Summary notes of the LCU meeting on 21/09/2009

Present:  MA, OB, CB, HB, OD, MG, WH, BH, JJ, EL, AR, FS, RT, GV, SW, DW, FZ

Report from meetings

• SLM and general information -> MG
  There have been further measurements on the CMS beam pipe alignment. The analysis of the few measurements done since the beginning of 2009 of the CT2 section of the CMS experimental pipe shows that in the horizontal the movement if few tenth of mm, while in the vertical it is up to 2 mm. A formal reply by R. Veness is nevertheless awaited for updating the mechanical tolerances used for aperture computation.
  The CERN staff contract policy for staff members has changed. This will be presented in a public information meeting.
• LHC-CC09 -> FZ (slides)
  FZ reported from the 2nd crab cavity workshop, which took place last week at CERN. Presentations are on indico.
  Recent KEKB operation with a crab cavity demonstrated that is in fact possible to gain in peak luminosity. This makes less important to prove a luminosity increase at the LHC. However, there was a general consensus that tests on a Hadron machine would be mandatory to probe the potential issues like Rf noise, impact on beam-beam effects, etc.
  It was also highlighted that crab cavities are the ideal device to make effective use to the protons in the LHC. Therefore, crab cavities become a generic tool to increase luminosity in the LHC (and to perform luminosity leveling).
  Major issues are reliability and machine protection.
  The work will be further followed up. FZ showed a list of items, several of which would benefit from input of this group. 
• LBS -> HB
  The 7th meeting of this working group took place on the 17/09. Slides are on indico. Information exchange via DIP and display of experiments information in the CCC were discussed, as well as separation scans for luminosity optimization and calibration. The next LBS meeting is scheduled for the 22/10 and will discuss ideas and plans for background studies with beams.

Trip report from ICAP09 -> FS (slides)

FS reported from the recent ICAP which he attended. There were several interesting presentations and useful discussions between participants.
MAD-X  is used in many labs and FS received a lot of questions but also some useful feedback on MAD-X.
Michel Borland agreed that SDDS will be distributed with MAD-X.
Alexander Valishev from Fermilab said that 6D beam-beam in sixtrack was not benchmarked and offered to help to do so.

The next ICAP in 2 or 3 years will be organised in Germany in Berlin or Rostock.

Status of IR8 squeeze -> EL (slides)

EL reported on his work to produce the files required to allow for a squeeze without pre-squeeze as planned for the 3.5 TeV LHC operation.

The pre-squeeze is only really needed above 6 TeV to avoid strength limitations. For 5 TeV it is planned to have pre-squeeze files to allow to test the pre-queeze plus squeeze procedure. Further follow up is needed on the 3.5 TeV files without pre-squeeze, including aperture checks.
MG said that the generation of the settings in LSA is planned to be organised with a file for the quarupole settings and a knob (derived from our files) for crossing angle and separation. This will be reflected in the organisation of the files in the official repository, where each original file will be split in a file with quadurpole and one with dipole strengths.

AOB

BH asked about safety training. MG replied that all necessary information should be available from the web. In particular the new electrical awareness course is available on the web. JJ recommended to use the original French and not the poorly translated, misleading, English version.

Last update: 23-September-09

MG & HB

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