12 GeV Upgrade
Work on the voltage-tracking regulators for the extraction YA’s remains on hold, awaiting restoration of power to the service building. The current transducer for the Hall D leg of the beam envelope limit system has been received. The magnets for the fast-feedback system for the Hall D beamline have been completed. The cavities for the nanoAmp beam position monitor system for the Hall D beamline are being welded and will then be sent out for plating.
Center for Theoretical and Computational Physics
A new paper by researchers in the Theory Center and Indiana University presents a new global QCD analysis of parton distribution functions, allowing for possible intrinsic charm (IC) contributions in the nucleon, which cannot be generated by perturbative gluon radiation alone. The analysis makes use of the full range of available high energy scattering data for Q2 > 1 GeV2 and W2 > 3.5 GeV2, including proton and deuteron cross sections from SLAC that were excluded in earlier global analyses. The combined data place more stringent constraints on the momentum carried by IC than previously reported, with 〈x〉IC < 0.1% at the 5-sigma level.
Engineering
Maintenance work on the Central Helium Liquefier-1 carbon bed and nitrogen heat exchanger was completed. Cryogenics group personnel are in the final phases of cleaning up the system and preparing it for restart and cooldown. The CHL2 plant operated at 4 Kelvin through the summer, maintaining liquid levels in both linacs. The control systems for the CHL1 gas management and the SCN 2 Kelvin cold box were upgraded from CAMAC to PLC using hardware purchased using AIP funds.
The Cryogenics Test Facility plant recently went through a two-week shutdown and warmup for maintenance. It has been restarted and is currently supporting Vertical Test Area and Cryomodule Test Facility activities.
The End Station Refrigerator was shut down to support power work at the end stations. The halls are maintaining many of their magnets at 80 Kelvin. The ESR is expected to be restarted around mid-September.
The Hall D cold box repairs and modifications were completed. The cold box was reinstalled, recommissioned and load tested in liquefaction and refrigeration modes. The Hall D solenoid was successfully cooled and filled using the refurbished cryogenics plant, taking a little over three weeks to complete the process. The magnet has been full of liquid helium for almost two weeks while the extensive pre-power checklists have been completed. To date, the magnet has circulated up to 15 amps.
Facilities Management and Logistics
Hogan Drive Paving Scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 16
Access to Jefferson Lab via Hogan Drive will be restricted on Saturday, August 16. The construction contractor for the new Tech Center site will begin paving a section of Hogan Drive between Jefferson Ave. and Hofstadter Road, weather permitting. Hogan Drive will remain open throughout the paving activities; however, travel will be restricted to one lane. A flagger will direct traffic on Hogan Drive during the construction.
Lab staff and users who wish to be onsite on Saturday are encouraged to use the Lawrence Drive entrance via Jefferson Ave. A map of the Jefferson Lab site can be found at the link.
CEBAF Center A & C Wing Restrooms to Close Temporarily for Refurbishment
The men's and women's restrooms in CEBAF Center, Wings A and C, are being refurbished to replace dilapidated partitions, lavatories and counters. The restrooms will be closed while refurbishment work is underway. The work will be done in two phases:
Phase I includes Wing A restrooms on the first and second floor.
Phase II includes Wing C restrooms on the first and second floor.
Phase I work is set to begin on Monday, Aug. 11, and should be completed within four weeks. Phase II work is planned to begin immediately thereafter and should take about the same time. Notification will be made in advance of the start date for Phase II.
Notices will be placed on the restroom doors while they are closed. The notices will include locations of other restrooms. The anticipated project completion date for all phases is late September. Facilities Management appreciates your patience during this brief inconvenience, as we work to provide safe, sanitary and upgraded restrooms. |
Environment, Safety, Health and Quality
Normalization of Deviations
The title of this EHS&Q Corner article may sound like a mouthful, but this action many times leads to injuries, events or even catastrophic outcomes. Almost everyone, at some time, has seen something not quite right or has taken a shortcut, either at work or at home, and "gotten away with it." Sometimes, this is an observed condition, such as an extension cord used as permanent wiring or a water puddle on the floor. When you saw it the first time, it caught your attention. However, seeing it often makes it become part of what is there everyday. People have a tendency to ignore an issue when it is there all of the time. The bad thing you saw last week and is still present has now become the new "normal."
