Program Advisory Committee (PAC)
PAC 34 CALL FOR PROPOSALS
October 11, 2008
Dear Jefferson Lab Users:
PAC34 will continue the annual call for proposals for 12 GeV science and user commitments to the construction of experimental apparatus that began with PAC30. Once again, our main focus will be on the detailed consideration of proposals and letters of intent for the science that will be appropriate for the first five years of running with the Upgrade using the base equipment and modest scale ancillary apparatus. PAC34 will have as a primary focus experiments to be done in the 12 GeV era with the full range of energies that will be available and the "base equipment" planned as part of the Upgrade project. In view of the number of experiments that have already been recommended for approval by PACs 30 and 32, for this PAC the criterion for recommendation for approval will be that the proposal represents "high quality physics that, based on what we know today, is highly likely to be of sufficient scientific merit that it will be included in the top half of the priority list to be established for the first 5 years of 12 GeV operations."
The charge to PAC34 will have two additional elements. The first will be to provide advice on the scientific merit, technical feasibility and resource requirements for new proposals for experiments whose execution will require major instrumentation not included in the formal scope of the 12 GeV Upgrade. For such proposals, the PAC will be asked to identify science that it considers as effective a use of resources as the research programs that will be supported by the "base equipment" under construction for the 12 GeV Upgrade and appropriate for the first decade of 12 GeV operation. The second additional charge will be to provide advice on the draft plan that has been developed for running the remainder of the "6 GeV program" between now and the final shutdown for the conversion of CEBAF to 12 GeV, and, in particular, to provide advice on how to deal with cuts in the total program that may be necessary in the all-too-likely event that funding levels over the next few years do not permit equipment construction and operation of the accelerator at the 80% of optimum level foreseen in the draft schedule.
PAC34 will be held during the week that begins January 26. Proposals for PAC 34 are due at Jefferson Lab by the close of business on Monday, December 15, 2008. In this Call for Proposals, we discuss each of the elements of the PAC34 charge in turn.
- Proposals and Letters of Intent for Experiments that Will Use the Base Equipment (and modest scale ancillary equipment):
With the formal decision to begin construction of the 12 GeV Upgrade (CD-3) having just been taken, it is more important than ever that we complete the identification of intended contributions of the Jefferson Lab user community to the construction of the "base equipment" experimental apparatus that will be constructed as part of the Upgrade project. As has been the case at previous PACs reviewing proposals of this type, the following "rules" must be followed:
As part of the proposal, the proposing scientists and institutions must state clearly their intention to participate in and contribute to the construction of that base equipment. Commitments made as part of proposals to PAC30 and/or PAC32 may be included as part of the commitments identified for PAC34 proposals, but each new proposal must include the following items:
From groups that made commitments toward the base equipment construction in proposals accepted by PAC30 or PAC32:
- A re-affirmation of their previously stated intention to participate in and contribute to the construction of the base equipment, along with a brief description of progress toward realizing that commitment (signed memoranda of understanding, progress toward obtaining funding and/or carrying out work relevant to fulfilling that commitment, such as design studies, R&D efforts, prototyping, etc. aimed at the realization of some part(s) of the base equipment), and/or
- A clear statement of any new incremental commitment toward the base equipment construction.
From each group that did not make a commitment toward the base equipment construction in a proposal accepted by PAC30 or PAC32:
- A clear statement by the proposing scientists and institutions of their intention to participate in and contribute to the construction of that base equipment, outlining the planned effort and responsibilities to be undertaken.
Note that the base equipment includes all devices included explicitly in the 12 GeV Upgrade Project Design Solution Documents (DSDs) which can be found on the JLab 12 GeV Technical Scope webpage (http://www.jlab.org/12GeV/index.html#DSD).
This "category" of proposals may include use of existing ancillary equipment, and we will accommodate such proposals so long as the modifications needed are modest and the proposing scientists will undertake the funding and realization of those modifications in addition to their contributions to the base equipment construction. If you have questions about whether your proposal for this PAC should be considered under the "base equipment proposal" guidelines above or the "major new apparatus" guidelines below, please contact Larry Cardman directly.
As was the case at PACs 30 and 32, we will give more serious consideration than usual to letters of intent for experiments using the "base equipment" that are submitted to this PAC so long as they are relatively well developed scientifically and the intended contributions of the proposers to the construction of the base equipment are clearly identified. A letter of intent that receives a strong endorsement by PAC34 will be treated in a manner analogous to how deferred proposals have been treated traditionally - i.e. it will have established a claim on the physics measurement but must be upgraded to an approved proposal by resubmission to the PAC as a full proposal within two PACs. Note that we are planning only one PAC per year, so this means the "rights" of a recommended Letter of Intent will last 1-1/2 to 2 years (depending on the decision about the timing of the next PAC).
