SSRLUO-EC
Contact List
Previous
SSRLUO Minutes
Attendees: Joy Andrews, Uwe Bergmann, Benjamin Bostick,
Richard Brennan, Linda Brinen, Lisa Downward, Lisa Dunn, Britt Hedman, Keith
Hodgson, Cathy Knotts, Richard Lee, Piero Pianetta, Tom Rabedeau, Martina
Ralle, Jackie Robleto, Deanne Jackson Rudd, Tim Stemmler, Mike Toney, Glenn
Waychunas
A meeting of the SSRL Users' Organization Executive Committee (SSRLUO-EC) was
held on January 23, 2004, immediately following the open session of the SSRL
Proposal Review Panel meeting. A summary of issues discussed follows. Follow up or
action items are highlighted in bold.
-
Benjamin Bostick, SSRLUO-EC Chair, called the meeting to order at 2 pm.
The meeting began with introductions, as many of the newly elected members were
in attendance.
-
Ben related from personal experience that user activism has the
potential to have a huge impact to raise their awareness about the user science
supported by synchrotrons, particularly discussions with policymakers as they
are considering future budgets for physical sciences and for synchrotron
facilities. Ben has developed and maintains an SSRL user activism website
through his home institution: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~ssrluo/
-
There was a discussion and feedback related to the 30th Annual SSRL
Users' meeting. It was suggested that advisors do more to encourage students to
participate in the meeting - including the awards dinner. Several people
suggested that more graduate students might be encouraged to participate in the
meeting, submit posters and attend the awards dinner if the cost of the dinner
could be subsidized or waived for those students submitting a poster.
-
Glenn Waychunas suggested that a session at the users' meeting might be
devoted to new investigators (graduate students, postdocs).
-
It was suggested that it might be helpful to have something on the role
of synchrotron radiation users in LCLS (ultrafast spectroscopy, etc.). More
active user outreach would help to engage potential users early on, gauge the
interest of the community, generate ideas for new experiments, solicit new
proposals. Dick Lee noted the challenge of putting together a package for
review by SLAC, DOE and others to aid in commissioning and initial transition
to the general user phase of the project.
-
Keith Hodgson gave a update on SSRL, SPPS, and LCLS activities. User
operations expected to resume with SPEAR3 in March 2004. Expansion capacity
exists for 8-10 new beam lines (first 2 in final phases of design/funding -
soft x-ray and hard x-ray undulators). SPPS builds on strong strong synergy
between accelerator and photon sciences; experiment utilizes SLAC linac with
added bunch compressor and undulator to produce 80 fsec x-ray pulses. SPPS
provides the first opportunity to directly gain experience with high
brightness, short pulse linac based x-ray light source - enabling new area of
science and R&D directly relevant to LCLS. LCLS, world's first x-ray free
electron laser entering 2nd year of PED funding. DOE Critical Decision 2a
approval authorizes advance procurements ($30M ) to be made in FY2005.
Construction expected to begin in FY2006 with first laser commissioning in
early FY2008 and project completion by beginning of FY2009.
-
Changes related to radiation safety training and procedures were
discussed. SSRL buildings and beam line areas will be monitored for several
months of regular user operations with SPEAR3. During this time, all of the
experimental floor will be considered a radiologic controlled area (RCA) while
radiation surveys are underway. All users in the experimental area must have
current GERT training (General Employee Radiation Training) and wear a
dosimeter during this period. Procedures to facilitate GERT training and
transfer of valid training from other DOE facilities for SSRL users are being
implemented.
-
Changes to site access related to foreign visits and assignments were
discussed. New DOE rules require that facilities track badged users in the DOE
Foreign Access Tracking System (FACTS), and that users from sensitive and SST
countries be approved by the DOE before they can visit. This will require that
all users inform SSRL User Administration at least 45 days in advance of all
scheduled beam time or planned visits to SSRL so that required documentation
can be completed and any necessary approvals sought. Ben Bostick and Cathy
Knotts reported on a meeting on this topic that they attended along with other
user organization representatives and user program mangers at BNL at the end of
October. Deanne Jackson Rudd updated the committee on activities of the SLAC
Security Committee. Users with questions or concerns can contact these
individuals.
-
Uwe Bergmann updated the group on plans for a public lecture series at
SLAC. The series is being coordinated with SLUO and the SLAC Communications
Office and will include several presentations by SR scientists including
Herman Winick, Graham George and Jo Stohr.
-
Given the short user run anticipated in 2004 and increased demand for
the beam lines available, there was a suggestion to investigate shorter shifts
(<8 hours) in order accommodate more users. With the increase in brightness, is
it possible to schedule users for less than they requested or even half shifts
for users such as crystallography so that can get baseline information?
-
Following up on the discussion at October 2003 SSRLUOEC meeting, the
committee decided to change the names of two user discipline categories to
(other categories remain the same):
-
Structural Molecular Biology = Biospectroscopy
-
LCLS = Ultrafast science
-
It was suggested that the mailing list database maintained by SSRL be
updated to include users' research areas so that mailings can be targeted to
those users in each category. Cathy reported that there are some limitations
with the current database but that this could be incorporated into an updated
database which is under development (new system will also offer more user
friendly web interfaces for updating mailing list information, proposals, and
scheduling information).
- The meeting adjourned at 6 pm, followed by a group dinner with
members of the SSRL Proposal Review Panel.
|