Accelerator Update

Summer Shutdown, Start-up Very Successful

October 15, 2008

Jim Murphy
Accelerator & Operations Division
jbm@bnl.gov

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"Wow it's injecting straightway!" was the exclamation of NSLS Control Room operator Mike Santana as he flipped the switch to begin the commissioning of the NSLS X-Ray Ring following the August 2008 shutdown. A few tweaks to one of the X-Ray Ring injection kicker power supplies and a mere two hours later the ring was operating at full current (300 ma) and full energy (2.8 GeV). It was a fitting end to a very successful shutdown to install the new X9 insertion device and a tribute to the Accelerator & Operations Division, Experimental Systems Division, and ESH&Q staffs that made it all possible.

From left, Chris Stelmach, Ed Losee, and Bill Bambina survey the installation of the X9 front-end components.

The installation of the new mini-gap undulator in the X9 straight section is the culmination of two years of intense collaborative work between the NSLS Mechanical and Magnet Measurement groups. Since the machine vacuum must be broken for the insertion device installation, the well of expertise in the NSLS vacuum group, led by Eugene Hu and Walter DeBoer, must be tapped to safeguard the precious void in the rest of the ring. The in-ring bake-out of the undulator was monitored around the clock by Tony Caracappa's spiffy new computer-based monitoring system. The undulator gap controls were exercised once the device was in place as the final check on the insertion device. The front-end components were also secured and surveyed in place by the skilled team of mechanical technicians. When the construction of the beamline is completed in the first quarter of FY09, the NSLS will provide a vital new tool for researchers at BNL's Center for Functional Nanomaterials.

Peter Zuhoski (left) and Ken Pedersen flanking their innovative new booster kicker power supply.

While the installation of the X9 device provided the technical impetus for the August interlude, a great deal of other valuable improvements and preventive maintenance was also completed. Paramount among the improvements was the introduction of a new generation of kicker power supply in the booster ring that was cleverly designed by electrical engineer Pete Zuhoski and deftly fabricated by electrical technician Ken Pedersen. These new power supplies eliminate one of the critical vulnerabilities that languished over the years and they will also allow for speedier maintenance and repairs. Other important tasks in the booster were the repair of the BUESH kicker magnet and the installation of new ions pumps.

The ESH&Q team of Mike Buckley and Bob Chmiel completed the critical semi-annual storage ring interlock certifications during the shutdown as well. We're safe and good to go for another six months. The shutdown was also distinguished by the absence of any safety events, which is a tribute to the sound work planning by all of the staff under the watchful eye of Albert Boerner.

From left, Wayne Rambo, Tony Caracappa, John Dabrowski, and Charlie Nielson, the architects of the X9 bakeout monitoring system and the undulator gap controls.

Our klystron experts, Mike Fulkerson, Aditya Goel and Pooran Singh, together with the electrical and vacuum groups, have been honing their skills with two recent klystron replacements at the NSLS followed by one more at the Source Development Lab. Luckily, the klystrons had the grace to fail prior to the shutdown because the NSLS staff was extremely busy during the shutdown itself, which was superbly planned down to the minute by Edwin Haas and Emil Zitvogel.

Let's thank all of the dedicated staff members for their efforts during the shutdown to deliver new capabilities to the user community (X9) and improving the performance and reliability of the storage ring complex.