Accelerator Update for December 19, 2008 - December 22, 2008

The Integrated Luminosity for 12/15/08 to 12/22/08 was 47.59 Pb^-1.

Friday Dec 19

The day shift began with the Tevatron (TeV) recovering from a quench, with Operations monitoring the Recycler stash (95.0E10), with the Antiproton Source stacking (34.3E10), with the Linac, Booster, and Main Injector (MI) operating normally, with the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) and D-Zero (D0) experiments waiting for the next store, and with the MiniBooNE and NuMI experiments taking beam.

Operations reported at 8:30 AM that the TeV quench was due to the output of a power TeV power supply (VC39) dropping to zero. A power supply expert changed out its regulator.

Operations ramped the TeV at 9:37 AM.

Operations put the TeV through a dry squeeze at 9:52 AM.

At 10:35 AM, the 400 MeV area beam permit tripped off due to bad beam positions. Everything reset.

TeV experts began a beam study at 10:38 AM.

The Neutron Therapy Facility reported at 12:20 PM that they had treated their last patient for the day.

TeV experts completed their study at 1:53 PM. Operations put the TeV through a wet squeeze.

Operations put the TeV into shot setup at 2:27 PM.

Operations established store 6664 at 3:55 PM with an initial luminosity of 235.04E30.

Operations reported at 3:56 PM that the Recycler stashed antiprotons five times during the day shift.

At 4:34 PM, the 400 MeV area beam permit tripped off due to bad beam positions. Everything reset.

Operations reported at 6:48 PM that Pbar had set a New Stacking Record with a rate of 28.32 mA for an hour.

At 8:42 PM, a Linac Klystron RF station (KRF5) tripped off. It reset.

At 10:39 PM, Operations reported a problem with the Recycler horizontal cooling system. Operators called in an expert.

A Recycler expert reported at 11:09 PM that he found the cooling system target stuck in the up position. He fixed it.

Operations reported at 11:57 PM that the Recycler stashed eight times during the evening shift.

Saturday Dec 20

The midnight shift began with Operations monitoring the TeV store 6664 (81.69E30) and the stash (230.5E10), with Pbar stacking (29.6E10), and with MiniBooNE and NuMI taking beam.

At 1:59 AM, MIRF14 tripped off. It reset.

At 2:25 AM, BRF5 tripped off. It reset.

At 3:45 AM, the 400 MeV area tripped off. It reset.

At 3:46 AM, KRF6 tripped off. It reset.

At 4:44 AM, LRF2 tripped off. It reset.

Operations terminated store 6664 at 5:25 AM.

Operations put the TeV into shot setup at 5:36 AM.

Operations established store 6665 at 7:08 AM with an initial luminosity of 321.59E30.

Operations reported at 8:06 AM that the Recycler stashed seven times during the midnight shift.

At 9:49 AM, the 400 MeV area tripped off. It reset.

At 12:05 PM, KRF1 tripped off. It reset.

At 12:43 PM, Operations reported that the Pelletron’s VME was not responding.

At 3:05 PM, the 400 MeV area tripped off for the first of three times in about three hours. It reset.

At 5:48 PM, a Pbar Accumulator kicker (A:IKIK) tripped off. It reset.

Operations terminated store 6665 at 6:11 PM.

Operations prepared D0 for an access at 6:12 PM.

D0 came out of access at 7:34 PM. They fixed a blower.

Operations put the TeV through a dry squeeze at 8:05 PM.

Operations reported at 8:10 PM that the Recycler stashed 12 times during the last 12 hours.

At 8:45 PM, KRF1 tripped off. It reset.

Operations put the TeV through a wet squeeze at 8:49 PM.

At 9:05 PM, BRF6 tripped off. It reset.

At 9:30 PM, MIRF14 tripped off. It reset.

Operations put the TeV into shot setup at 9:44 PM.

At 9:45 PM, LRF4 tripped off. It reset.

At 9:47 PM, the 400 MeV area tripped off due to bad beam positions for the first of six times in about three hours. It reset.

