JLab Weekly Briefs
is an ongoing publication providing information on the status of safety, accelerator operations, experiments, free-electron laser, reviews, upcoming activities and special events. Deadline for submission is every Tuesday by 10 a.m. Submit new items to: Public Affairs or contact Kandice Carter at x7263.

Jefferson Lab Weekly Briefs
June 17, 2009

12 GeV Upgrade

Jefferson Lab Facilities & Logistics personnel together with the 12 GeV Project team are revising the contract for the North and South Access Building Additions to incorporate the electrical utility upgrade work that was previously part of the North and South Access Utilities Upgrade (Low-Conductivity Water) contract. The electrical upgrades will support the accelerator magnet power supplies. The current plan is to award this contract in the first quarter of FY2010, significantly ahead of the baseline schedule.

Physics

In Hall A, production running for experiment E05-102, Measuring the Transverse Asymmetries in the 3He(e,e'd) Reaction, continues to proceed very smoothly.

The eg1-dvcs run is proceeding smoothly, with the polarized target operating without problems in Hall B.

In Hall C, the splitter magnet and target for the upcoming hypernuclear experiment have been installed, completing the installation of the experimental magnets for the measurement. The support posts for the three magnets of the pre-target chicane have been placed in preparation for installation of the chicane. The High Resolution Electron Spectrometer detector support frame has been installed and the High Resolution Kaon Spectrometer wire chambers are cabled. Installation of lighting and AC power for the detector bunkers is in progress.

Accelerator

As the accelerator is getting prepared for an extended maintenance down, the experimental halls are enjoying overall smooth beam delivery. Halls A&B split 219 hours of beam. Another item of note was the successful completion of the “Load Shed Test.” This was a test of the accelerator's ability to reduce power consumption quickly and then recover. The main equipment problem seen during the period was the Arc 9 box supply, which kept faulting on earth leakage fault. This difficult-to-diagnose problem was tracked down and fixed by support staff.

Free-Electron Laser

FEL staff established lasing and worked on the lasing setup last week. New control software for the advanced drive laser was added, which will make it much more stable and user friendly. A significant amount of time was spent training staff on operation of the machine, so that a larger pool of qualified personnel will be available for running this summer. A number of folks attended the 3rd ERL workshop (175 attendees) at Cornell to review world progress in the technology of recirculating high-current beams.

Engineering

The Engineering Radiofrequency (EESRF) group performed validation testing of the pre-production version of the 12 GeV low-level radiofrequency controls on the Renascence cryomodule at the Cryomodule Test Facility. This was the first test of the final version of the LLRF system on a cryomodule. System performance measurements were taken and the ability to meet the stringent phase and amplitude controls specification was again demonstrated. The alignment and metrology group have completed the first alignment phase of both the HKS and HES experimental lines in Hall C.

JLab's Safety Numbers

163 Days since Last Recordable Accident (JLab record: 331)
280 Days since Last Lost Workday Accident (JLab record: 676)

JLab Calendar of Events

June 1-19: HUGS 2009
June 24: JLab Colloquium and Public Lecture, CC auditorium, 4 p.m.
July 1: Due date for several physics award applications
July 3: JLab closed for Independence Day holiday
July 14-16: JLab Science and Technology Review
July 31: Science Education Summer Poster Session

Summer Education Calendar
June 1-19: HUGS 2009 - Hampton University Graduate Students
May 26-July 31: SULI - Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship
May 26 - July 31: REU - Research Experience for Undergraduates
June 18 - July 31: HSSHP - High School Summer Honors Program
July 7 - 31: DOE ACTS - Academies Creating Teacher Scientists

Environment, Safety, Health & Quality

In preparation for the upcoming summer Scheduled Accelerator Down, a safety briefing was held with all personnel who will be performing work behind the fence. The briefing included information on work planning and documentation, injury and notable event trends, as well as information on specific work to be performed in the Accelerator, FEL and Physics areas.

Additionally, the documentation items below were released for use:

Analysis of Data Procedure (Approved 06/05/09)
This document does not add any additional requirements. It describes the process already in use by individual groups/departments to determine, collect and analyze data to demonstrate the suitability and effectiveness of the lab's Quality Assurance Program. Using a graded approach, identified process improvements are implemented as a part of daily operations and work planning. This procedure does not apply to data analysis as part of an experimental process.

