Jefferson Lab Weekly Briefs June 29, 2011

Jefferson Lab Weekly Briefs
June 29, 2011

12 GeV Upgrade

The North and South Access building low-conductivity water systems upgrade is 85 percent complete and slightly ahead of schedule. There are a total of four systems being upgraded. Two North Access building systems provide cooling downstairs for the west arc magnets and upstairs for the radiofrequency zones in the North Linac Service building and the power supplies in the North Access building. Two South Access building systems provide cooling for the east arc and the South Linac Service building. The piping is complete. When the electrical and controls are also complete, the systems will be filled with de-ionized water and hydrostatic pressure tests will be performed to check for leaks.

Physics

Hall A staffers made incremental progress on installation for the November run period. Several pieces of equipment were installed and aligned. Some procurements are a bit behind schedule. There were three new experiment proposals being discussed and reviewed by the Hall A coordinating committee for this Friday's Program Advisory Committee submission deadline.

Accelerator

The sixth scheduled week of the accelerator down went well. Installation work continues for the injector experiment (PEPPo), including the installation of cable trays. New rf-zone work is going very well, and the first klystron is in place. Modifications to cryogenic gas pipes were performed in support of the 12 GeV Upgrade project. Many other tasks were continued or started.

Free-Electron Laser

Work on the gun was completed and the gun is under vacuum. Preparations are underway for the bake, but the gun vacuum is already looking very good. Several beamline components in the rest of the injector were replaced, with several other replacements planned for this week. The quarter cryomodule upstream beamline valve has already been replaced with the downstream valve replacement, a task that had been planned for this week.

Center for Theoretical and Computational Physics

A recent publication has demonstrated differences between the EBAC unitary coupled-channels model and the commonly used isobar model, raising concerns about the reliability of the excited meson states extracted from isobar model analysis. The paper concludes that a coupled-channel approach with a three-particle unitarity condition must be used to analyze three-meson decay data for exploring hybrid or exotic mesons. The spectrum of excited mesons will be the focus of the future GlueX project in Hall D and a key component of CLAS12 in Hall B at 12 GeV.

Engineering

The survey and alignment group reports that the initial alignment (step 2A) of the refurbished dipoles in the west arc is continuing and is complete up to stack 7 (approximately the midpoint of the west arc). This initial alignment allows the vacuum and electrical group to complete its required hookup tasks. The stands for the slow raster and the FZ1 magnet for the g2p experiment in Hall A were also aligned. A check to see if the tunnel is moving as a result of the construction in the northeast corner of the accelerator shows changes below 2 millimeters between the initial survey in April 2011 and late June 2011. This is being monitored to ensure no gross movement occurs due to the construction breakthrough for the beamline to Hall D.

The magnet measurement factory (MMF) reports that magnet removal has been completed for the west arc. The refurbishment team is working through west arc stack 13. Measurement and installation has been completed for west arc stacks 1-8. Stack 9 measurement and installation is currently under way.

Based on the performance of the magnet factory, alignment and installation crews, approval was given this week to begin magnet upgrade work on arcs 7 and 9 passes in the east arc. Moving forward, magnet factory crews will concentrate efforts on east arc stacks 9-16 to complete the south side of the machine as soon as possible.

 

 

 

Environment, Safety, Health and Quality

In the U.S., someone dies from a traumatic injury every three minutes, according to the National Trauma Institute. The organization warns that the number of traumas is likely to spike during the coming summer months. NTI offers the following tips to keep families safe this summer:

  • Never use a cell phone, consult a map or engage in any activity that will distract you while driving;
  • Keep first aid kits in your home and car to treat common injuries;
  • Keep fire extinguishers on every floor of the home, and an extinguisher or hose should be kept near outdoor grills and fire pits;
  • Always wear helmets and elbow and knee pads when biking, skating and riding on all-terrain vehicles or motorcycles;
  • Be sure boats are stocked with life jackets for each passenger;
  • Never leave children unsupervised while in or near water, and only swim in designated beach areas with a lifeguard;
  • Know the location of the closest trauma center.

Announcements

Email Vacation Utility and Phone Vacation Greetings Reminder
If you plan to be away from the lab for a day or longer, be sure to set up a vacation message by administering your personal greeting for your lab phone and a vacation bounce message using the Vacation Email Utility for your email. You may wish to include the dates you will be away from the office and an alternate contact for important business that cannot wait until you return. You can access the instructions for setting up these messages at the links.

Quarterly Publications Training Offered July 12
If you have a paper in the works, including a journal submission; a conference presentation, poster or talk; or an e- or pre-print, you may want to brush up on JLab policy regarding publication requirements. A publications training session is set for CEBAF Center room F228 on July 12 at 9 a.m. To register for the training, email Kim Kindrew.

Lunchtime Seminar on July 19 for Managing Stress in the Workplace
This bring-your-own-lunch seminar will take place in CEBAF Center room F113, noon-1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19. The class reviews some basic concepts about stress and its effects on an individual. You will gain tips on how to recognize and manage workplace stress. Registration is required due to limited space. To sign up, contact Betty Beeler, x6999, or Bruce Ullman, x7170. Click the link for more information on the seminar.

JSA Initiatives Fund Call for Proposals Announced
A call for proposals for support from the 2012 JSA Initiatives Fund program has been issued. Details can be found on the JSA website. Note that no signatures are required on the original proposals, since the official acknowledgment of the lab director and the Users Group Chair will be secured with the initial reviews. All proposals are due by Aug. 8.

Minority Undergraduate Research Assistantship
JLab has extended the deadline for candidates from SURA universities for a research assistantship. The program will sponsor a minority undergraduate student to work on projects that are part of the lab’s research program or directly related to the scientific or engineering aspects of the research program. This assistantship is funded by the JSA Initiatives Fund and will provide funds to support the student at the university during the 2011-2012 academic year. Nominations are due Sept. 9 and must be submitted by the faculty sponsor before the student may apply. Faculty sponsors may obtain more information and submit their nomination online.

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 Fridays.

Congratulations to Dick Owen, who was the first person to correctly identify the June 22 location. An honorable mention goes out to Jane Worley. 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

July 1: Program Advisory Committee proposal deadline
July 4: Independence Day holiday; JLab closed
July 11: Safety Shoe vendor onsite
July 29: Summer Intern Programs Poster Session

JLab Summer 2011 Education Calendar

May 23 - July 29: Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship
May 23 - July 29: Research Experience for Undergraduates
June 20 - July 29: High School Summer Honors Program
July 29: Summer Intern Programs Poster Session