, 1997

Date: February 14, 1997

Management

Draft presentations for DOE-BES Review on Feb. 24 were prepared and reviewed by Jefferson Lab management. Briefing material for the review was distributed to the external reviewers and observers. As part of the preparations, preliminary estimates were prepared for the IR Demo after the commissioning period. A draft Field Work Proposal for FY98-99 support of the IR Demo User Facility was forwarded to the DOE-BES Program Office for comments.

At this week's SPIE Conference on High Power Lasers in San Jose, G. Neil presented a talk on modeling of the optics for the IR Demo. M. Shinn gave a status paper on the IR Demo Project. Related papers were given by J. Albertine, J. Cook, A. Todd, and M. Kelley.

On Friday, 7 Feb., C. Bohn presented a colloquium at the Naval Postgraduate School entitled "Collective Effects in Electron Beams for High-Power Free-Electron Lasers" and participated in discussions of a tutorial nature on coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR). The following Monday, 10 Feb., Bohn attended a meeting at SLAC concerning research and development for the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), where he presented a talk entitled "Survey of Jefferson Lab's IRFEL and Coherent-Synchrotron-Radiation Studies". CSR experiments planned for the IRFEL are also of high interest to the LCLS, as was highlighted in discussions at the meeting.

In view of the additional delay in producing a new ceramic stack for the gun (mentioned below under "Injector Test Stand"), we renewed consideration of a deferral of all 10 MeV experiments to the FEL Facility. Were we to do this, we would be able to do gun development through 1 Jun. 97, as well as thoroughly test the injector's cryounit without beam, and then commission the full injector with beam starting in Aug. 97. This would preserve the milestone of installing all hardware in the Facility by 30 Sept. 97, and in fact would relieve some stress on the Laboratory's labor resources in achieving this milestone. It also would enable us to improve greatly our confidence in the photocathode gun. The principal disadvantages of the deferral are delays in commissioning and debugging some components of the injector hardware with beam, though at present this is regarded as not being a particularly troublesome concern. Deliberations on the matter are continuing.

The performance measurement reporting system for the project was reviewed in preparation for the January monthly report. Using the secondary peg points with dollar values below the previously reported primary peg points ($100 K or more in value) significantly improved the cost performance data for the project. A previously reported negative cost variance was an artifact of taking credit for only primary peg points.

Injector Test Stand

We turned on the gun, producing low power electron beam at 250 keV, and began commissioning the new experimental beamline. We checked out the magnets, drive laser, diagnostics and rf systems, and we also completed hardware checkout of the new diagnostics, light-box harp, and aperture. Software checkout is in process. Using both rf and beam-based measurements, we recalibrated the harps after reinstallation, as well as the rf system for the kicker cavity that enables measurement of longitudinal bunch properties.

Regarding upgrading the photocathode gun:

* Coated Cathode-Support Tube - We are expecting to receive the coated tube from FM Technologies today (14 Feb.).

* Ion-Implanted Ceramics - After coating a ceramic via ion implantation using half as many pulses as in the original test ceramic, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory tested its resistance and found that they overshot the minimum resistance by a factor of ten. Consequently, they are going to modify the rotisserie to enable continuous monitoring of the second ceramic's resistance during implantation. They also will use a new supply of platinum for this coating. In parallel, they will apply a diamond scrub on the first ceramic to remove the implantation and ready it for a second try. The net result of these developments is another one-week schedule slip.

Preliminary review of the uniformity test readings on the test ceramic yielded a moderately uniform grading along the length.

Regarding other ITS activities:

The upgrade of the ring-resonator test stand (for testing warm ceramic windows) to improve its vacuum was completed. Today (14 Feb.) we are in process of commissioning it, and we have NASA visitors on site to support us with diagnostics for infrared imaging of the warm windows that will yield thermal profiles during testing. Testing of two new warm windows in the refurbished test stand is now in process in conjunction with commissioning of the test stand. If commissioning the test stand goes well and the windows successfully pass their acceptance tests, the schedule for testing the injector's cryounit is as follows:

19-20 Feb. 97 Install warm windows

21 Feb. 97 Insert U-tubes for transferring liquid helium

24-27 Feb. 97 Cool-down

28 Feb. - 3 Mar. 97 Superconducting radiofrequency commissioning

6-7 Mar. 97 Radiofrequency commissioning

Accelerator Systems

Regarding the beam-transport system:

Measurements on the prototype dipole magnet were curtailed while the technique of reliably bonding mu metal and brass to the pole tips is being developed. By week's end the permanent bonding to both pole tips was completed. Tests of the effect of the welds in the beam pipe and the uniformity of the field integral along the magnet width will now take place.

