Jefferson Lab Weekly Briefs January 9, 2008

Jefferson Lab Weekly Briefs

January 9, 2008

Physics

Enrico Fermi Award Call for Nominations
The Enrico Fermi Award is bestowed by the President of the United States upon an individual or individuals of international stature in recognition of a lifetime of exceptional scientific, technical, engineering, and/or management achievements related to the development, use, control, or production of energy. The deadline for nominations is April 1. To nominate an individual, visit the DOE website

Government Fellowships for Scientists
The deadline to apply for both the American Institute of Physics and the American Physical Society Congressional Science Fellowship programs is January 15. Visit the AIP website for details.

Accelerator

This period started off with Accelerator recovery from the holiday down, with many minor problems encountered and fixed. A rough steer-up of the machine was completed by the end of the first day. All of the experimental hall beamlines came next, with no major problems. Late during the swing shift on Friday, the Central Helium Liquefier (CHL) tripped due to a cooling water pump failure. By day shift on Saturday, both the CHL and the Accelerator had been recovered, and beam delivery operations resumed. However, just after midnight on owl shift, the CHL tripped again, due to a failure of compressor #6. This time, restoration went much better, and beam operations were resumed at 04:55. The shifts after this were fairly routine.
 

Free-Electron Laser (FEL)

Work in the FEL centered on preparing the Gun Test Stand to get the Personnel Safety Systems finished and qualified. The main FEL gun finished vacuum bake and is being prepared for reassembly and processing.
 

Theory Center

The Quark-Meson Coupling model, which has provided a very successful microscopic understanding of the widely used, density-dependent Skyrme forces, has been updated to incorporate the medium modification of the hyperfine interaction between quarks. When applied to hypernuclei, the new model produces some remarkable results, notably Σ hypernuclei are unbound and the overbinding of Λ hypernuclei found in earlier work is resolved. As before, the model provides an extremely natural understanding of the very small spin-orbit force in Λ hypernuclei and also predicts the existence of cascade hypernuclei.
 

 

JLab's Safety Numbers

112 Days since Last Recordable Accident (JLab record: 319)
431 Days since Last Lost Workday Accident (JLab record: 455)
 

JLab Calendar of Events

Jan. 11: APS April Meeting Abstract Submission Deadline
Jan. 14-18: PAC 33
Jan. 21: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Jan. 25: American Red Cross Blood Drive, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Jan. 25: JLab 12 GeV Adopt-A-Spot Litter Pickup, 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Environment, Safety, Health & Quality

Cold weather is on the way. Layering of cold weather clothing is a good way to make sure you stay warm. Basically, layering is several light to medium-weight clothing articles topped by a breathable shell. For times when you are less active, you can put on a heavier layer to stay warm. If you heat up, you can remove a layer to cool down. Pay attention to both the outside temperature and the wind speed. A high wind chill factor means more layers of clothing are necessary for protection against the cold. Below are some basic cold weather clothing layering tips:

  • For the first layer, you should use synthetic materials designed to wick perspiration away from your body. Try to select undergarments made from a fuzzy polyester material or those designed for layering, such as silk.
  • The second layer usually receives the greatest use when you are active outside. Pants and tops made of polyester (including fleece) make a good first choice. Wool can also be used for a durable second layer.
  • For the top layer, consider something that is both windproof and waterproof. Stay away from nylon and vinyl, since these materials can trap moisture that can cool the body. For hats and gloves, polyester fleece is best, especially those items with a breathable waterproof layer.

 

Fermilab Activated Copper Theft Lesson Learned
In December, Fermilab received notification by the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that several large hollow cylindrical copper pieces received at a recycling facility in Chicago were found to be slightly radioactive. The NRC was inquiring whether this material could have come from Fermilab. The maximum dose rate was measured to be 0.7 millirem/hr at contact. Radionuclide analysis noted the copper was activated with typical accelerator-produced radionuclides. The copper appeared to be similar in form to material recently removed from the Fermilab Main Injector during the Summer 2007 Shutdown. The Fermilab Director chartered an investigation team to verify if the copper is stolen material that originated from Fermi. If this is the case, the team will investigate how the material was stolen and conduct a root cause analysis to prevent reoccurrence.

This potential Fermilab radioactive material loss points out the importance of Lab staff being aware of radioactive material control and security concerns. Some radioactive materials (such as copper) may be prone to theft based on their intrinsic value. It is important to remember these basic radioactive material tips:

  • Minimize the amount of radioactive material produced in accelerator operations. 
  • Consolidate radioactive material in existing storage areas with RadCon concurrence.
  • Ensure that radioactive material labels do not get separated from the components they are attached to.
  • Follow all precautions and instructions on radioactive material tags.
  • When disassembling radioactive material, engage RadCon staff (cell # 876-1453) to prevent the creation of unlabeled radioactive material.

Announcements

Adopt-A-Spot Litter Pickup Event on Jan. 25
The 12 GeV Upgrade project team, along with ESH&Q staff, seeks volunteers to help with litter pickup along the sidewalk & grass areas from Onnes Drive to the corner of Jefferson Avenue & Oyster Point Road. Participants will meet in the CEBAF Center lobby at 11:15 a.m. for a short safety briefing and will then proceed to pick up litter. If you would like to participate, contact Cindy Saban at x5981 or saban@jlab.org in advance.

 

TIAA-CREF Retirement Counseling
The February and March dates for individual counseling sessions are now posted. This is an opportunity to discuss the current status of your account, investment strategy and retirement goals. The dates are: Thursday, February 7 and Friday, March 6. To sign up for an appointment, visit the TIAA-CREF website and click on “Schedule a meeting or locate a seminar in your area.” The sessions will be held in VARC 22A.

 

Privacy and Security Notice