Present: J. Äystö, J. Billowes,  L. Fraile, M. Garcia-Borge, G. Huber, M. Huyse, A. Jokinen, B. Jonson (chairman), M. Lindroos, R. Losito(pt), D. Lunney, K. Riisager

Excused: A. Di Pietro

The meeting starts at 09.00 h

1. Introductory remarks by the chairman

The chairman welcomes the committee members to the meeting. He welcomes D. Lunney and M. Huyse, the new representatives from France and Belgium respectively, and announces that it is the last meeting for himself and G. Huber.

2. Approval of the minutes of the 43^rd meeting.

The minutes are approved without any changes.

3. Budget 2005 (K. Riisager)

The collaboration budget up until 2008 is presented and the following points are made:

• Discussions with CERN management will take place in November about CERN taking over the funding of the REX staff posts. The management is waiting for the recommendations from the INTC after the NuPAC meeting before it can make a decision.
• Work has not taken place on the solid state laboratory during 2005.
• There is a budget to fund additional laser manpower.
• Some savings have been made on the construction of the extension to building 170. However, this could be needed to fund installation in 170.
• The RFQ cooler could require more funds to pay for installation.
• All contributions to the collaboration from the member countries should be up to date by the beginning of 2006.

4. EU funding (K. Riisager / M. Lindroos)

EU funding of posts at ISOLDE were summarized:

• EURONS : TNA-08 : Scientific Administrative post – J. Weterings
                                   Physicist post in ISOLDE Physics Group – J. Cederkall
                   JRA-03 Charge Breeder: A possible fellow next year
                   JRA-06 INTAG: A possible fellow post in the future
                   JRA-11 TRAPSPEC: Fellow in ISOLDE Physics group, A. Herlert (funding  first 6/7 months)
• EURISOL: Physicist post in ISOLDE Physics Group – P. Delahaye
                   Fellow in AB department to work on direct targets- R. Wilfinger
                   Fellow in AB department to work on mMw targets – A. Herrera Martinez
                   Physicist post in AB department – E. Noah
                   Physicist post in AB department – T. Stora (paid by CERN)
                   Marie-Curie Fellow – E. Bouquerel
                   Marie-Curie researcher – M. Menna

The committee is told that the EURONS access money has been used to fund scientists coming to ISOLDE to perform experiments during 2005 and that the upper funding limit set at CHF1000.- per person has been found to be rather conservative so this may be increased for 2006. Applications for extra funding during 2005 can be considered individually.

The next EURISOL town meeting will be held on 28/ 29^th November 2005.

5. Building 170 (M. Lindroos)

The committee is told that preparations are being made for moving into the new extension of building 170 during the coming shutdown. This includes the beam calculations necessary for moving MINIBALL. Electricity and cooling water still have to be installed in the extension and a memo will be sent out asking ISOLDE users for their input about what equipment is required in this new building.

A geological study has put the recent movement of the new building down to it aligning itself with the underlying rock. This should not cause problems in the future.

6. News from the AB Department (M. Lindroos)

It is announced that there is now a negative ion source in operation at ISOLDE and so proposals for new experiments which require this should be encouraged.

The status of the ISCOOL project is briefly summarized (see transparencies) and it is recommended that the ISOLDE collaboration grant funds next year to allow for the installation of the ISCOOLer.

This years operation of REX is presented including a list of the new isotopes produced in 2005. These results put REX-ISOLDE way out in front of any other facility.

7. RILIS (R. Losito AB/ATB/LPE)

R. Losito summarizes the excellent operational results produced by RILIS during 2005. However, these results required a very high number of man hours but in 2006, V. Fedosseev and his colleagues will not be able to provide these resources. This will be due to

• Work on the RILIS laser upgrade: If money is available, new solid state lasers will be bought in 2006 (V. Fedosseev has found two companies who can supply appropriate lasers up to 20W) to replace the copper vapor lasers and will be installed in 2007. Substitution of the dyes will be discussed in the future.
• Set up and tests in the new spectroscopy lab (bld. 252)
• Installation of the photoinjector for CTF3.

Hence, RILIS operation in 2006/2007 will be determined by

• The availability of consumables such as tubes and thyratrons for the Copper Vapor lasers, which are becoming less and less reliable.
• The ISOLDE collaboration being able to fill 1500 hours of shifts during 2006 and 2007.

