Accelerator Update for August 15, 2008 - August 18, 2008

Friday August 15

The day shift began with Operations monitoring the Tevatron (TeV) store 6358 (39.29E30) the Recycler (RR) stash (54.1E10), with the Antiproton Source stacking (29.2E10), with Linac, Booster, with the Main Injector operating normally, with the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) and DZero (D0) using the colliding beams, and with the SciBooNE / MiniBooNE (BNB) and NuMI experiments taking beam.

A MI expert began a coalescing check at 10:17 AM.

Operations shut off the Booster beam at 10:21 AM to allow RF experts to bring an RF station (BRF8) back on line.

At 10:45 AM, a Linac RF station (LRF4) tripped off for the first of two times in five minutes. It reset.

Booster resumed sending beam at 11:31 AM.

At 1:03 PM, BRF2 tripped off. It reset.

At 1:56 PM, Operations reported that they were having problems getting beam out of Booster. Experts investigated.

Operations reported that Booster resumed sending beam at 2:02 PM. Booster experts found a kicker (MP02) that was not pulsing due to a bad control card.

Operations reported at 4 PM that the Recycler had stashed antiprotons four times during the day shift.

Operations terminated store 6358 at 4:02 PM.

Operations had CDF and D0 prepared for access by 4:25 PM.

D0 came out of access at 5:20 PM.

CDF came out of access at 5:38 PM.

Operations put the TeV through a dry squeeze at 6:10 PM.

Operations put the TeV into shot setup at 7:32 PM.

Operations established store 6361 at 9:18 PM with an initial luminosity of 213.16E30.

Operations reported at midnight that the Recycler had stashed four times during the evening shift.

Saturday August 16

The midnight shift began with Operations monitoring store 6361(130.49E30) and the stash (99.8E10), with Pbar stacking (21.6E10), with the BNB and NuMI experiments taking beam.

At 3:48 AM, Operations reported losing the Pbar beam permit due to bad beam positions in the AP1 transfer line. An operator restored a good file to the autotune program.

At 4:02 AM, Operations reported that the Pbar Sweeper “B” magnet power supply tripped off for the first of two times in 12 minutes. It reset.

Operations reported at 8 AM that the Recycler had stashed five times during the midnight shift.

At 8:36 AM, a Booster vacuum pump (B:IPRF17) tripped off and caused BRF7 & 8 to also trip. Everything reset.

At 9:28 AM, a Linac Klystron RF station (KRF1) tripped off. It reset.

At 9:43 AM, KRF2 tripped off. It reset.

At 9:50 AM, MIRF5 tripped off and would not reset. Operators investigated and reported something smelled burnt in the station. They bypassed the station and contacted an RF expert.

Mechanical support personnel and power supply experts reported at noon that the MT5E-2 magnet install would be complete in 20 minutes.

The picture on the left shows the bad magnet, the right shows the good magnet.

Operations established beam to Meson at 2:20 PM.

A RF expert reported at 3:03 PM that he had replaced the modulator for MIRF5.

Operations terminated store 6361 at 3:25 PM.

Operations put the TeV into shot setup at 3:42 PM.

At 5:25 PM, Operations reported that several vacuum valves closed in the Pbar Debuncher and the AP2 transfer line. Operators tried to open the valves through various methods and got all but one to reset and open. BV410 eventually opened, but operators weren’t sure it was due to anything they did. They contacted an expert.

Operations established store 6362 at 5:42 PM with an initial luminosity of 297.1E30.

At 6:14 PM, the Linac 400 MeV area beam permit tripped off due to bad beam positions. It reset.

At 7:52 PM, a Pbar Debuncher Septum (D:ISEPV) tripped off and two beam valves closed. Everything reset. Operations informed an expert.

Operations reported at 8 PM that the Recycler had stashed six times during the last 12 hours.

At 8:45 PM, the P2 transfer line tripped off due to a current drop on a quadrupole power supply (QF12).

At 9:11 PM, Operations reported that the Pbar beam permit had tripped off for the first of seven times in about an hour. It reset each time.

At 10:15 PM, a Booster kicker (MP02) tripped off for the first of several times in a minute. Then a vacuum pump tripped off. Operations contacted an expert.