Revision/Update of ES&H Manual Chapter 6111 Administrative Control using Locks and Tags and Appendix T1 Administrative Control using Locks and Tags Procedure (Approved 06/08/09)
These documents have been updated to reflect current lab operations. JLab uses administrative control locks and tags to restrict operation, access, use or tampering of equipment or facilities for reasons other than personal protection or security. They are used to control equipment in a state desired by an authorized individual. Administrative locks and/or tags are not to be used to protect personnel engaged in maintenance and service work. These activities are subject to Lock, Tag, Try procedures, as described in ES&H Manual Chapter 6110 Lock, Tag, Try (LTT); security or property control using locks or tags is covered under JLab’s Property Management Policy and Procedures Manual.

Computing and Networking Infrastructure

Maintenance Day: Tuesday, June 23, 5-10 p.m.
The CNI group is planning a maintenance period on Tuesday, June 23, from 5-10 p.m. During this time, the central services for the J, K, L and M drives (/home, /group, /site, etc.) will be unavailable as the file server reboots. E-mail will also be unavailable during the fileserver reboot. These services will be available again by 6 p.m. Also, the central linux systems, jlabl1, jlabl2, and jlab3, will be rebooted. There will also be short network outages throughout the site as network switches are rebooted.

Announcements

Montage
JLab Director Hugh Montgomery has posted a new entry to "Montage," a column written from the director's perspective that is posted periodically on the JLab website. You can read his newest column online.

Mid-Year Radiation Badge Changeout
The JLab semi-annual OSLD (optically stimulated thermoluminesent dosimeter) changeout for all dosimeters will take place over the weekend of June 27-28. Everyone with an dosimeter is asked to place the OSLD in its assigned slot before leaving JLab for the break. If you are leaving before then (end of experiment run, summer vacation, etc.), please be sure to return the dosimeter to its place in the rack before you leave the lab.

Anyone needing their dosimeter because they are working during the changeout period or those with questions may contact Becky Mosbrucker at x7236 or page 584-7236.

Remember to return your dosimeter to its place in the assigned rack when it is not in use. Don't leave it in your desk or other work area. Don't leave it in your car. Don't leave it where it will be exposed to direct sunlight.

JLab Annual Property Inventory Underway
The annual property inventory starts the week of June 15. The property manager has randomly selected 20 percent of JLab's property custodians for a complete property inventory. Those custodians will be contacted by a member of the property staff. In addition, any custodians that have not completed their annual property validation will also be included in the inventory group for this year.

To complete the inventory, each item must be physically seen by a member of the property office. The inventories will be conducted by Joan Holloway, Lamont Williams or Chad Johnson from the property office. The physical inventory is scheduled immediately after the annual custodian property validation period, so the locations confirmed during the validation should be reasonably current. Note that it is the property custodian’s responsibility to search for their assigned property and not the property staff. property staff will go to each location identified for each item during the property validation. Any item not at its specified location will be reported as "missing" until the item is physically located by the custodian and verified by property staff. If you have questions, contact Joan Holloway, x7348; Lamont Williams, x6270; or Chad Johnson, x7688.

Calling all CEBAF History Buffs!
Do you have or do you know someone who has historic pictures or other high-profile documents about JLab in your files that haven't seen the light of day in a decade or more? Public Affairs is collecting homegrown historic information about JLab for the upcoming 25th Anniversary Celebration. If you have any documentation that you think may be of interest, contact JLab Public Affairs at jlabinfo@jlab.org.

Texting While Driving in Virginia Illegal After July 1
Last year, more than 28,000 vehicle crashes in the Commonwealth involved driver distraction. On July 1, a new law will go into effect that makes sending text messages or e-mails while driving in Virginia illegal. The new law has several exceptions, including emergency vehicle operators, drivers reporting an emergency or a driver who is parked. Also, texting while driving is a secondary offense, meaning a law enforcement officer must have a different reason to stop or arrest the driver. The fine is $20 for a first offense and $50 for a second offense. Meanwhile, North Carolina lawmakers recently passed similar legislation. If signed into law, texting will become illegal in North Carolina on Dec. 1. Similar legislation has been passed in Maryland but has not yet been signed into law. Texting while driving is already illegal in D.C. For more details, visit WVEC.com.

Jefferson Lab Weekly Briefs June 17, 2009