A discussion follows about how to fill the extra man hours required.  A certain amount of money is available from the collaboration budget to fund these man hours but this may need to be increased.  It is suggested that if the Swedish funding application is successful, a Swedish doctoral student could be sent to work at RILIS.

8. News from the PH Department (L. Fraile / K. Riisager)

The idea of an ISOLDE brochure is put forward and the committee finds it an excellent idea, especially if it could be covered by the CERN budget. This would be the case if it has the same format as those already produced by other CERN facilities. Work is expected to start on the brochure at the beginning of 2006.

The committee agrees that ISOLDE should be part of the official CERN tour if enough ISOLDE residents are willing to become official CERN tour guides.

The problems arising from new regulations for the shipping of radioactive samples are summarized. The source owner is now responsible until it reaches it’s destination so CERN is responsible for the source when it is shipped back to an institute. Due to this, CERN insists that a specialist shipping company is used, which is very expensive, or the institute can be made legally responsible, which can be complex. A solution is being negotiated with the CERN radioactive material shipping group.

9. Schedule 2006 (L. Fraile)
ISOLDE operation during 2005 is summarized (see transparencies). A record number of shifts were delivered and the committee congratulates the ISOLDE management on such a good year.

The committee is informed that, in September, the research board approved the 2006 schedule. This means that Protons will be available from 18^th April and physics will run from 24^th April to 6^th November, i.e. 28 weeks. There are still 442.5 remaining shifts to be scheduled (not including those from the INTC meeting of 31^st October 2005).

10. NuPAC meeting and INTC matters (J. Äystö /M. Lindroos)

J. Äystö tells the committee that the NuPAC meeting had been a very high quality event and could be considered as being good public relations for ISOLDE. The local organizing committee, in particular M. Lindroos and J. Weterings, are congratulated.

J. Äystö also informs the committee that the NuPAC report is being prepared in which CERN requires priorities to be set. The report will treat ISOLDE and nTOF separately and will be ready in early 2006.

G. Huber suggests that the report should stress that radiation release at ISOLDE can be reduced by, for example, installing an air recirculation system, as this is a very sensitive subject. He also comments that the NuPAC recommendations will be very important for next years funding applications.

The committee agrees that the EURISOL and Beta Beam projects should be included in the report even though they would be the long term, and not mid-term, future of ISOLDE.

M. Lindroos announces that the AB Department is working on a report in parallel to that of NuPAC and that  the final decisions about the future of ISOLDE and nTOF will be made in June 2006.

 11. ISOLDE Workshop February 2006 (K. Riisager)

It is announced that the ISOLDE workshop will take place from 12:00 on Monday 6^th February until the end of Wednesday 8^th February 2006. The timetable will be sent out in January.

Due to this workshop, the next ISCC meeting will take place at 09:00 on 6^th February 2006.

12. NIC-IX Conference (M. Lindroos)

M. Lindroos announces that the Nuclei in the Cosmos (NIC-IX) conference will be held at CERN from 25^th to 30^th June 2006. There will also be a NIC-IX school for about 30 students the week before, i.e. 19^th to 24^th June. This will be a low cost conference with the fee set at CHF400.- and the proceedings will be published using ‘Open Access’. The conference income is summarized and a sum of CHF 10,000.- is requested from the ISOLDE collaboration. The committee agrees to contribute the requested amount; noting that the conference will be a good opportunity to attract new astrophysicists to become involved with ISOLDE.

13. Fellowship Applications (K. Riisager)

The committee is informed that G. Georgiev has left his position as a fellow early because he has been offered a permanent post at Orsay. However, A. Herlert has just started his fellowship in the ISOLDE Physics group and applications from good candidates are encouraged for the next selection round (deadline March 6th 2006).

14. New Chairperson of the ISCC (K. Riisager)

The selection committee recommends P. Butler as the next ISCC committee chairperson and the ISCC committee agrees unanimously to this proposal.

15. A.O.B.

• K. Riisager requests that funds be made available to support the next Euroschool and the committee agrees to support a certain number of students up to a limit of 3000 Euros for which an invoice should be requested.
• K. Riisager announces that he will attend the symposium being organized in memory of P.-G. Hansen and the committee whole-heartedly agrees to the statement of sympathy which will be made on behalf of the ISOLDE community.
• K. Riisager thanks B. Jonson for his time as the ISCC chairperson.
• G. Huber is thanked for his time as the German representative on the ISCC and it is announced that K. Blaum will take his place.

The meeting ends at 12:15h