Jefferson Lab Weekly Briefs May 30, 2012

Jefferson Lab Weekly Briefs
May 30, 2012

Physics

In Hall C, the Q-weak experiment is finishing up electronics and data acquisition system checks and documentation. After warming the hydrogen target, the target was recooled twice with helium in the loop to measure the extent to which the target moves as it is cooled. The dis-assembly of Q-weak is starting.

Summer Lecture Series 2012 Calendar Posted
The calendar for the student-level talks on JLab technologies and science that will be presented this summer has been posted on the Graduate Student and Post-Doc Association wiki.

Accelerator

The week began with preparing the injector for the upcoming Polarized Electrons for Polarized Positrons (PEPPo) experiment. Equipment was locked out and jumpers installed by the Safety Systems Group to allow the experiment to continue while work is being performed for the 12 GeV Long Shutdown. On Thursday, the injector and North Linac were locked up to perform a hot checkout of the systems needed for PEPPo. A small punchlist was generated to be worked on Friday. On Friday morning, the injector and North Linac were locked up and work began with setting up the electron beam through the injector to the PEPPo platform. The weekend saw the optimization and characterization of the beam and detectors at multiple beam energy levels. A faulty video switcher in the injector caused a few hours of grief. It was eventually fixed by swapping it with an unused one from the accelerator. On Memorial Day, the electron and positron runs were used to characterize the spectrometer at different energies. The week ended with PEPPo performing coincidence optimization runs.

Center for Theoretical and Computational Physics

In a recent paper, Quantum Chromodynamics is studied at nonzero isospin chemical potential using a canonical approach by analyzing systems of fixed isospin number density. To construct these systems, a range of new algorithms for performing the factorially large numbers of Wick contractions required in multi-hadron systems are developed and used to study systems with the quantum numbers of up to 72 π+s. The systems studied correspond to isospin densities of up to 9 fm-3 and probe isospin chemical potentials, μI, in the range mπ <∼ μI <∼ 4.5 mπ , allowing for an investigation of multi-pion interactions and a verification of the conjectured transition of the system to a Bose-Einstein condensed phase at μI >∼ mπ.

Engineering

Mechanical installation work is progressing well. To date, seven dipoles have been removed out of the east recombiner (R1) region and sent to the magnet measurement facility for dis-assembly and refurbishment. The refurbishment includes either reworking or replacing the coils, electrical improvements and other necessary upgrades to handle the higher energies that the 12 GeV machine will require. Additionally, the North and South Linac warm region girders (containing steering quads, corrector dipoles and beam position monitors) have been removed to support the 12 GeV cryomodule installation.

Facilities Management and Logistics

Cigarette Butt Causes Fire Outside of CEBAF Center
 
On Tuesday, a cigarette butt was improperly discarded into the landscape mulch just outside of CEBAF Center B Wing stairwell door. This discarded butt started a mulch fire that was noticed and extinguished by an alert JLab staff member shortly after lunchtime. If the fire hadn't been noticed, the flames would have burned up under the building's siding and could have caused a fire inside the building.
 
The lab's smoking policy is available for your review in the Administrative Manual. Smokers at JLab are reminded: By federal law, smoking isn't allowed within 25 feet of facility entrances, operable windows, or outdoor air intakes. Smoke breaks should be taken in the smoking huts located around the JLab campus. Cigarette butts must be disposed of in the butt cans available at the smoke huts and not tossed onto the ground. If you are aware of a smoking hut that needs a new butt can, notify Mike Lewellen. Potential fire hazard situations may be reported to Facilities Management and Logistics, x7400.

Environment, Safety, Health and Quality

Working on Energized Equipment
Never work on live circuits unless it is absolutely necessary. Both the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and The National Fire Protection Association 70E: Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace® allow work on live circuits in rare cases; however, convenience and reduced production are not included in these rare cases.

