12 GeV Upgrade

Hall B Update
Stacking of lead sheets and scintillator bars threaded with wavelength-shifting fibers is underway for the second sector of the preshower calorimeter for CLAS12. The fourth wire chamber sector for Region 2 is underway at Old Dominion University; the second Region 1 chamber is being strung at Idaho State University; and the first Region 3 chamber is being assembled at JLab. The first batch of slats for the forward time of flight 1-b detector has been assembled at the University of South Carolina. Scintillators, bent light guides and photomultiplier tubes are on order for the central time of flight detector. The first of three types of silicon sensors for the silicon vertex tracker barrel have been assembled into the first full prototype module at Fermilab, with tests of signal/noise and performance underway at JLab.

Physics

The HDice target has been successfully installed in the CLAS detector in Hall B. The spin-polarized HD molecular target operates at or below 60 millikelvin in the "frozen-spin" mode. The deuterium atom in the HD target material is polarized at about 27 percent. The target is part of the G14-HD experiment that searches for predicted, but yet-to-be-discovered excited states of the neutron using the neutral Kaon-Lambda production channel. The target has been operating in the Hall B photon beam since last Thursday and shows no visible deterioration of its polarization. The measurement of polarization observables on nucleon targets is highly sensitive to interferences of resonant and non-resonant amplitudes, which enhance the visibility of weakly excited states. The successful construction and operation of the HDice target represents a major breakthrough in polarized target technology.

The Q-weak experiment is taking production data using the primary liquid hydrogen target and an aluminum target for background measurements. The Moller polarimeter, which was disassembled over the Six-Month Shutdown to replace a bad quadrupole, was recommissioned and used to measure beam polarization. The experiment was down briefly due to a failed high-power heater power supply. The power supply was replaced by a lower-power backup supply. Due to the very stable coolant supply from the Central Helium Liquefier and End Station Refrigerator, the target is still able to operate at full power (maximum beam current) while waiting for delivery of the replacement power supply.

Accelerator

The week started with Hall C receiving incrementally greater amounts of beam current up to 180 microamps. By midweek, Hall B came online with the production HDice target. Later in the week, injector optimizations to the electron bunch size allowed a cleaner path through the accelerator, resulting in a more consistent 180 microamps to Hall C. The weekend was smooth, except for a few hours lost Sunday due to a failed cooling water flow sensor, causing a loss of cooling water to each of the halls.

Engineering

The DC power group continues preparing for first-article testing at JLab for the 12 GeV magnet power supply. The power supply was delivered just before Thanksgiving. The radiofrequency group is putting together a plan to restore operation of the new C100 RF systems in SL24 and SL25 for use during the present (high beam current) accelerator run. Valuable operating experience will be gained by running these 12 GeV RF systems in the coming months. Preparations are also underway to complete repairs on the 6 GeV RF system circulator loads, which developed water leaks following the long shutdown. More than 40 loads are being rebuilt and re-installed. The loads are needed to support RF operation at 5.6 GeV, which the physics program calls for after the holiday shutdown. Finally, all electrical support groups are completing check out of systems needed for the Hall A beamline commissioning run scheduled later this month.

Facilities Management & Logistics

Extensive JLab Power Outage Over Holiday Shutdown
There will be a power outage for much of the JLab campus during the winter holidays/shutdown days, from 5 a.m. Friday, Dec. 23, through 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 1. For more information, see the full announcement in the Nov. 30 JLab Weekly Briefs.

JLab Calendar of Events

Dec. 10: JAG Children's Holiday Party
Dec. 19: Safety Shoe vendor onsite
Dec. 21: Colloquium and Public Lecture, CC auditorium, 4 p.m.
Dec. 23-Jan. 1: Winter holidays/Shutdown days - JLab closed
Jan. 11: Hall D Open House for staff and users

Environment, Safety, Health and Quality

Distracted Driving Can Claim Lives
In 2009, more than 5,000 people were killed in crashes involving driver distraction, and nearly half a million were injured, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. In all, distracted driving was responsible for 20 percent of all vehicle accidents in 2009.

JLab follows applicable state and national laws regarding the use of handheld devices by drivers while behind the wheel. "Texting while driving" is now against the law in Virginia and North Carolina and is banned nationwide for commercial vehicle drivers. The District of Columbia and Maryland have gone a step further, banning the use of all handheld devices by drivers while behind the wheel. Make sure you review the full list of state bans for the states you plan to drive in on your holiday travels. The list is available on the Distraction.gov website.

Computing and Networking Infrastructure

Computing Services Outage Will Precede Shutdown Power Outage
The Information Technology division will conduct maintenance on equipment in the Computer Center. JLab computer account holders will not have access to any central computing services from 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 22 (when the holiday shutdown begins) through 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 23. For more information, see the full announcement in the Nov. 30 JLab Weekly Briefs.