So, what has started out as a deviation from normal has become accepted. People are desensitized to the abnormal. This process is the Normalization of Deviations. We need to step back and think: "Is what I'm doing or seeing really proper?" If not, take action before you are the one injured.
Computing and Networking Infrastructure
Central Computing Outages Set for Saturday, Aug. 16
The CNI group is planning an outage of the central computing infrastructure on Saturday, Aug. 16, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. During this time, there will be intermittent outages of all central services (email, Web, J:, K:, L:, M: drives, MIS applications, etc.), while major upgrades and reconfiguration is performed on the central computing infrastructure. All services will be back up and stable by 5 p.m. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this outage, contact the IT Division Helpdesk at helpdesk@jlab.org or x7155.
CNI Maintenance Period Set for Tuesday, Aug. 19, 5-7 p.m.
The CNI group is planning a short maintenance period on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 5-7 p.m. During this time, updates to Firefox and Thunderbird will be released, as well as Linux and Windows patches. Plan on rebooting your system by Thursday, Aug. 21 to finalize patch installation. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the IT Division Helpdesk at helpdesk@jlab.org or x7155
Cybersecurity: Protect Against USB Vulnerability
It has been widely reported in the news that two cybersecurity researchers have discovered a vulnerability in USB devices that they plan on presenting at the upcoming Black Hat conference. The vulnerability is not something that can be fixed with a patch, and hacked USB devices cannot be discovered with anti-virus software. The vulnerability is with the design of USB devices themselves. Although the bad news is that USB devices can be used to hack into systems, steal data and do other nefarious things, the good news is that using good judgment and existing best practices will mitigate the risks. As a reminder, do not connect USB devices to your computer that you don’t own or don’t have good reason to trust. Likewise, do not connect your USB devices to computers you don’t own or don’t have good reason to trust. Any time you need assistance with your Jefferson Lab computer system, contact the IT Division Helpdesk at helpdesk@jlab.org or x7155.
For more tips on safely using USBs, see these recommendations from the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team.
Announcements
Jefferson Lab Employee Tour Set for Thursday, Aug. 28
Have you ever wanted to see the experimental halls and the accelerator tunnel, but have not had the opportunity to do so? Jefferson Lab employees, users, students and contractors will have that opportunity on Thursday, Aug. 28, 1-4 p.m. The tour will include stops at the Test Lab, the Machine Control Center, the accelerator tunnel, and experimental Halls B, C and D. The visit to each facility will be guided by subject-matter experts. Photos may be taken. Space is limited and your supervisor's approval and advance registration is required. For signup instructions and more information, see the all-staff memo posting.
Registration Underway for Sept. 12 United Way Day of Caring
The annual United Way Day of Caring will be Friday, Sept. 12. Jefferson Lab is in need of 20 volunteers to interact with patients at a veterans hospital and to assist them during their annual picnic. Volunteers will assist with setup during the early part of the day and then assist with food and activities throughout the picnic. No prior experience is required. Bring a friendly smile! Volunteers may sign up to participate before Friday, Aug. 29. If you wish to volunteer, please visit the all-staff memo webpage for signup details.
Red Cross Blood Drive Set for Aug. 19
The next American Red Cross Blood Drive is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in CEBAF Center, Room F113. The American Red Cross is appealing for donations due to an eight percent decline over the past three months. The dip represents about 80,000 fewer donations than the organization was expecting at this time of the year and it could lead to an emergency situation in August. New and repeat donors are encouraged to attend. Appointments and walk-ins are welcome. To schedule an appointment, contact Johnie Banks, x7539. The linked page lists all eligibility requirements.
Home Welders: Welding Torch Handle Recall
A product recall is underway for welding torch handles sold under the Harris Products Group® and Lincoln Electric® brand names. If you have a home welding system, see the details of the recall here.
Jefferson Lab Calendar of Events
Aug. 18: Safety Shoe Vendor onsite
Aug. 18-19: Q-weak Collaboration
Aug. 19: American Red Cross Blood Drive
August 26-28: Accelerator Readiness Review
Sept. 1: Labor Day, Jefferson Lab closed
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