In such cases, only qualified persons may work on electric circuit parts or equipment that have not been de-energized. Such persons shall be capable of working safely on energized circuits and shall be familiar with the proper use of special precautionary techniques, personal protective equipment, insulating and shielding materials and insulated tools. Click the link for a complete toolbox talk on this topic.

Last Chance to Get Your Hurricane Season Supplies - Tax Free!
The first named storm of 2012 has already churned the waters off the Eastern Seaboard, signaling the start of hurricane season. The Commonwealth of Virginia is offering a sales tax holiday for residents to stock up on hurricane preparedness supplies before the season gets into full swing. During the sales tax holiday, May 25-31, products including batteries, food storage containers, generators, first aid kits, bottled water, radios and other useful products that cost up to $60 may be purchased sales-tax free. Generators costing $1,000 or less are also included. For a complete list of allowable items, click the link. The list and other valuable resources can also be found on the Virginia Department of Emergency Management website.

Computing and Networking Infrastructure

Email Migrations into New System Continue
The CNI group is continuing to migrate staff and some users into the new email and calendar suite, Zimbra. These migrations are going well, with nearly 646 staff and users migrated into Zimbra and about 243 still left to migrate. These migrations are occurring overnight, and you will receive an email around noon on the day you are scheduled to be migrated. For more information, see the article in the March 16 OnTarget newsletter.

Announcements

6 GeV End of an Era Party June 6 for Lab Staff, Students & Users
The Jefferson Activities Group is planning a 6 GeV End of an Era Party for JLab staff, students and users on Wednesday, June 6, 3:30 – 6 p.m. on the SURA Residence Facility field. The event will include food and drink, music and games. Come celebrate the end of an era (and the dawning of 12 GeV). Volunteers are needed to help with a variety of preparation, event and cleanup tasks. Visit the JAG webpage for more information and for the online volunteer signup page. For more information, contact JAG Chair Bridget Paul.

Last Chance to Pick Up Reserved T-Shirts
If you signed up for a T-shirt after the Run-A-Round last month - free or for purchase - you have until 5 p.m. Friday, June 1, to pick up your shirt at the CEBAF Center front desk. Four dozen shirts remain unclaimed. After this deadline, all shirts that are not claimed will be placed back in the general inventory for purchase only ($7/shirt). Any coupons to redeem a free shirt will no longer be valid after Friday. If you cannot claim your shirt this week, make other arrangements before the deadline by contacting David Abbott, x7190.

Tornado Warning Siren Test Set for Friday, June 1
JLab's tornado warning siren will undergo its monthly operational test at 10:30 a.m. on Friday. Depending on weather conditions at the time of the test, the siren may be heard by anyone outdoors within a 1.5-mile radius of the lab. Don't respond to the siren; this is a test of the siren system and not a personnel response exercise. Individuals planning to be in the Central Materials Storage Area (where the siren is located) while the test is taking place must have with them and wear two layers of hearing protection. A sign will be posted at the Central Materials Storage Area gate to notify entrants of the test.

Tracking Thomas at JLab
Little Thomas is visiting all corners of the JLab campus. If you can identify his location this week, email Kandice Carter with your guess. Guesses are accepted through Friday.

Congratulations this week go to Anusha Liyanage and Brita Hampton, who were the first to correctly identify the May 23 location. Honorable mentions go to Dick Owen, Samika Hawkins, Jodi Patient, Annie Tran, Ron Bartek, Stephen Wood, Mike Syptak, Rob Mahurin, Hyekoo Kang and Robert Martin. Check out the Tracking Thomas webpage for a better view of his last location and this week's new mystery photo.

JLab Calendar of Events

June 4: Safety Shoe vendor onsite
June 4-6: JLab Users Group Workshop and Annual Meeting
June 6: End of 6 GeV Era Party
June 14: Accelerator Colloquium and Public Lecture: ADS and the MYRRHA project
June 18: Safety Shoe vendor onsite
June 18-22: Program Advisory Committee Meeting (PAC39)
July 4: Independence Day holiday, JLab closed
June 4-22: Hampton University Graduate Studies summer school