Accelerator Update for September 29, 2008 - October 1, 2008

Monday Sept 29

The day shift began with Operations monitoring the Tevatron (TeV) store 6459 (70.49E30) and the Recycler stash (269.4E10), with the Antiproton Source (Pbar) stacking (61.3E10), 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.

TeV experts began an end-of-store study at 8:34 AM.

A water group expert reported at 8:47 AM that a CUB deionizing column for the MI LCW system was failing.

The TeV study ended at 8:52 AM.

Operations terminated store 6459 around 8:58 AM.

Operations put the TeV into shot setup at 9:13 AM.

At 9:23 AM, Operations reported that shot setup was held up due to problems with the TeV sector C2 BPMs. An expert investigated and then rebooted the VME.

Pbar experts began a 15-minute Delta kicker study at 9:45 AM. This study halted stacking.

Operations established store 6460 at 11:24 AM with an initial luminosity of 243.8E30.

Operations prepared MI-31 for an access at 11:27 AM.

Operators reported at 1:10 PM that they had completed their search and secure of MI-31.

A MI expert began a 12-batch slipstacking study at 1:59 PM.

At 2:42 PM, the TeV suffered a quench at sector B4. Store 6460 was lost. Indications pointed to a loss of power. Operators investigated and found the service building dark.

The duty Electrician reported at 2:53 PM that he had power on a B4.

Operations reported at 2:57 PM that they turned the vacuum pumps on and opened the vacuum valves for TeV sector B4. They also got the pond water pumps and LCW pumps on. These had all tripped off due to the power outage.

At 3:29 PM, a Booster vacuum pump (IPRF17) tripped off and caused BRF7 and 8 to also trip. Everything reset.

Cryo system experts reported at 3:42 PM that they had begun work on the TeV sector F1 wet engine.

The High Voltage Coordinator reported at 3:54 PM that he could not find a reason for the power outage at B4.

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

Operations put the TeV through a dry squeeze at 4:34 PM.

Operations established a proton-only store at 5:13 PM and ran the smoothing program at low beta.

At 5:16 PM, Operations reported that the TeV abort was not making up. An expert investigated and later reported that a valve chassis indicated that a valve was not energized. A command to open the valve resolved the problem. He said that it was probably glitched by the B4 power outage.

At 5:46 PM, a power supply trip (E:H117) caused the NuMI beam permit to trip. Everything reset.

At 6:27 PM, Operations reported problems with the Pelletron energy (R:DENRGY). A Recycler expert investigated.

Operations put the TeV into shot setup at 7:22 PM.

Operations established store 6462 at 9:09 PM with an initial luminosity of 245.4E30.

Operations disabled the MTest beam at 9:57 PM. The MTest (Calice) T978 experiment completed this portion of their experiment. They will be back again next year.

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

Tuesday Sept 30

The midnight shift began with Operations monitoring store 6462 (146.7E30) and the stash (105.6E10), with Pbar stacking (17.7E10), and with the MiniBooNE and NuMI experiments taking beam.

At 2:57 AM, KRF2 tripped off. It reset.

At 4:42 AM, the TeV sector B48 horizontal separator sparked. There was no loss of luminosity.

At 6:12 AM, Operations reported that the H- Source output was drifting for the first of two times in 23 minutes. Operations contacted a Preaccelerator expert.

Meson beamline experts began taking study beam at 7:30 AM.

Operations reported at 8:03 AM that the Recycler had stashed five times during the midnight shift.

TeV experts began an end-of-store study around 8:16 AM.

Operations terminated store 6462 at 8:25 AM.

Operations reported at 8:31 AM that technicians were conducting a thermal scan of the TeV sector A3 knife switch. The scan took 15 minutes.

TeV experts began aperture scans at 9:01 AM.

At 12:08 PM, Operations reported that the LRF3 noise was getting worse. Linac experts investigated.

A MI expert began a 90-minute coalescing study at 1:13 PM.

Operations reported at 3:54 PM that the Recycler had stashed once during the day shift.

The Meson beamline studies ended at 6:03 PM.

Operations put the TeV through a wet squeeze at 6:50 PM.

Operations put the TeV into shot setup at 7:26 PM.

Operations established store 6464 at 9:35 PM with an initial luminosity of 228.5E30. The low luminosity was due to a separator problem during the scrape.

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

Wednesday Oct 1

The midnight shift began with Operations monitoring store 6464 (145.69E30), and the stash (203.1E10), with Pbar stacking (15.0E10), and with the MiniBooNE and NuMI experiments taking beam.

At 5:11 AM, MIRF5 tripped off for the first of two times in 36 minutes. It reset.

Operations terminated store 6464 at 6:05 AM.

Operations put the TeV into shot setup at 6:16 AM.

Operations established store 6465 at 7:32 AM with an initial luminosity of 217.0E30.

At 7:35 AM, Operations reported scraping problems due to the TeV sector D17-3V collimator.

At 7:35 AM, Operations reported that the Pbar Lithium Lens had tripped off. An expert investigated and found a blown power supply fuse, which he replaced. Stacking resumed at 7:55 AM.

Operations reported at 8:04 AM that the Recycler had stashed five times during the midnight shift.

The Plans for Wednesday

The plans for today are to stack, stash, and store.

Accelerator Update Archive

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