Accelerator Operations Group

Submitted by Roman Ruegg, March 15, 2007

TRIUMF, in its continued effort to provide quality beam to experiments, has recognized the need to provide resources to meet this goal. The Beam Quality Group (see new organization chart) is led by Bob Laxdal, who has outlined the team's mandate and interaction with others as follows:

1. Group mandate

   
   

   1. Liaison between OPS and experimenters
   2. Day to day beam physics input to OPS
   3. Providing diagnostics for beam tuning and beam delivery
   4. Maintaining and monitoring beam quality and transmission
2. Evolution of beam delivery interaction over the course of an experiment
   1. Experimental liaison
      1. Beam planning / EEC
      2. Technical review
         1. Beam quality
            1. Intensity / purity / energy
            2. Energy spread / time spread
            3. Spot size / divergence restrictions
            4. Chamber dimensions / target geometry
         2. On-line tuning / monitoring signal
         3. Diagnostic requirements 
   2. Experimental planning
      1. Prepare diagnostics / controls
      2. Prepare special tune if required
      3. Training documentation for OPS
      4. Develop pilot beam
      5. Check technical readiness (vacuum / RF / target)
         1. OPS maintenance coordinator
         2. Technical experts 

   3.  Beam delivery period

      1. Liaison between OPS and experiment
      2. Provide beam physics input to OPS
      3. Monitor beam quality

   4. After experiment

      1. Meet with experimenter for feedback
         

The interaction of OPS, Quality, and Exp personnel is the key to success. The Beam Quality Group has most of the necessary ingredients to achieve our goal. The missing pieces are being addressed: Two additional positions have been approved, one of which will be a cyclotron physicist whose role will be similar to that of Bob's and Marco's roles for ISAC.

Operations will be working closely with this new group on a daily basis, and, to this end, Bob, Andy, and I have agreed that Andy will be my alternate for ISAC - Operations - related decisions. This in no way impacts or alters the decision-making responsibilities of the coordinators. I view this change as getting an extended family. There may be some teething pains, but, overall, it will be extremely beneficial to all.