Schedules

Schedule of Experiments for the Current Run | Assignment of Beam Time | User Support Requests | Changes to the Operating Schedule

Schedule of Experiments for the Current Run

Assignment of Beam Time

The guiding philosophy in experiment assignment is to offer enough beam time to maximize the chance of significant results. To minimize equipment changeovers and to ensure maximum utilization of beam time, experiments with similar configurations using the same chambers are scheduled together.

Scheduling is done primarily on the basis of the proposal's rating. Due to the scarcity of beam time and the large number of proposals of high scientific merit, a number of factors beyond the rating may come into play in making the final determination as to which proposals will actually receive beam time including availability of resources such as equipment or support staff. Consideration may also be given to graduate students completing their thesis work. If a single Spokesperson has several proposals that make the "cut" she/he is usually given only a block of time equal to one of those requests.

User Support Requests

If assigned beam time, the Spokesperson will be notified by email. Log in to user portal to "ACCEPT TIME" to acknowledge your beam time allocation. If you find that you cannot use your assigned time, click on "DECLINE TIME" where you will be prompted to enter relevant comments. (Please also contact us directly to discuss if any other options might be available.) "ENTER REQUEST" to alert us of who from your group will be onsite for this scheduled beam time. Add additional collaborators from the pull down list. Indicate their status by clicking the "Onsite" button or click the red 'x' circle if the individuals who are listed on your proposal will not be onsite for this experiment (FYI-Remote is only for SSRL crystallography users who will collect data remotely). You can also add new individuals by clicking on the "+" sign and completing the fields provided. At this time, please also alert us if you anticipate needing any special user support or if there are potential safety considerations which have not been cleared with the safety office.

Changes to the Operating Schedule

Please refer to the operating schedule which provides information on dates when we will be DOWN for Maintenance, Accelerator Physics or Holiday breaks so that you can plan your visits accordingly. Changes to the schedule can occur due to unanticipated technical problems. These changes can occur on very short notice and may result in the cancellation of a scheduled experiment. In most cases, short-term adjustments to the LCLS schedule cannot be made to compensate for unanticipated problems with the facility or problems with the equipment.