The geometry of the optical-chicane regions was finalized. It allows for necessary positioning of the constituent dipole magnets while allowing for sufficient radiation shielding in front of the optical collimator.

Corrections to the preliminary prints of the optical-chicane dipole were finalized. They include corrections for magnetic length, use of mu metal for field uniformity, simplified stand-off-type leads , increased width for accommodating end-field rolloff, and instructions to match the manufacturing method. At week's end our WBS manager (G. Biallas) was at Northrop Grumman reviewing these changes with the designers in order to generate the finalized prints for sign-off. The requisition and preliminary specifications for these magnets are in Procurement's hands for review and generation of the procurement documents. Designs of the reverse-bend dipoles and the 180-degree dipoles continued at Northrop Grumman.

The first article of the focusing quadrupole magnets arrived from the vendor. It looks good.

Magnet measurements were run on a modified prototype trim-quadrupole magnet. Preliminary results from the probe rotated at the central position meet specifications. Multipole results from the probe moved to the extremes of the width have to be deconvolved to give a result with respect to the magnet center before full approval of the design can be given.

The design prints for the differential pump station and the girder for the injection dipoles underwent checking. Several layouts of the stands for magnetic elements downstream of the cryomodule were generated. Designs for the back-leg girder were delayed pending clarification of the cable harnesses.

An internal review of the IRFEL dumps was held on the on February 5. Several issues involving protection of dumps or the collimator that are not designed to withstand the full beam intensity or an odd beam distribution were identified and require further study.

Regarding cryomodule fabrication:

In addition to the warm-window activities mentioned above under "Injector Test Stand", our WBS manager (J. Preble) visited the vendor that is fabricating the shields for the cryomodule's cryostat. Two of the four shields will be delivered on schedule. The other two will be slightly delayed, but this will have no impact on the completion date for the cryomodule. In addition, assembly of the first cavity pair for the cryomodule was completed this week. An internal review of the IRFEL cryomodule is scheduled for 19 Feb. 97.

Regarding electron-beam diagnostics:

Twenty-two of the 52 slit arrays have been fabricated for the multislit transverse-emittance diagnostic. The manufacturer was concerned whether the machining tolerance they are achieving was acceptable. After due consideration, we concluded that the fabrication process is acceptable and asked the manufacturer to continue. The vendor advises that all of the remaining arrays should be complete by 28 Feb. 97.

Procurement of VME boards from Argonne National Laboratory for the Machine Protection System (MPS) are on order. These boards are the heart of the FEL's MPS system.

FEL Systems

Wiggler

On schedule for the projected delivery date.

Optics

The diagnostic spectrometer has arrived. The drawings for the mirror can were signed off and forwarded to procurement. Multiple crates of spare optics donated by the Navy arrived this week and were inventoried.

Operations/Commissioning

Activities in this area were focused on considering the impact of an alternative plan for injector development that defers all 10 MeV experiments to the FEL Facility. A brief synopsis of the current thinking is presented above under "Management".

Facility

Final drawings of the FEL Facility's basement cable tray arrangement and installation were signed and distributed.

The initial survey of the alignment network for the IRFEL was completed. We are now in the process of orienting the alignment network with respect to key reference points in the building.

Placement of the slab in the mechanical equipment room was completed 30 Jan. Placement of concrete for the loading-dock apron and an equipment pad on the south side of the Facility was completed last week. The structural steel for the lobby area at the entrance has been erected. However, the contractor has been slow in erecting structural steel for the remainder of the second floor due to weather conditions and steel fabrication errors.

Clean room bids were technically reviewed. Recommendations will be forwarded to procurement next week. A favorable bid was received for the high voltage power supply enclosure for the injector power supply for the IR injector.