Operations disabled the MTest beam for the evening at 10:17 PM.

At 10:18 PM, Booster tripped off several times and reported it was due to the MP02 kicker magnet. Operations called in experts.

At 11:34 PM, a Booster vacuum pump (B:IPRF23) tripped off and caused BRF14 & 15 to also trip. Everything reset.

At 11:44 PM, KRF5 tripped off. It reset.

Sunday August 17

The midnight shift began with Operations monitoring the store and stash, with Pbar not stacking and with the BNB and NuMI experiments not taking beam due to Booster kicker problems.

At 1:07 AM, the Linac Klystron Vernier tripped off on a LCW flow fault. It reset.

A Booster expert reported at 1:32 AM that MP02 was back up and running. There were several problems related with a NIM crate.

Booster resumed sending beam at 2:45 AM.

Pbar resumed stacking at 2:49 AM.

At 3:47 AM, QF12 tripped off and caused the P2 beam permit to trip. Everything reset.

At 4:02 AM, the P2 line tripped due to the QF12 current sagging. Operators monitored the supply output, but saw no fluctuation. Everything reset.

At 4:20 AM, the Pbar beam permit tripped off due to beam position problems. Operators could find no reason for the trip. It reset.

Cryo system experts at CHL reported at 4:24 AM that the TeV sector E2 wet engine was not operating normally. Cryo system experts investigated.

Operations established beam to MTest at 5:02 AM.

At 7 AM, Operations reported that the P2 power supply QF12 was still pulling the P2 beam permit.

Operations reported at 8 AM that the Recycler had stashed five times during the last 12 hours.

At 9:06 AM, the P2 line beam permit tripped off due to QF12. It reset.

At 9:10 AM, a Booster vacuum pump (IPRF17) tripped off and caused BRF7 & 8 to also trip. Everything reset.

At 10:10 AM, the P2 line beam permit tripped off due to QF12. It reset.

At 12:03 PM, the P2 line beam permit tripped off due to QF12. It reset.

Operators reported at 3:53 PM that the TeV sector C4 cryo system reciprocating engine had been alarming. Operations informed the Cryo Coordinator. He said that this engine would have to be replaced.

Operations terminated store 6362 at 5:35 PM.

At 6:02 PM, Operations reported that they received a F4 high water alarm along with a F4 sump pump failure alarm. Operations contacted a FESS expert.

Operations put the TeV through a dry squeeze at 6:31 PM.

Operations put the TeV into shot setup at 7:20 PM.

Operations reported at 7:26 PM that cryo system techs had adjusted the valves on the C2 wet engine after the store was terminated. They reported that its flywheel would need to be replaced soon.

Operations disabled the MTest beam at 7:40 PM.

Operations reported at 8 PM that the Recycler had stashed six times during the last 12 hours.

FESS technicians reported at 8:05 PM that they had repaired the F4 sump pump.

Operations established store 6364 at 8:51 PM with an initial luminosity of 297.93E30.

At 9:31 PM, BRF10 tripped off. It reset.

At 9:43 PM, KRF5 tripped off. It reset.

At 10:05 PM, Operations received a transfer gallery building smoke alarm. The Fire Department responded and reported that an air compressor was causing the smoke. The compressor was disconnected.

Monday August 18

The midnight shift began with Operations monitoring store 6364 and the stash, with Pbar stacking, and with the BNB and NuMI experiments taking beam.

At 12:44 AM, LRF2 tripped off. It reset.

At 5:07 AM, the Linac Klystron Vernier tripped off on a LCW flow fault. It reset.

Operations established beam to MTest around 5:58 AM.

At 7:46 AM, Operations reported that the P2 line beam permit had tripped off twice due to QF12.

The SciBooNE experiment reported at 8 AM that their run had officially ended. They had collected all the data they needed.

Operations reported at 8:04 AM that the Recycler had stashed eight times during the last 12 hours.

The Plans for Monday

The plans for today are to terminate the store around noon and then let the cryo system technicians conduct the TeV sector E2 wet engine work and to check the TeV sector leads. The next store will go in around 1 or 2 PM today.

Accelerator Update Archive

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