Accelerator Update for March 6, 2009 - March 9, 2009

The Integrated Luminosity 3/2/09 to 3/9/09 was 44.46 Pb^-1.

Friday March 6

The day shift began with the Tevatron (TeV), Recycler, Linac, Booster, and the Main Injector (MI) recovering from the Kautz Road power glitch, with Operations monitoring the Antiproton Source stack (24.1E10), and with the MiniBooNE, NuMI, Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF), and D-Zero (D0) experiments waiting for beam.

Operations reported at 8:34 AM that operators had rebooted the QPM, the heaters charged, and the address fault cleared.

At 10:30 AM, Operations reported Linac quadrupole power supplies in alarm (L:Q41, Q:42, and Q:43). The Neutron Therapy Facility (NTF) had just started treating a patient. Linac Experts investigated. Below is a picture of a Linac quadrupole magnet, which is located inside of a Drift Tube.

Operations put the TeV through a dry squeeze at 10:31 AM.

At 10:57 AM, the Booster vacuum valves closed. They opened.

At 11 AM, a Booster RF station BRF3 tripped off and would not reset. An expert bypassed the station and brought on BRF14 while he investigated.

Operations put the TeV through a wet squeeze at 11:29 AM.

At 11:41 AM, Operations reported that Linac quadrupole power supplies had alarmed again (L:Q41, Q:42, and Q:43). Experts investigated.

At 12:45 PM, L:QPS107 tripped off for the first of two times in about an hour. It would not reset after the second trip. Operators found a blown fuse.

Linac experts reported at 1:29 PM that they were changing out a timing card for Q41, 42, and 43 while work proceeded on QPS107.

Linac resumed sending beam at 1:52 PM.

At 2:39 PM, Operations reported that the current for L:QPS119 was wandering.

At 2:54 PM, BRF11 tripped off for the first of two times in about 30 minutes. It reset.

Operations put the TeV through a dry squeeze at 3:11 PM.

At 3:21 PM, TeV experts reported that there was an aperture restriction due to the SyncLite mirror. They disabled the mirror movement.

Operations reported at 4:09 PM that the Recycler had stashed antiprotons seven times during the day shift.

At 4:20 PM, Operations reported that power supply experts began working on an Accumulator power supply (A:IB).

Operations established store 6868 at 5:13 PM with an initial luminosity of 292.67E30.

A Pbar expert began a study at 5:26 PM.

At 5:35 PM, the Pbar AP1 transfer line beam permit tripped off. It reset.

At 10:10 PM, several Booster vacuum pumps (IP122, IP72, and IP62) tripped off. Everything reset.

At 11:44 PM, a Linac quadrupole power supply (L:HQTM4U) tripped off. Operations contacted an expert.

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

Saturday March 7

The midnight shift began with Operations monitoring store 6868 (117.87E30) and the stash (147.1E10), with Pbar stacking (17.4E10), and with NuMI and MiniBooNE taking beam.

At 12:09 AM, the H- Source tripped off. It reset.

Experts brought the Linac beam back on line at 12:22 AM.

At 12:26 AM, L:QPS114 tripped off. It reset.

At 12:28 AM, L:HQTM4U tripped off. Experts reported that it needed a new power supply.

Operations put Pbar into standby around 12:54 AM.

Operations switched to the I- Source at 1:27 AM.

Linac beam resumed at 2:16 AM.

At 3:05 AM, Operations reported that the 400 MeV area beam permit tripped off for the first of two times in 30 minutes. It reset.

At 5:02 AM, the Linac Buncher tripped off. Expert investigated and brought it back online.

At 7:45 AM, BRF4 and 15 tripped off due to sparking. They reset.

Operations reported at 7:52 AM that the Recycler had stashed five times during the midnight shift.

At 8:11 AM, BRF4 tripped off. It reset.

At 8:12 AM, a Booster vacuum pump (IP72) tripped off. It reset.

At 8:43 AM, the Booster West Anode power supply tripped off. It reset.

Operations terminated store 6868 at 9:05 AM.

Operations began preparing the TeV F- sector area for access at 9:09 AM.

At 9:24 AM, a nearby lightening strike caused a glitch that tripped off the Booster RF, the MI kickers, the MI Power Supply interlock Loop tripped off, and half of the Recycler stash was lost.

