12 GeV Upgrade

The R&D task to re-measure the higher-order mode (HOM) damping in the 12 GeV Superconducting Radio-Frequency (SRF) cavities is proceeding; re-assembly of two cavities into the horizontal testbed (HTB) will occur in approximately two weeks, with additional measurements in the Cryomodule Test Facility then following. 

Preparations are underway for the July 22-24 Independent Project Review by DOE. The primary focus of the preparations is ensuring that the criteria for Critical Decision 3 Approval (“Start of Construction”) are well in hand.

Physics

In Hall A, production running for experiment E04-007 (Pi-Zero Electroproduction near Threshold) continues to progress smoothly.

Accelerator

Overall, the accelerator is running smoothly, but it has had its bumps. Early on, a little over a shift was lost due to a vacuum problem traced to a corroded connector for a vacuum ion pump. While restoring from the vacuum problem, the Arc 1 power supply would not stay on, causing the loss of another shift. A definite cause was not found, but it is now working, and a spare supply has been procured from the Free-Electron Laser and is in place to be swapped out if needed. Seasonal ground temperature changes are causing the accelerator to grow ever so sightly as noted by the beam pathlength adjustments that are being made during almost every shift. The rest of the week and weekend were very quiet with long stretches of continuous beam delivery.

Announcements

JLab Spring Cleanup Week: May 5-9
A weeklong, lab-wide clean up has been scheduled for the first week of May. Check with your supervisor for details. Dumpsters and forklifts will be provided. To arrange dumpsters, pick-up assistance and forklifts, contact Tom Briggs at x5430 or tbriggs@jlab.org. For excess materials questions, contact Joan Holloway at x7348 or Campbell@jlab.org.

Excessing Unused JLab Property Goes Electronic
All JLab property custodians now have access to an electronic excessing tool for excessing property that isn't on your property inventory list. Click on the line that reads Submit disposal/excess of property not on your inventory and complete the process. You will receive a Facilities Services Work Request email assigning a tracking number to the job.

Property listed in your custodian inventory may now also be excessed electronically. Go to your Property Validation list to initiate the electronic excessing process of tagged property on your inventory list. Property custodians may access their property list from the Property page. Click on Property Validation at the bottom of the Resources listing.

Reporting Theft Results in Quick Recovery of Snatched Computer
The recent theft of a JLab laptop from the ARC building brings home the importance of following procedures. The laptop was stolen from a third-floor laboratory during the middle of the day earlier this month. The computer was taken by a person who entered the ARC through deception and spotted the laptop on top of a desk in an open, unoccupied lab. The loss was immediately reported, and a short time later, Newport News police apprehended an individual who had possession of the laptop in the trunk of his vehicle. For the full story, click here.

Donate to Tornado Victims, Not Scam Artists
If you want to assist victims of the tornado that hit Suffolk this past week, local authorities suggest that you donate cash through well-known and reputable organizations and charities. For a partial list of local charities and links to their websites, visit the We Hear That webpage.

First Class Mail Rate Increase
The cost of a first-class stamp will increase from 41 cents to 42 cents on May 12. Prices for other postal services will also increase. Visit the U.S. Postal Service website for more information.

JLab Run-A-Round
Don't forget to register to run/walk in the race and to volunteer to help make this year's event a success! Activities begin in front of CEBAF Center at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14.

Environment, Safety, Health & Quality

Spring is the time when people engage in cleanup chores. Often materials that have sat in garages and basements for extended periods of time are now "rediscovered." While most items pose no risk, it is not uncommon for people to find items they cannot identify or items that are in damaged containers. People also may not know the correct way to handle or dispose of items that may pose a risk to others or to the environment. Here are a few things to keep in mind when going through your garage or basement:

• Containers located in the same place undisturbed for many years may have changed their properties and become unstable; handle them carefully!
• Do not mix or throw different types of materials into the same box or pail. Certain materials when mixed together can cause poisonous or explosive reactions.
• Materials without labels should be handled carefully and be kept separated from other material.
• When labels are present look for these words: DANGER, WARNING and CAUTION. These signal words are a relative indication of the toxicity of the materials involved, with danger being the most hazardous.

Other household chemicals such as pesticides, lawn and gardening chemicals, solvents, thinners and other items not listed above must be retained and disposed of at an appropriate recycling facility. For information on how to dispose of household hazardous waste in the local area, visit the Earthwise webpage.

Computing and Networking Infrastructure (CNI)

Attention JLab Wireless Network Users
The credentials used to create secure connections on the jlab_secure wireless network will expire May 15. Prior to that time, all secure_wireless users will need to update their systems with new credentials files. If this update is not made, access to jlab_secure will stop working on May 15. The procedure for performing the update and more information can be found on the Computer Center website. This change does not affect the guest wireless that relies on WEP keys that are manually updated every few months.

EVO and VRVS changes
The Enabling Virtual Organizations (EVO) collaboration network video conferencing system is available at JLab. EVO is a replacement for the Virtual Rooms Videoconferencing System (VRVS) and works well from your desktop as well as multiple conference rooms with Polycom camera systems. Please see the webpage for instructions on how to register and use EVO. Instructions for using EVO with the Polycom units are posted in each conference room that supports it. Some conference rooms are not configured to support EVO by default and will therefore require a service request to helpdesk@jlab.org to have the Polycom reconfigured to work with EVO. The VRVS services will no longer function at JLab after June 1.

JLab's JTalk server going down for maintenance
The Jefferson Lab JTalk server, which is used for Instant Messaging among staff, will be down for about 30 minutes starting at 5 p.m. Monday, May 5. It should be back up no later than 5:30 p.m.

JLab's Safety Numbers

224 Days since Last Recordable Accident (JLab record: 319)
543 Days since Last Lost Workday Accident (JLab record: 543)

JLab Calendar of Events

May 5-9: JLab Spring Cleanup Week
May 8-9: DOE Network Security Monitoring Technical Summit
May 14: JLab Run-A-Round
May 19-23: The 4th Electron Ion Collider Workshop
May 19-23: DOE ES&H Inspection - Planning Visit
May 26: Memorial Day Holiday (JLab closed)

JLab Education Calendar
May 27-Aug. 1: Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships
June 2-20: Hampton University Graduate Studies program
June 16-Aug. 1: JLab High School Summer Honors Program
July 7-Aug. 1: Academies Creating Teacher Scientists
July 14-18: Christopher Newport University LifeLong Learning Society at JLab
Aug. 1: Summer Science Education Poster Session, CEBAF Center lobby