17 May 2017
At the request of DOE's Office of Nuclear Physics, Stephen Meador, Director of the Office of Project Assessment in DOE's Office of Science, convened a team of six experts and six observers for a Status Review of the 12 GeV CEBAF Upgrade Project at Jefferson Lab held May 10-11. The purpose of the review was to evaluate the project's readiness for approval of Critical Decision 4B (CD-4B), Project Completion, by Sept. 30. The review team found that the Project's scope is complete, with the exception of the Hall B Solenoid. The review team congratulated all team members working in support of the 12 GeV Upgrade Project on the "real and substantial progress" since the review held last October and provided two recommendations in the Closeout Report.
26 April 2017
Following the successful completion of the Hall C Key Performance Parameter beam run, staff and Users are analyzing the data taken to understand the performance of the new detectors. Efforts include drift chamber timing calibrations, analysis software improvements, and scrutiny of pulse-height distributions from the photomultiplier-based detectors. The energy resolution of the Super High Momentum Spectrometer calorimeters has already been shown to be at least as good as predicted when they were designed. Counting rates observed in all detectors are helping to determine whether additional shielding might be useful. The 12 GeV Project team continues to prepare for the upcoming DOE SC OPA Review.
19 April 2017
Work to recover the suspension link failure for the Hall B Solenoid magnet is nearly complete. All eight of the "pockets" that carry the suspension system that supports the cold mass were removed from the central cryostat shell and re-worked. The central cryostat shell has since been put in place again over the magnet's cold mass. After the pockets were checked for vacuum tightness, the load transfer of the cold mass weight from the current temporary support structure to the cryostat proper was successfully completed, thus retiring a technical risk for the project. Work on attaching the remaining sections (ends and bore tube) of the magnet radiation shield and the closure of the cryostat is starting. Hall B technicians and engineering staff continue to complete as much as possible of the remaining work at Jefferson Lab to expedite final installation upon arrival of the magnet.
5 April 2017
Everybody involved with the Hall C portion of the 12 GeV Upgrade Project rejoiced when the Department of Energy concurred that the Hall C Key Performance Parameter (KPP) had been demonstrated several weeks ago. Achievement of this milestone marked the conclusion of years of R&D, design, construction, installation and testing for the Hall C upgrade. The accelerator had delivered high-energy electrons for this KPP run, during which experimenters worked feverishly to collect and analyze data and report the results. Thanks to the intense installation work of the previous several months, Hall C was ready for beam delivery as planned. Timely completion of this objective was possible only due to the coordinated efforts of work groups from across the laboratory. Attention has now turned to preparation of the final project documentation and closing-out the earned-value-management and financial aspects of the Hall C 12 GeV Project. This material, documenting full Hall C scope completion, will be presented at the review to be conducted by DOE's Office of Project Assessment on May 10-11.
22 March 2017
A setback was encountered at the vendor in transferring the load of the Hall B Solenoid magnet cold mass to its vacuum cryostat. The cold mass is suspended from the vacuum cryostat via eight support links, which are joined to the cryostat via stainless-steel pockets that are welded to the cryostat. The part of the link that penetrates the vacuum shell, and was to have been machined from a single piece of Inconel, was found to be made from two pieces welded together, which could not support the required load. A new set of links is being manufactured, all original links have been removed, and the cryostat shell has been rolled back from its position over the cold mass in preparation for installation of new links. The remaining sections of the radiation shield have been prepared with multi-layer insulation. Planning is complete for shipping the Solenoid to Jefferson Lab, with the shipping cradle together with its isolation springs having been delivered to the shipping contractor.
15 March 2017
With all equipment installed for the 12 GeV Upgrade of Hall C, the hall was swept and locked. The Counting Room was staffed, and the accelerator started delivering electrons to the hall on March 8. Once the beam was measured and tuned, a thin carbon target was put in position in the scattering chamber, and checkout of the new Super High Momentum Spectrometer began. Everything worked as planned! The five superconducting magnets in the spectrometer were turned on and signals from the detectors showed that high-energy particles were passing through them. Researchers collected and quickly analyzed the data and began to optimize the magnet polarities and currents, detector high voltages, trigger timing and data-acquisition settings. The results of the data analysis, including beam properties, was compiled as a demonstration of the Key Performance Parameter, a critical milestone indicating that the Hall C portion of the 12 GeV Upgrade Project has achieved its performance goals. Concurrence that this milestone has been met was received from the DOE Federal Program Manager and Federal Project Director today. The Hall C staff and users now look forward to using this shiny new tool to study some exciting physics.