The MI ramp was back on by 9:37 AM, but the stash was slowly going away. Operators investigated and called in experts.

Operations put Pbar into standby mode at 9:46 AM.

D0 came out of access at 12:24 PM.

Operators reported at 1 PM that they were searching the TeV tunnel for possible ground water leaks.

At 1:29 PM, Operations reported that the 400 MeV area had tripped off for the first of two times in a minute. It reset.

D0 reported at 1:32 PM that they were conducting cosmic ray studies.

At 1:34 PM, Operations reported that the Booster chopper was only putting out half of its requested voltage. Operations called in experts.

Operations prepared Linac for access at 2:17 PM.

At 2:40 PM, a TeV RF station (TRF4) tripped off. Operations contacted an expert who told operators that this was a known problem and to turn the station back on.

At 3:22 PM, Operations reported that a D0 power supply (D0Q6) had a bad regulator. Operations called in a power supply expert.

Booster experts reported at 6:23 PM that they had replaced the chopper “on” tube.

Operations established beam to MiniBooNE, NuMI, and Pbar at 6:32 PM.

At 6:46 PM, the Pbar core 4-8 system was not putting out any power. Operations put Pbar into standby and called in an expert.

At 7:17 PM, TeV power supply experts reported that they were still working on D0Q6. More experts were called in.

At 7:33 PM, a Pbar expert confirmed that the light link system had failed. Operations called in another expert.

Operations prepared Pbar for access at 7:40 PM.

Operations reported at 7:58 PM that the Recycler had stashed two times during the last 12 hours.

Pbar experts reported at 9:08 PM that they had repaired an optical receiver at AP50 and the 4-8 momentum system was on. Pbar resumed stacking.

A Pbar expert began tuning the core momentum 4-8 system at 9:55 PM.

TeV power supply experts reported at 10:40 PM that D0Q6 was back online. They had repaired the main contactor and replaced a terminal block.

Pbar resumed stacking at 10:41 PM.

At 11:16 PM, LRF3 tripped off. It reset.

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

Sunday March 8

The midnight shift began with Operations monitoring store 6844 and the stash, with Pbar stacking, and with NuMI and MiniBooNE taking beam.

Operations put the TeV through a dry squeeze at 12:42 AM.

At 12:49 AM, Linac QPS114 and 115 tripped off. They reset.

At 1 AM, QPS114 tripped off. It reset.

At 1:08 AM, LRF3 tripped off. It reset.

At 1:35 AM, Operations put the TeV through a wet squeeze.

Operations put the TeV into shot setup at 4:09 AM.

Operations established store 6875 at 5:45 AM with an initial luminosity of 165.05E30.

Operations reported at 7:56 AM that the Recycler had stashed seven times during the last 12 hours.

At 9:25 AM, LRF4 tripped off. It reset.

At 9:28 AM, the 400 MeV area beam permit tripped off for the first of four times over the next 7.5 hours. It reset.

At 11:52 AM, operators reported that they found the MI-52 pad full of water. They pumped it out.

At 6:34 PM, a Linac Klystron RF station (KRF3) tripped off. It reset.

At 7:54 PM, L:QPS114 tripped off. It reset.

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

At 8:27 PM, BRF4 tripped off for the first of three times in two minutes. It reset.

Operations terminated store 6875 at 9:40 PM.

Operations put the TeV into shot setup at 9:52 PM.

At 11:09 PM, during the TeV flattop, the TeV quenched at D0. Operators investigated.

Monday March 9

The midnight shift began with operators investigating the TeV quench and beginning the recovery process, with Operations monitoring the stash, with Pbar stacking, and with NuMI and MiniBooNE taking beam.

A TeV expert came in at 1:57 AM to help with the quench investigation.

Operations put the TeV through a dry squeeze at 2:46 AM

Operations put the TeV through a wet squeeze at 3:57 AM.

Operations put the TeV into shot setup at 5:10 AM.

Operations reported at 5:14 AM that they had resumed sending beam to Booster and MI.

Operations established store 6880 at 6:42 AM with an initial luminosity of 173.22E30.

An RF expert began working on BRF18 at 7:47 AM. He brought the station online about 15 minutes later.

Operations reported at 7:57 AM that the Recycler had stashed seven times during the last 12 hours.

The Plans for Monday

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

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