- Proposals and Letters of Intent for Experiments that Will Require Major New Experimental Apparatus Not Included in the 12 GeV Upgrade Complement of "Base Equipment":
This will be the first PAC that will consider proposals for apparatus that is not part of the "Base Equipment." The proposers must understand that a positive recommendation from the PAC about the scientific merits of such a proposal will only be the first step toward a final decision about their execution. Subsequent steps will include detailed technical reviews, the development of funding to support the construction, and the establishment of a "project" framework for its construction and installation. The laboratory's formal commitment to the overall effort will come in the form of a written decision taken by the director.
For proposals requiring the construction of major new apparatus, the proposing scientists and institutions must state clearly their intention to participate in and contribute to the construction of that apparatus. Each new proposal of this type must include the following items:
- From each group of proposing scientists and institutions:
- a clear statement of their intention to participate in and contribute to the construction of the new equipment
- a summary of the responsibilities they will undertake as part of the construction effort, and
- the identification of financial and human resources now available to them in support of the effort, and
- The proposal must also include summary statements identifying:
- Resources that will be requested from JLab as part of the construction effort, and
- a strategy to obtain the resources necessary to cover the entire construction and installation effort.
As is the case for letters of intent using the base equipment, we will give more serious consideration than usual to letters of intent for experiments involving the construction of major new apparatus at this PAC so long as they are relatively well developed scientifically and the intended contributions of the proposers to the construction of the base equipment are clearly identified. A letter of intent that receives a strong endorsement by PAC34 will be treated in a manner analogous to how deferred proposals have been treated traditionally - i.e. it will have established a claim on the physics measurement but must be upgraded to an approved proposal by resubmission to the PAC as a full proposal within two PACs. Note that we are planning only one PAC per year, so this means the "rights" of a recommended Letter of Intent will last 1-1/2 to 2 years (depending on the decision about the timing of the next PAC).
- From each group of proposing scientists and institutions:
- PAC34 Review of the plan that has been assembled for running the remainder of the "6 GeV program" between now and the final shutdown for the conversion of CEBAF to 12 GeV.
The DRAFT schedule has been posted for the remainder of 6 GeV running (between now and the final shutdown for the transition to 12 GeV). It incorporates comments received by or at the 9/18/08 public discussion of that schedule, and may be found on the JLab website at:
in the section titled "Long Range Schedule." A revised summary version of the schedule has also been posted at:
Finally, for your information, the viewgraphs of the talk given at the 8/18/08 meeting have been posted as well. They can be found at:
as "The Completion of the 6 GeV Program – L. Cardman" under the "Experiment Information" section on the page.
As was discussed at the 9/18 meeting (and in the emails before and after it), PAC34 will be asked to review the schedule and comment on it. As was noted at the 9/18 meeting, the execution of the full schedule as posted will require many things to "fall right." Most specifically, it is based on the laboratory receiving sufficient funding to operate at ~80% of optimum utilization in the period between now and the shutdown, and the availability of equipment funding for some of the (as yet unbuilt) major apparatus needed for the program.
PAC34 will include a public discussion of the schedule, the scientific and technical considerations that drove the details of the plan, the parts of the program that are at risk in the event of funding limitations, and the process and procedures that will be followed in future revisions of the schedule that may be necessary. In particular, we will be asking the PAC for advice on how to deal with cuts in the total program that may be necessary in the all-too-likely event that funding levels over the next few years do not permit equipment construction and operation of the accelerator at the 80% of optimum level foreseen in the draft schedule. That public session is tentatively scheduled to be held on Thursday January 29.
PAC34 will be held during the week that begins January 26. Proposals for PAC 34 are due at Jefferson Lab by the close of business on Monday, December 15, 2008. As is the established tradition, the JLab Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will make comments on the technical viability of the proposals and provide these comments to the spokespersons and the PAC prior to the meeting. As always, proposals will be judged on the quality of the physics, technical feasibility, and the ability of the group to carry out the proposed measurements.
The PAC will not have a specific allocation of beamtime. It is our intent that the PAC process over the next five years will identify the initial physics program for the upgrade. The PAC will be requested to determine whether the proposals presented identify physics that in their opinion belongs in the first five years. The scientific prioritization of approved 12 GeV proposals and the development of the "run plan" for the first year of physics in each hall will begin about two years before the start of 12 GeV physics.
Jeopardy
Jeopardy is irrelevant at this PAC as we are considering the 6 GeV program "frozen" and the 12 GeV program is at too early a stage to consider the jeopardy process. Assuming we follow the same procedures that were used with the startup of the original program using CEBAF, jeopardy reviews will begin three years after the start of physics in each hall.
GUIDELINES FOR PROPOSALS FOR PAC34
New Proposals
New proposals requiring any beam energies that will be available with the Upgrade, including beam energies up to 12 GeV (for Hall D, and 11 GeV for Halls A, B and C) will be reviewed by PAC 34. It is highly recommended that you consider the guidelines below (developed for the "standard" PAC proposals) when preparing your proposal:- Be careful to submit a complete package that can stand alone. Do not assume that the PAC is aware of information contained in previous proposals, technical notes, and letters of intent. If this information is important background for your proposal, be sure that you include it in the proposal, for example as an appendix.