1 March 2017
The final pieces of the 12 GeV Upgrade of Hall C are now in place, and only a few demonstration tests of the newest magnets remain to be done. The dipole magnet passed all of its low-current tests, clearing the way for the last detector (Noble Gas Cerenkov) to be installed in the Super High Momentum Spectrometer (SHMS). The large concrete wall and roof sections of the SHMS shield house were then put in place, and technical staff began preparing the hall for electron-beam operations. Problems with the Q3 magnet's power supply were resolved, and the magnet has been ramped to currents well above the highest momentum setting of the SHMS. The dipole magnet has been successfully tested to just above the operating current. Instrumentation issues have slightly delayed the final high-current testing, but the performance of the magnet so far has met or exceeded expectations. Once the magnets pass the few remaining tests, Hall C will be ready to receive its first 12 GeV era electron beam and demonstrate its 12 GeV Project Key Performance Parameter (KPP).
22 February 2017
The Torus magnet for CLAS12 was brought back down to liquid helium temperature at the end of January to prepare for the CLAS12 Key Performance Parameter beam commissioning run reported recently. The magnet operated without incident for the entire run. It was then kept at 4 Kelvin for two weeks to gain operational experience with the cryogenics and make incremental improvements to the control loops.
The central sections of the radiation shield of the Solenoid magnet have now been installed over the five coils making up the magnetic circuit and the resultant assembly covered with 25 layers of multilayer insulation. The entire cold mass was then again suspended from a temporary central support pipe and moved inside the barrel section of the outer vacuum cryostat, which itself had been placed in a support cradle that in turn will later serve as a shipping support fixture. The cold mass is suspended from the vacuum cryostat via eight thermally isolating support links, which are joined to the cryostat via specially shaped stainless-steel pockets that are now welded to the cryostat. The remaining sections of the radiation shield, which include the end cones, endcaps and central bore are being prepared by attaching their respective blankets of multi-layer insulation. The several dozen wires from the temperature and voltage sensors located on the Solenoid's cold mass are being terminated in preparation to being attached to the main instrumentation feedthrough. The next major step is then transferring the load of the cold mass to the outer vacuum cryostat, after which the remaining sections of the radiation shield can be attached and the closure of the cryostat started. Planning for shipping the Solenoid to Jefferson Lab is well underway, with the shipping cradle being welded up prior to adding the isolation springs needed for the road trip to Virginia. The contract for the shipment has been awarded and includes a practice run with the shipping cradle in the near future over the highways to Pennsylvania in order to check g-forces encountered while driving along the roadway.
15 February 2017
After completion of the beam run to demonstrate the Key Performance Parameter (KPP) for the Hall B scope of the 12 GeV Upgrade project, the hall has been busy preparing for the arrival of the Solenoid magnet. This activity requires a temporary de-installation of some of the detectors that were installed for the KPP demonstration. There will be an increase in overhead work during this preparation period.
Hall C is getting ready for the Hall C KPP demonstration beam run in March. The Q3 quadrupole magnet is cold and power testing is well underway. Cool down of the Dipole magnet is nearing completion, and low power testing will start in a few days. The Hall C beam line has been installed with the assistance of the Survey and Alignment group.
8 February 2017
Starting on Feb. 3, high-energy beam was delivered to the upgraded CLAS12 spectrometer for the first time. The beam delivery and the performance of the new Hall B spectrometer was quite impressive, as was the commitment of the Accelerator Operations crew and the CLAS12 collaboration in reaching this important event. Beam delivery throughout the weekend was of high quality. All components of CLAS12 (Torus, Detectors, Electronics, Data Acquisition) worked well, and the CLAS12 team was poised for real-time analysis, monitored through event displays and histograms that had been vetted in advance using cosmic rays. This beam run was focused on demonstrating the Key Performance Parameter (KPP) required for completion of this part of the 12 GeV Upgrade Project. The CLAS12 data from the weekend run has been reviewed by DOE, and concurrence that the KPP has been met was received on Feb. 7, 2017. Congratulations to everyone involved in the achievement of this important milestone!
Thanks to the talented efforts of many hard-working individuals during a dedicated period of leak-checking, pressure-tests and welding, the in-place assembly of the Super High Momentum Spectrometer dipole magnet in Hall C has been completely finished. The magnet is now being slowly cooled down, a process that is expected to take about two weeks. The Q3 quadrupole magnet was also pressure-tested and is cooled down. It is filled with liquid helium, fully instrumented and connected to its power supply. Following verification of the interlocks and instrument readings, the low-power testing of Q3 has begun. Final alignment is underway for all of the SHMS magnets, the target scattering chamber, and the upstream and downstream beam pipes. When all five spectrometer magnets are tested and operational, all vacuum systems closed, and the last detector and concrete blocks installed, Hall C will be ready for its beam run to demonstrate the KPP required for completion of this part of the 12 GeV Upgrade Project.
