Minutes from ISOLDE Physics Group meeting, 2nd March 2016.

No comment to the minutes from the previous PG meeting: 

Technical news:

There is still a lot of on-going shutdown work.

• ISOLDE:
  
  • Ready for the cold test checkout of the facility to be started in the following days.
  • Double scanner has been replaced by a repaired scanner on GPS.
    • The same replacement work was done on the HRS, but the replacement scanner was not in optimal working condition. It is now being fixed. 
  • The laser window has been replaced on HRS. All went well.
    • Same window replacement to be done soon on GPS.
  • The balloons have been emptied.
  • The vacuum is in good shape.
  • There has been a few days of delay in the return of cooling water, this will affect testing of the heating of target, but should not affect the start-up.
• Target:
  
  • The proton BTY-line (before hitting target) is currently dismounted; the vacuum group are making a repair.
    • Should be ready before first test.
  • The target on HRS was changed to a VADIS target for the upcoming cold test.
    • E.g. MAX load of power supplies.
  • The target Faraday cage has been cleaned by a small team of volunteers.: many thanks to  Juliana, Lina and Maria.
  • The piston on the Faraday cage has been replaced.
  • Target production will be on time for the 2016 runs.
  • A list of back-up old targets will be shipped to ISOLDE from the ISR storage as spares (the move will be outside working hours).
  • A prototype target/front-end was tested with success. 
• Control room:
  
  • The controls have been updated.
    • We expect that updates will only  be implemented once they have been tested properly.
      • No sudden Java “pushed- updates” in e.g. the middle of the night.
  • QP-array and vacuum control will remain in the old control room, to allow local access for certain experiments.  
  • The new control room is still missing beam gate operation and proton request control. Should be installed 11-12 March.

• HIE/REX:  
  
  • The Cryo-module #2 has been installed and aligned.  REX is starting up and debugging at the moment. There are various timing issues which need to be resolved.
  • The 9-gap amplifier had arrived.
    • The other temporary amplifier will stay as a backup for ca. 1 year.
  • Cryo-module 1 (repaired) will arrive the 19^th of  April.

• RILIS:
  
  • Test of various schemes such as Bi, Eu and Te until Easter.
• 508:
  
  • Kitchen is now operational.
  • The water pipes installation for the Laser labs is to be resumed as the workers are “back”.

Physics:

• 2016 Beam time schedule to be released in a few days.
  
  • The schedule covers until June. 
• Hotel booking for users:
  
  • 20 rooms have been block booked for ISOLDE.
  • Please inform booking 1 month in advance, or non-booked rooms will be released.
• ENSAR support:
  
  • 15^th March deadline:
  • Send the names of the full group, not only the names that apply for support (for statistics).

Safety:

• ISOLDE:
  
  • There was a safety spot check.
    • Waiting for a possible report.
    • The GLM/GHM area needs a clean-up.
  • Please use the helmet when moving through or around in the hall.
  • For the moment please wear safety shoes – if you have them –  order them if you don’t, at least for local people.   
  • There is still an ongoing discussion on the subject: constant helmet- wearing and safety shoes – as the ISOLDE hall is a beams area.
• 275:                       
  
  • Declassification of the entrance hall has been finished.
    • Waiting for report.
  • Part of the ceiling came down in the upstairs SSP room due to leaking rainwater.
    • Likely caused by an exposed roof due to the ongoing work on the roof.
    • Damage to stored items will have to be inspected after the works.
  • The installation of a new roof is ongoing. 3 weeks to be completed.
    • Please check once in a while for possible water damage in rooms.
  • The toilets need to be cleaned.

AOB:

• Summer student project:
  
  • 13 project have been accepted for 8 member state students. There will be 2 students from Thailand.
• 25-30^th September Ecole Joliot Curie 2016, "Origin of nuclei in the Universe".
  
  • Port-Barcarès, France, http://ejc2016.sciencesconf.org/
• The ISOLDE yield database needs values to be checked.
  
  • Volunteers,Kara, Karl, Mark, Razvan, Ronald and Vladimir, were found to inspect the database before Monday. 
• 508-R-201 will get a clear indicated delivery point, since 508 deliveries happens to go missing.
• LN2 tank status. Waiting for the delivery of the last safety valves.

The next ISOLDE PG meeting will be held on Wednesday 9th March at 14:00.

There will be a seminar from Almudena Arcones, "Nucleosynthesis of heavy elements in supernovae and neutron star mergers".

Minutes taken by ~TEM