Jefferson Lab > Physics
Privacy and Security Notice

Experiment Scheduling Process

The Experiment Scheduling Committee will tentatively meet twice a year. In September to reaffirm the schedule for the period January 1 - June 30, and to release both the firm schedule for the period July 1 - December 31 and the tentative schedule for the period January 1 - June 30 of the following year. They will also meet in March to reaffirm the schedule for the period July 1 - December 31, and to release both the firm schedule for the period January 1 - June 30 of the following year and the tentative schedule for the period July 1- December 31 of the following year. The schedule is released twice per year.

A scheduling request can be submitted at the appropriate time (once a year) following the rules stated in the readiness review process.

Prior to beginning the detailed scheduling for the upcoming period, the running experience for the accelerator and for each of the experimental halls will be analyzed for the preceding year to provide the best possible estimate of the availability of the beam and the experimental equipment for the period to be scheduled. This information will be made public.

The time scheduled for any experiment will be adjusted so that the days allocated will provide a high probability that the experiment can achieve the agreed-upon goals for the running period. In general this will mean that the days allocated will be the days needed to achieve the PAC - approved goals divided by the product of the accelerator and experimental hall efficiencies.

The Scheduling Committee will release the running schedule for the upcoming period in draft form two-to-four weeks prior to its formal adoption.

The formal adoption of the schedule will take place in a final, public meeting of the scheduling committee; spokespersons of approved experiments may attend the meeting or may choose to have their hall leader represent them.

Note: Once the schedule has been released the run start dates will generally be observed; that is, JLab will not shift the schedule to accommodate beam time that was lost due to events beyond the control of the experimenters (such as unplanned accelerator outages) unless lab management deems such a shift as in the best interests of the overall scientific program. Delivery of beam to a particular experiment may be extended beyond the approved allotment only by the action of the lab director.