Announcements

Mont on Awards
The latest Montage has been posted to the JLab website. Montage is an ongoing series of articles about issues affecting the lab written by JLab Director Hugh Montgomery. Click the link for Montage or access it via the JLab homepage.

Annual Enrollment for TIAA-CREF 401(k) GSRA begins Thursday, Dec. 8.
The 2011 TIAA-CREF 401(k) GSRA Annual Enrollment will be offered Dec. 8 through Dec. 14. The web-based on-site enrollment will allow you to increase, decrease or opt out of the 401(k) GSRA plan. Employees that do not enter the system by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14, will be automatically enrolled in the default employee 5 percent contribution plan that is based on your current salary. If you have any questions, contact Treva Ferguson, x7291, or Doug Roeder, x7595.

Foreign Travel Medicine Program Requires Early Notice of Travel
For staff members who engage in foreign travel for the lab, be aware that Occupational Medicine provides Travel Medicine support services. For maximum benefit, staffers who anticipate upcoming foreign travel should submit their travel plans to the Foreign Travel Management System as soon as possible and also visit the CDC Travel Medicine site as far in advance of travel as possible. After the employee has reviewed the CDC recommendations, she or he should contact JoAnne Newman, x5585, for questions and requested service, such as vaccine administration. For the full memo regarding foreign travel medicine support service procedures and associated challenges, visit the Occupational Medicine website.

Volunteers Needed to Help With Children’s Party
The JAG needs additional volunteers to help with the Children's Holiday Party on Saturday, Dec. 10, mostly as crafts table and game helpers. Sign up online.

Usable Distribution Envelopes Needed
Shipping and Receiving and some work sections are currently experiencing a shortage of interoffice distribution envelopes. If you or your work area has excess re-usable interoffice distribution envelopes you'd like to share, bundle them together with the note "RETURN TO SHIPPING & RECEIVING" and leave them stacked at your office distribution area. Your cooperation can help the lab avoid the expense of unnecessarily buying new envelopes.

Automatic Teller Machine Replacement
The Langley Federal Credit Union ATM in the CEBAF Center lobby will be replaced on Monday, Dec. 12. The system will not be usable that day.

Library to Hold Open House Dec. 16
To celebrate its new service offerings and a new look, JLab Library staffers invite JLab staff, students and users to visit the Library Open House on Friday, Dec. 16, 3-5 p.m. Attendees will be able to see the new information commons room now available for conferences, workshops, meetings and discussion groups. Demonstrations will show how the after-hours self-checkout service will make it easier for borrowers to personally check out Library materials. The event will also include information booths with complimentary giveaways from the Library's e-Subscription vendors, including the American Institute of Physics, EBSCO, John Wiley & Sons, the Institute of Physics and Safari. Light refreshments will be served. The Library is located in Room 126 on the first floor of the Applied Research Center building. Library staffers would like to thank everyone involved in the transition and seeks feedback on how to make the Library and its Information Resources more useful to the lab community.

Annual Children’s Holiday Party Set for Dec. 10
The Jefferson Activities Group is hosting a Children's Holiday Party on Saturday, Dec. 10, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in the CEBAF Center lobby. All children of JLab employees, contractors and users are invited. Youngsters may talk with Santa Claus, take part in games and craft activities, and enjoy light snacks. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Each family is asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy donation for Toys For Tots. For more information, visit the JAG website.

Toys For Tots Toy Drive Ends Dec. 10
Deposit your donation of new, unwrapped toys for children ages 1-12 and in the Toys for Tots collection boxes located near the main entrances of CEBAF Center, VARC, ARC, Test Lab and the MCC.

Holiday Office Door/Cubicle Decorating Contest Underway
Ready, set, hang those decorations for the JAG Holiday Office Door/Cubicle Decorating Contest. Prizes will be awarded for the Best Decorated, Most Original and the Silliest. For more information, visit the JAG website.

Personal Dosimeter Change Out Set for Dec. 19
JLab's semi-annual personal dosimeter change out will take place during the afternoon of Monday, Dec. 19. This includes the dosimeters of all JLab staff, users and subcontractors. If you need to use your dosimeter during the change out period on Dec. 19, you may exchange it that morning in the Radiation Control Dosimetry Office in Bldg. 52B, Room 4, 8 a.m. -1 p.m. If you have questions, contact Becky Mosbrucker, x7236.

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 Jason Willoughby and Samika Hawkins, who were the first to correctly identify the Nov. 30 location. An Honorable mention goes to Michelle Shinn. Check out the Tracking Thomas webpage for a better view of his last location and this week's new mystery photo.