- Give justification for the uncertainty of the final results. Give realistic estimates of uncertainties in resolution, absolute momentum and angle calibrations, random coincidences rates, etc. and indicate how these impact the final results.
- Be sure to include a detailed table showing how you calculated the number of days requested. Since run time is a very scarce resource, the PAC reviews very carefully the details of the request, makes its own calculation, and allocates the time accordingly. Therefore it is essential to give a full and detailed justification of your request.
- Include experimental details and simulations. Complex and challenging experiments often require extensive justification and simulation calculations. Discussions of yield, backgrounds,accidentals, and projected statistical and systematic errors, are essential elements in the justification. To support these, it is important to give the results of simulation calculations that should be the basis of the experimental design. This is an essential component of the package required in order to get such proposals approved.
- Indicate how the project relates to other approved 12 GeV proposals and/or proposals still "on the books" for the 6 GeV program. The PAC and the Laboratory have specifically asked proponents of new proposals to clearly state how their experimental goals are addressed by other approved experiments at the Laboratory. As stated in earlier PAC reports, failure to pay sufficient attention to this charge can result in the PAC not considering the new proposal until the information is provided.
Experiments with Similar Physics Goals
On your proposal cover sheet indicate any existing approved, conditionally approved, or deferred experiments that have physics goals similar to those in your proposal. In the text of your proposal, compare and contrast your proposal with respect to these proposals and experiments already considered or under consideration by previous PACs. Note that both one-page summaries and the full text for most proposals are available on-line at http://www.jlab.org/exp_prog/experiments/. You may also contact User Liaison (see below) for copies of proposals.
The spokespersons for the experiments and proposals you have listed on your proposal cover sheet will receive copies of your proposal prior to the PAC meeting. They will be allowed to submit written comments that will then be passed on to the PAC with a copy provided to you. If you fail to identify a previously approved proposal with similar physics goals, the spokesperson for the previously approved proposal may request that final approval of your proposal be contingent on review by a subsequent PAC of the issues they want raised. If laboratory management agrees that the request has merit, the final approval of your proposal will be deferred until the following PAC has reviewed the situation.
Experiment Summaries
A summary of all approved and conditionally approved experiments can be found on line at: http://www.jlab.org/exp_prog/PACpage/Expsum.pdf. PAC reports can be found on line at: http://www.jlab.org/exp_prog/PACpage/pac.html.
Beam Time
The beam time request should be provided in some detail using the standard forms identified below. Do not request any contingency time as the scheduling process includes this time. The beam requirements and time request should include all of the time for the following activities: setup & installation; alignment; calibration; check out and testing without beam; commissioning with beam; physics measurements (list all currents, energies, targets target and experimental apparatus configuration changes, and [for Halls A and C] spectrometer angle changes); and decommissioning.
Letters-of-Intent
Letters-of-intent may be submitted to solicit the evaluation by the PAC of a new line of research before investing the large effort required to prepare a full proposal. Letters-of-intent will be made public after receiving PAC appraisal in the same manner as full proposals. For PAC34, contrary to tradition, we will allow serious letters of intent that identify physics that the PAC strongly encourages to "stake out" territory for the science program for two 12 GeV PAC cycles. With PAC recommendation for strong encouragement, we will treat such letters of intent in a manner similar to how we have traditionally treated deferred proposals submitted to the PAC (to remind you, deferred proposals must be resubmitted as a revised proposal to a future PAC. The revised proposal must address the issues and concerns raised by the PAC. A deferred proposal has established a claim to a physics measurement, but must be updated within two PACs, which will correspond to either 1-1/2 or 2 years, depending on the date chosen for PAC35.
Due Date: New Proposals and Letters-of-Intent
Proposals, Updates, and Letters-of-Intent for PAC34 are due at the JLab User Liaison Office by close of business Monday, December 15, 2008.
Jefferson Lab
User Liaison Office, MS 12H
12000 Jefferson Avenue
Newport News, Virginia 23606
users@jlab.org
Submissions
All submissions can be mailed or submitted electronically; electronic submissions are preferred. An electronic version must accompany all hard copies. Fax submissions are not acceptable.
All proposals and updates to be considered by PAC 34 must also include a completed:
Cover Sheet
Beam Time and Requirements List
These forms are available at the url: http://www.jlab.org/exp_prog/PACpage/PAC34/PACinfo.html
NOTE:
For all proposals copies will be made in B&W. If color copies are preferred, provide 24 copies with your original, along with the electronic version of your proposal.
Reference Material Hard Copies
If you would like any of the materials on the Web sent to you, please contact User Liaison via phone (757-269-6388), fax (757-269-6134) or e-mail (users@jlab.org ).