Accelerator Update for September 26, 2008 - September 29, 2008

Friday Sept 26

The day shift began with Operations monitoring the Tevatron (TeV) store 6448 (72.11E30) and the Recycler stash (346.7E10), with the Antiproton Source (Pbar) stacking (18.9E10), with the Linac, Booster, and the Main Injector (MI) operating normally, with the MiniBooNE, NuMI, and the Meson MTest experiments taking beam, and with the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) and DZero (D0) using the colliding beams.

Operations terminated store 6448 at 8:53 AM.

Cryo system experts reported at 8:53 AM that they were beginning to tighten the belts on the TeV sectors A3 and D4 wet engines.

Operations reported at 9:14 AM that Electrical Support personnel were beginning to replace the TeV sector A3 knife switch.

At 9:50 AM, a Booster vacuum pump (B:QP16) tripped off. It reset.

At 10:55 AM, Operations reported that they ran a hipot and it was not successful.

At 11:06 AM, a Booster vacuum pump (IPRF17) tripped off and took down two Booster RF stations (BRF7 and 8). Everything reset.

At 11:33 AM, power supply experts reported that they checked the TeV sector A3 knife switch work and found nothing wrong.

A TeV expert told Operations at 11:46 AM to continue with the TeV turn on.

At 12:17 PM, the TeV suffered a low beta quench during a QBS ramp. Operators and TeV experts investigated.

Operations put the TeV through a dry squeeze at 1:23 PM.

At 1:52 PM, Operations received a report that the MI-30 Upper power supply transformer was leaking oil. Operations halted the MI beam and investigated.

Operations put the TeV through another dry squeeze at 1:54 PM.

Operations reported at 2:19 PM that the MI-30U transformer had its oil valved out and the transformer isolated. MI-40U will be brought online in its place.

Operations established beam to Pbar, NuMI, and MTest around 2:33 PM.

Operations put the TeV through a wet squeeze at 2:58 PM.

At 3:20 PM, Operations disabled the MI ramp for the first of several times per the request of MI experts. They reported that they had heard a hissing noise coming from the MI-30 Lower transformer during the injection portion of the ramp. Operators disabled the MI-30L power supply and took it out of the circuit. The MI-30 Upper was put back into the circuit.

Operations put the TeV into shot setup at 4:39 PM.

Operations established store 6452 at 6:18 PM with an initial luminosity of 276.3E30.

At 9:43 PM, a Booster vacuum pump (IP141) starting tripping off. Operators disconnected one of its loads and it stopped tripping off.

At 10:42 PM, the Recycler began having a Pelletron energy (R:ENRGY) problem. Operations contacted a Recycler expert.

Operations reported at 10:47 PM that they had centered the MI orbits up the ramp.

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

Saturday Sept 27

The midnight shift began with Operations monitoring store 6452 (128.16E30) and the stash (227.7E10), with Pbar stacking (43.3E10), and with the MiniBooNE and NuMI experiments taking beam.

At 12:09 AM, the Pelletron energy began acting strangely again. Operations contacted an expert.

At 1:18 AM, a Booster RF station (BRF8) tripped off. It reset.

At 4:10 AM, two Booster kicker power supplies (KPS4A and B) tripped off. They both reset.

At 5:18 AM, MIRF15 tripped off. It reset.

Operations terminated store 6452 at 5:25 AM.

At 5:51 AM, the TeV antiproton abort kicker tripped off. It reset.

Operations put the TeV into shot setup at 6:17 AM.

Water group personnel reported at 6:58 AM that they were making up water in the MI LCW system.

At 6:59 AM, the TeV suffered a quench at sectors BA and BB during the initiate collisions portion of shot setup. B1 also quenched. Operators investigated.

At 7:23 AM, the Linac Klystron Vernier tripped off on a LCW flow fault. It reset.

Operators reported at 7:29 AM that a TeV sector B0 quadrupole might have caused the quench.

Operations reported at 7:55 AM that the Recycler had stashed four times during the midnight shift.

At 7:57 AM, LRF4 tripped off. It reset.

At 8:06 AM, a FESS expert reported that the pond water levels in TeV sectors F4 and A0 were low. The Duty Mechanic opened hydrants.

Operations reported at 8:08 AM that the Recycler had stashed four times during the midnight shift.

At 8:31 AM, the NuMI kicker tripped off. It reset.

At 8:34 AM, LRF4 tripped off. It reset.

Operations prepared D0 for access at 8:56 AM. They were out of access by 9:35 AM.

TeV experts began investigating the quench at 10:54 AM.

Operations completed a low beta check out at 11 AM.

Operations put the TeV through a dry squeeze at 11:32 AM.

Operations put the TeV through the first of several wet squeezes for study purposes at 12:17 PM.

The TeV studies ended at 3:58 PM. Operations put the TeV through a dry squeeze.

Operations put the TeV into shot setup at 5:33 PM.

Operations established store 6457 at 7:03 PM with an initial luminosity of 241.7E30.

Operations reported at 7:59 PM that the Recycler had stashed eight times during the last 12 hours.

At 8 PM, Operations reported that they had received vacuum alarms for the Tevatron Electron Lens.

Sunday Sept 28

The midnight shift began with Operations monitoring store 6457 and the stash, with Pbar stacking, and with the MiniBooNE and NuMI experiments taking beam.

Operations terminated store 6457 around 5 AM.

Operations put the TeV into shot setup at 5:13 AM.

Operations established store 6458 at 6:47 AM with an initial luminosity of 241.58E30.

At 7:50 AM, a Booster vacuum pump (IPRF23) tripped off and caused BRF13 and 14 to also trip off. Everything reset.

At 7:56 AM, KRF2 tripped off. It reset.

Operations reported at 8:01 AM that the Recycler had stashed eight times during the last 12 hours.

At 9:41 AM, LRF4 tripped off. It reset.

At 11:47 AM, BRF8 tripped off. It reset.

At 12:31 PM, Operations reported that the Booster Notcher tripped off. It reset.

At 2:56 PM, the node for the Recycler Electron Cooling (ECOOL) went down. The node came back on, but then a power supply for a blower in the Pelletron cooling system would not turn on. Operations contacted experts.

At 4:39 PM, Operations reported a loud buzzing coming from a vacuum pump for LRF3. Everything else seemed normal. Operations contacted experts.

Operations reported at 5:10 PM that an operator with advice from an expert had managed to restart the Accelnet2 database. ACNET was not initially running, but after the last ECOOL reboot everything started working again.

Operations disabled the MTest beam at 6:06 PM.

Operations terminated store 6458 at 6:46 PM.

Operations put the TeV into shot setup at 6:59 PM.

Operations reported at 7:54 PM that the Recycler had stashed six times during the last 12 hours.

Operations established store 6459 at 8:21 PM with an initial luminosity of 239.19E30.

At 10:59 PM, KRF3 tripped off. It reset.

At 11:53 PM, a Booster vacuum pump (IP241) tripped off. It reset.

At 11:58 PM, Operations reported that the H- Source was having a regulation problem.

Monday Sept 29

The midnight shift began with Operations monitoring store 6459 and the stash, with Pbar stacking, and with the MiniBooNE and NuMI experiments taking beam.

At 2:32 AM, LRF3 tripped off. It reset.

Operations established beam to MTest at 4:08 AM.

At 7:41 AM, Operations reported that the ECOOL node went away. An expert investigated.

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

The Plans for Monday

The plans for today are to stack, stash, and store. The Run Coordinator will allow MI and Pbar experts to conduct studies today.

Accelerator Update Archive

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