Operations established store 6668 at 11:22 PM with an initial luminosity of 316.7E30.

Sunday Dec 21

The midnight shift began with Operations monitoring store 6668 and the stash, with Pbar stacking, and with NuMI and MiniBooNE taking beam.

At 1:22 AM, Operations reported that the temperature for the TeV sector C17 service building alarmed. The Duty Mechanic investigated and found the building’s heater had failed. He installed portable heaters.

At 2:32 AM, the MiniBooNE beam permit began tripping off due to problems with a power supply (E:MBEXPS). This seemed to only happen during stashes. Operations contacted an expert who said that MiniBooNE could run at a reduced rate until the morning and then a power supply expert should be called in.

At 5:01 AM, Operations reported that the TeV sector C48 service building had a temperature alarm. Operations contacted the Duty Mechanic.

At 6:06 AM, a Recycler kicker (R:KPS2A) tripped off on a magnet temperature indication. It reset. Operations investigated and found that the tunnel temperature had dropped by eight degrees Fahrenheit. Operators turned off the tunnel’s intake blower and the temperature started to climb. The tunnel temperature was not the cause of the kicker trip.

At 7:30 AM, a NuMI kicker (I:KPS6N) tripped off and would not reset. Operations called in an expert.

Operations reported at 8:02 AM that the Recycler stashed 10 times during the last 12 hours.

Operations reported at that the NuMI kicker had reset before the expert arrived. NuMI resumed taking beam at 9:43 AM.

At 10:05 AM, the NuMI kicker again tripped off. The expert was still here and investigated. He reported that the MI-60 power supply room was 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Operators turned up the room heater and the Duty Mechanic added a portable heater.

Power supply experts reported at 10:29 AM that they had replaced the MBEX power supply controller.

A Recycler expert reported at 12:50 PM that the kicker was back on and that Operations could stash.

Operations reported at 1:33 PM that the Recycler had successfully stashed antiprotons.

Operations reported at 4:08 PM that the Recycler kicker seemed to be operating normally.

Operations terminated store 6668 at 5:05 PM.

At 6:24 PM, Operations reported a MI vacuum burst in the MI-50 area. It recovered.

Operations reported at 8:10 PM that the Recycler stashed 3 times during the last 12 hours.

At 8:18 PM, the Pelletron VME again failed. An expert was called in and he managed to reboot the crate.

At 9:38 PM, a TeV RF station (TRF8) tripped off. It reset.

Operations put the TeV through a dry squeeze at 9:41 PM.

Operations put the TeV through a wet squeeze at 10:34 PM.

At 10:40 PM, TRF4 tripped off again. Operations called in an RF expert.

At 11:02 PM, The Pelletron VME again failed.

The TeV RF expert reported 11:34 PM that he found the water skid for TRF4 had a control card problem. He replaced the card.

Monday Dec 22

The midnight shift began with the TeV in a wet squeeze, with Operations monitoring the stash, with Pbar stacking, and with NuMI and MiniBooNE taking beam.

Operations put the TeV through another wet squeeze at 12:11 AM.

Operations put the TeV into a shot setup at 12:35 AM.

Operations established store 6672 at 2:26 AM with an initial luminosity of 307.84E30.

At 4:36 AM, Operations reported that earlier they had two Pbar Debuncher TWTs trip off and not reset. Operators left them off for a while and then restarted them. They continued to trip off.

At 4:58 AM, operators rebooted the TWTs per an expert’s instructions. The reboot did not work. An expert was called in.

Operations put Pbar into standby mode at 5:12 AM.

At 6:02 AM, LRF5 tripped off and would not reset. Operations called in experts.

At 7:49 AM, Operations reported a LCW leak for MIRF10. Experts will fix this leak during the Linac work.

Operations reported at 8:08 AM that the Recycler stashed 2 times during the last 12 hours.

The Plans for Monday

The plans for today are to fix LRF5 and then resume stacking, stashing, and storing.

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