1 February 2017
The Central Time of Flight (CTOF) detector was installed on a temporary stand in Hall B for the upcoming first beam run for CLAS12. The stand reproduces the points on the Solenoid cryostat to which the CTOF must attach in its final configuration following magnet arrival and commissioning. The CTOF was subsequently cabled, brought to operating voltage and checked for light leaks. The High Threshold Cherenkov Counter (HTCC) was moved from its construction area in the TEDF Building to Hall B and placed on the beamline. The tungsten Moeller shield cone was then added, and the HTCC was rolled into place and hooked up to signal and high-voltage cables, after which circulation of the carbon dioxide operating gas was started. The Silicon Vertex Tracker was then brought to Hall B from the Experimental Equipment Lab cleanroom. After some adjustment, it was rolled into its space inside the CTOF, which in turn had been rolled downstream close to the HTCC. The CTOF was stopped just short of what will be its final operating position in the future in order to accommodate a temporary target for the first beam run. This target is a carbon fiber that is mounted onto a beam harp and placed just at the entrance to the HTCC gas volume. The upstream and downstream sections of beamline were added and pumped out. Finally, some lead bricks were placed at the spot on the existing tagger magnet where the beamline exits to act as extra shielding for the upcoming first beam-tuning exercises.
25 January 2017
Hall B and Hall C saw increased work activities in preparation for the demonstration of each Key Performance Parameter for the 12 GeV Upgrade Project and commissioning runs scheduled for this spring. Hall B completed the installation of the Central Time of Flight and High-Threshold Cherenkov Counter detectors. Work continues on the instrumentation/controls and gas systems needed to support detector operations. Hall C saw progress in both the Dipole and Q3 magnet installations and commissioning. Significant items of note were the completion of the pressure and leak testing of the liquid nitrogen and helium circuits for the Q3 magnet; both systems passed.
18 January 2017
In-place assembly and testing are proceeding on Hall C's three newest superconducting magnets in the Super High Momentum Spectrometer (SHMS). The Q2 quadrupole magnet has reached 106 percent of the current required for the maximum SHMS momentum (11 GeV/c). Stable operation for 11 GeV/c physics has been demonstrated, and final acceptance tests are underway. Welding of the cryogenic helium pipes between the dipole magnet and its service can has been finished and leak-checked, and the first-pass weld of the nitrogen lines is done. The dipole helium circuit has passed its pressure test. Leak-checks of the Q3 magnet vacuum system are underway. Pressure-testing of the Q3 helium and nitrogen circuits will come next. At the same time, connection and checkout of the Q3 and dipole instrumentation systems are moving forward.
With all but one of the SHMS detectors in place, a cosmic-ray trigger has been set up to collect signals from the detectors and exercise the data-acquisition hardware and the event-reconstruction software. Stands for the beam pipe downstream of the recently installed target are in place, and much of the vacuum pipe has been erected. Limit switches and wiring to allow remotely controlled rotation of the SHMS is being prepared.
12 January 2017
The Torus magnet for CLAS12 has been parked at a temperature of 80 Kelvin for the past two months awaiting the upcoming beam run in Hall B. t will be brought back down to liquid helium temperature at the end of January to prepare for the run. The drift chambers have all been suspended from the Torus cryostat and had their services attached, and the Forward Carriage has been rolled upstream to its operating position next to the Torus.
The five coils of the Solenoid magnet have now been spliced into one continuous circuit, and the resulting magnet "cold mass" has been covered with reflecting aluminum foil. The radiation shields are now being fit to the outer circumference of this assembly. After this step, the multi-layer insulation blankets will be added and then the entire assembly will be suspended inside the cryostat outer shell; eight suspension links are welded to the cryostat and then attached to the cold mass by insulating links in this step. The conical end regions and the bore tubes of both the radiation screen and the cryostat were prepared earlier and will be attached after the cold mass is suspended from the cryostat outer shell in order to close the cryostat. Planning for shipping the Solenoid to Jefferson Lab is well underway, including the final steps in the design of the shipping cradle and isolation springs needed for the road trip to Virginia.
4 January 2017
As the 12 GeV upgrade project nears the commissioning phase for Halls B and C, the last of the scheduled modules of the Accelerator Readiness Review (ARR) is scheduled for Jan. 9 and 10. The ARR committee is charged with determining if Jefferson Lab is prepared to deliver beam for the commissioning and operation of Experimental End Stations (Halls) B and C, and the experimental equipment associated with the 12 GeV Upgrade Project, in a safe and efficient manner. To this end, both halls are continuing with the installation of the remaining magnets, detectors, beamline components and associated infrastructure/services.
In Hall B, the Central Time of Flight has been placed on the mock-up support stand, and installation is underway. Hall B also continues working the various detectors' gas delivery systems and remaining utilities. Hall C has installed the beamline supports and continues with hookup of the Q3 and dipole magnets.
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