Minutes from ISOLDE Physics Group meeting, 18th November 2015.

There were no comments to the minutes from the previous PG meeting last week. 

Technical news:

ISOLDE has entered the last week of protons for this year’s run that finished Monday the 16^th at 8 a.m.

• GPS:
  
  • Delivered beam for HIE in periods of 5-6h/day. ⁷⁶Zn and ⁷⁴Zn beams. Only lost beam for some hours.
  • They run stable Neon in the weekend.
• HRS:
  
  • There was Hg-beam for SSP and bio-physics and Fr-beam for CRIS.
  • Target installed for Radon Laser-test.
  • MEDICIS target took protons (short irradiation) for the first time in parallel to a HRS physics run (as it is supposed to happen). 
  • ISCOOL issue:
    • Found a bad RF-amplifier. May have been broken for some time. Should only have affected the bunch mode. It has been fixed.
    • It could also explain the extra bad transmission during the last week Hg-run.
    • The constant ~50% beam loss through ISCOOL has been an ongoing discussion for more than a year. A solution should be found as it affects many experiments and users.
      • Manpower is needed to look at the problem/solution.
      • Tim will devote some time to debug the cooler during the coming weeks of the winter shutdown.
• RILIS:
  
  • Reports that all is fine and they were running Zn for the entire HIE-ISOLDE run. The Zn-beam has been very stable allowing for on-call mode. The stability appears to be understood and the experience will be used for the next time.
  • They will do Radon-scheme test and exploration of ionisation of noble gases.
• HIE:
  
  • Vacuum problem at Miniball that is not fully understood.
    • Interlocks will be implemented (now manual operation), as they were not fully ready for the first run. 
    • As the single Cryo-module is far away from Miniball, the fast valves are “enough” safety at the moment. This will not be the case when all the Cryo-modules are installed.
• ISOLDE:
  
  • FC and Scanners will be investigated during the winter shut down for issues listed in the e-logbooks.
  • Please inform Miguel Luis Lozano Benito on further FC and Scanner issues.  

Physics:

• CRIS: Taking 219-207-203 Fr beam. Made a systematic scan that gives a hint of where to find the 203-isomer.
  
  • Lost beam for some hours, reported in e-log. Not understood why.
  • All in all a good run.
• HIE: Got a nice Zn-spectrum and see new higher excitation states.
• SSP: 199-197 Hg-beam for biophysics, PAC and Mossbauer. Many problems getting the beam. Low yields from both an old bad target (the first more fresh target broke) and transmission.
  
  • Beam could only be used for calibration and test of setup. No physics could be performed.

Safety:

• ISOWORK zone has been removed.
  
  • But there will still be the fenced work zone. Limit your movement and enter with helmet and closed shoes. Close the fence.
• Access to ISOLDE for users has been updated and is now fully linked to the required training courses.
  
  • The needed ISOLDE/CERN training needs to be passed before access is granted. 
  • Therefore old users that used to have access may now have lost it if one of the new online courses (for example) haven’t been followed. .
• The Class-A lab had a safety drill. Training for case of contamination.

508:

• Kitchen is being installed.
• The new ISOLDE control room is being setup.
• Card access for the controlled area (bottom floor) is being installed.

Visits:

• Many visits this year. Kara will look at the statistics – this is likely a record.
• Do not touch the installed beamer in the 508 visitor’s room,. It is well focused and set up for presentations.

AOB:

• The Separator course will be held next week. Many participants.
• There are two empty seminar spaces before the winter shut down.
• Re-alignment of the ISOLDE beamlines is to be discussed at the ISCC Feb. 2016. 
• ISCC have asked ISOLDE users to update the list of publications before 2016.
  
  • Please check the list in the ISOLDE web-page and if publication missing report to Jenny.
  • Mainly Thesis production related to ISOLDE seems missing (CERN Thesis).
  • Submit on the CERN CDS-server: Experiments – ISOLDE.  

The next ISOLDE PG meeting has been announced, and will be Wednesday at 14:00. There will be a seminar from Torben E. Mølholt, "Emission Mössbauer Spectroscopy at ISOLDE/CERN".

Minutes taken by ~TEM