12 GeV Upgrade

The second group of four Barrel Calorimeter (BCAL) modules for the Hall D GlueX spectrometer has arrived at JLab from the University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The third group of four BCAL modules have been built and sent for final machining in Regina. A successful readiness review for construction of the Hall D Forward Calorimeter was held at Indiana University. A new Cockcroft-Walton type high-voltage synthesizer-and-divider base has been prototyped there for the photomultiplier tubes that read out the 3,000 lead-glass blocks comprising the detector. The two large, precision endplates that support the 28 cylindrical layers of straw tubes of the Hall D Central Drift Chamber have been readied at Carnegie Mellon University, with first shipments of straws arriving this month. Tests of first-article preamps, using the custom ASIC preamp developed in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania, have been coupled to the Forward Drift Chamber prototype at JLab. Operation of the new 72-channel 125 MHz pipelined flash analog to digital converter has also been tested in this setup with good results. Final manufacturing drawings for the Hall D tagger magnet and coil to be used in the upstream photon production area are being checked.

Physics

In Hall A, the test run for the so-called APEX experiment E-12-10-009, the search for a new vector boson, was successfully completed Monday morning. Thanks to a six-day extension, the run was able to address practically all of the issues that the PAC had raised and even obtained a limited data set of production quality. Hall A will now be open until late September for the transition to the two deeply virtual Compton scattering experiments, E07-007 and E08-025, scheduled for this fall.

Accelerator

The accelerator was running, with some downtime. A scheduled power outage last Tuesday and the subsequent recovery of beam took about 14 hours. On Wednesday, the accelerator was turned off to save power; beam was restored around midnight. Thursday day shift was used to perform accelerator beam studies. On Monday, the Central Helium Liquefier tripped and beam was recovered five hours later. By Monday morning, Hall A finished its APEX Test runs. Commissioning of Q-weak in Hall C continued; issues were being identified and addressed.

Free-Electron Laser

The FEL team continues preparations for ultraviolet lasing. The team took alignment measurements on the beamline before shutting down to break vacuum in preparation for the wiggler tube installation; however, a problem in wiggler tube fabrication was uncovered, which will delay its installation by one to two weeks.

Theory Center

A paper just submitted <arXiv:1007.0778> presents effective range expansions for the ¹S₀ and ³S₁ np scattering phase shifts and relativistic deuteron wave functions that accompany the recently published <Phys. Rev. C 78, 014005 (2008)> high-precision fits to the 2007 world np data. The wave functions are expanded in a series of analytical functions that can be Fourier-transformed from momentum to coordinate space and are convenient to use in any application. A FORTRAN subroutine to compute these wave functions can be obtained from the authors.

JLab's Safety Numbers

77 Days since Last Recordable Accident (JLab record: 331)
120 Days since Last Lost Workday Accident (JLab record: 676)

JLab Calendar of Events

July 19-21: JLab ONP Facility Operations Review
July 28: American Red Cross Blood Drive
July 29: Safety Shoe Vendor onsite
July 30: Science Education Summer Poster Session
Aug. 23-25: PAC 36
Aug. 26: Safety Shoe Vendor onsite
Sept. 1: TEDF Groundbreaking Ceremony
Sept. 6: Labor Day holiday - JLab closed

Environment, Safety, Health & Quality

According to an "Occupational Health and Safety" magazine article, reducing hand injuries remains a challenge, even for companies that have done a good job of addressing hand hazards and providing the correct personal protective equipment. So what's the underlying problem? Exposure and attention.

Consider the number of exposures. A worker might lift, use tools, push or pull hundreds of times per day, with each task offering the potential for acute or cumulative injury. Additionally, the more someone engages in any activity, the greater the risk of complacency and the less likely the worker will be fully attentive of every movement.

The good news is, experience has shown it's possible to make significant improvements in preventing hand injuries with an approach that first puts workers in control of their own hand safety and then reinforces improvements in skills and actions. To keep your hands safe, work with ESH&Q to find the best PPE solution for your task, think ahead, find the best body position and maintain focus on the hazard.

Computing and Networking Infrastructure

Antivirus Software Upgrade Scheduled for Monday
Starting July 19 at 7 a.m., the CNI group will send out a package to all JLab Windows systems to upgrade the antivirus software. The new software is called Symantec Endpoint Protection. This upgrade is necessary to support new Windows 7 and 64-bit operating systems. The upgrade will be automatic, with no user interaction required, but systems must be on and connected to the network for the upgrade to commence. Please turn on all your Windows systems (desktops and laptops) the morning of July 19. If you have any questions about this upgrade, call the IT Helpdesk at x7155.

Redhat Enterprise Linux Version 3 Support Ending
Redhat will stop support for the Redhat Enterprise Linux 3 version of its operating system in October. As a result, JLab will stop supporting RHEL3 on Oct. 1. If you are running a RHEL3 system, plan to upgrade to RHEL5 no later than Oct. 1. Installation CDs are available from the IT Division Helpdesk, which is open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. If you have questions about upgrading your system, contact the IT Helpdesk at x7155 or at helpdesk@jlab.org.

Announcements

CEBAF Overview Talk
Ever wondered how CEBAF makes electrons go? Steve Suhring, Accelerator Operations, will give an overview of the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in CEBAF Center, room F113. The lecture will have lots of photos and include plenty of time for questions. It is open to the entire JLab community.

New SOTR Training And Certification Process
JLab's Subcontracting Officer's Technical Representatives (SOTRs) handle a wide range of contract management responsibilities, providing oversight on everything from ensuring that the subcontractor is complying with JLab policies to monitoring work progress. To help prepare SOTRs for their responsibilities, the Procurement Department has instituted a training class and a certification process for all current and new SOTRs. The class, GEN020 SOTR Training, is offered on the last Wednesday of every month, from 8:30 a.m. to noon in ARC 428. Current SOTRs have one year to complete the process, while new SOTRs must do so before assuming their duties. You can sign up for the class online through the Training and Development webpage.

Test Lab Parking Lot Closure
All parking lots on the west side of the Test Lab, Building 58, have been permanently closed for construction of the Technology and Engineering Development Facility. All Test Lab parking is now on the east side of the Test Lab and in the adjacent EEL, Building 90, expanded parking lot. In addition, the Test Lab may now only be entered through the doors on the east and north sides of the building. The main lobby entrance is closed; a card reader has been installed outside the former lobby Fire Exit door, which is now the lobby entrance (northwest corner of Test Lab).

American Red Cross Blood Drive
The next American Red Cross Blood Drive is scheduled for Wednesday, July 28, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in CEBAF Center room F113. New and repeat donors are encouraged to attend. Walk-ins are welcome; however, making an appointment allows the Red Cross to schedule adequate staff for the visit. Volunteers are also needed to help with the blood drive. To schedule an appointment or to volunteer, e-mail or call Johnie Banks, x7539.