12 GeV Upgrade

The Beam Transport team completed the measurements on the prototype beamline quadrupole magnets. Final design decisions have been made based on the results. The Request For Proposals (RFP) was released for the beam transport quadrupole contract.

Accelerator

Good News! The rebuilt transformer for LN1 is due to be delivered Wednesday, Sept. 17. A tour was conducted for the guests from the International Linear Collider. The dismantling and removal of the Northeast stub equipment and fixtures is going well. Cement bases for surface monuments to be used for alignment of the Hall D infrastructure were installed. The long process of cooling down the End Station Refrigerator and the Central Helium Liquefier began as the accelerator started preparations for beam delivery in a few weeks.

Free-Electron Laser (FEL)

FEL staff members continue to prepare for bringing the FEL up with a final mild water bakeout of the gun. The optics transport control system and the final checkout of the drive laser is nearing completion. A clean pumping on the cryomodules is underway in preparation for cooldown in two weeks.

Engineering

The EESIC group (Electrical Engineering Support/Instrument & Control) reports that CAMAC to VME conversion of W5 is in the final stages of hardware and software testing. The 2 Kilowatt beam dumps and viewers are the only remaining systems to convert. These will be completed in FY09 due to software priorities and design issues. The 4-Channel to  switched electrode electronics (SEE) type beam position monitor (BPM) conversion has been completed successfully. W1 and W3 system conversions are being budgeted for FY09. The Survey and Alignment group has transferred the main accelerator's survey system to the ground surface and is in the process of densifying a new network in support of the Hall D construction. This work has to be completed during this year's summer shutdown, as access to the main accelerator later in the year will not be possible. The desired final accuracy between the existing survey network and the new hall must be less than 1 millimeter.

JLab's Safety Numbers

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

JLab Calendar of Events

Sept. 17: JLab Colloquium and Public Lecture: Guesstimation
Sept. 25: JSA's Electronic Commerce Vendor Show, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Oct. 1-4: Workshop on Sources of Polarized Electrons and High Brightness Electron Beams (PESP2008)
Oct. 13-15: Electromagnetic N-N* Transition Form Factors Workshop
 

Environment, Safety, Health & Quality

Recently, an attachment cord that was wired incorrectly led to a potential safety incident. A VC-4000 voltage converter was being used during troubleshooting operations, when it was discovered that the hot and neutral cord connections at the back of the unit were reversed. This effectively bypassed the on-off switch, allowing voltage to be present at the front connections (output) of the unit even when the unit was switched off. Technicians realized the severity of the issue when a spark was seen, and the technicians immediately secured the system. No one was injured.

If you use a voltage converter in your work area, now is a good time to check that the connections were made correctly. Additionally, remember that all electrical work should be done at the lowest possible energy state. If you have questions or if any additional situations are found, contact Todd Kujawa at x7006.

Please also take this opportunity to review work control documents for applicable situations, analyze the hazards and then develop and implement the appropriate hazard controls.

Shield Block Move Lesson Learned
During a shielding block movement in Hall C last week, a JLab colleague sustained a serious finger injury. Our colleague is recovering but was unable to work the past few days. An investigative team has been assembled and is collecting information on the events leading up to and possibly causing the injury, as well as a chronology of events after the injury occurred. When appropriate, the team will work with the injured employee to understand the event and establish safeguards for similar work in the future.

Computing and Networking Infrastructure (CNI)

CEBAF Center Wings A, B & C Network Outage
A network outage is planned for CEBAF Center Wings A, B and C for Monday, Sept. 22 at 5 p.m. The outage will allow for an upgrade of network switches.

If your machine has not been registered, it may not be able to rejoin the network following the upgrade. To ensure connectivity, register your  individual machines by visiting this link at any time by using a web browser on each machine. If you are unsure about your machine registration, it is OK to register again. If you experience problems with your machine following the upgrade, contact the HelpDesk at x7155.

RedHat Enterprise Linux 3
After Tuesday, Sept 16, the Scientific Computing batch farm for experimental physics will no longer include RedHat Enterprise Linux 3 systems; all batch farm computing will be on Fedora 8.

Announcements

PRL Editorial Spotlights Physics
Gene D. Sprouse, American Physical Society editor-in-chief, has penned an editorial introducing Physics, the American Physical Society's new web publication that offers "expert-written commentary articles that highlight and provide context for a select group of papers published by APS and occasionally others." The goal is to provide more content that is accessible to physicists of all disciplines, broadening an article's reach to those outside of the authors' subspecialty. The editorial is available in the current issue of Letters on the APS website.

School Tools Drive a Success
The lab has just completed the annual School Tools drive for the United Way, and Human Resources staff would like to extend our appreciation for all of your support in this effort!  We received eight full boxes of school supplies from the lab community. Because of your generosity and caring, children in our community, who may not otherwise be able to have the school supplies they need, can start this school year ready to succeed. Remember that if you were unable to participate in the activity, you can still make your contributions during the upcoming United Way campaign. More information and details will follow soon.

$4-off Coupons for State Fair Ride Wristband
The State Fair of Virginia runs Sept. 25 - Oct. 5. A supply of State Fair brochures and $4-off ride wristband coupons are currently available at the CEBAF Center , VARC and ARC reception desks. This is the last year that the State Fair will be held in Richmond at the Richmond International Raceway. Next year, it will be held at its new home in Caroline County north of Richmond on I-95.

Tee'em Up for the JLab 2008 Fall Golf Tournament!
The tournament will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at the Williamsburg Country Club in Williamsburg. The event will begin at 1 p.m. with a shotgun start. The tournament will be a four-person Captain's Choice. All teams will be handicapped. There must be at least two JLab employees per team. The cost for JLab employees is $45 each, and the cost for non-JLab employees is $60. The fee includes range balls, green fees, cart, food (afterwards) and the prize fund.
 
See Danny Machie (ARC 402/09, x7501) to sign up. Golfers must list their average score for 18 holes, and checks should be made payable to Danny Machie. The entry deadline is Friday, Oct. 3.