Travis Shrey
RHIC Machine Specialist
Collider-Accelerator Dept
Brookhaven National Laboratory
10/30/2014
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Facility/Personnel highlights
Traditional StartUp Period
New StartUp Period
‘Case Study’ provides a test for the new
method
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‘Summer’ shutdown – June through December
~22 weeks of cryogenic operation ($$$)
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3-4 days of cooldown to 4K
StartUp
 Power supply checkout during day & evening shift,
beam work during midnight shift only for the first 4-5
days
 24 hour beam work from that point forward until
Physics is declared
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Experimental physics operations
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Injectors are set up for beam ~4 weeks prior to RHIC cryogenic
operation
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The StartUp period for RHIC has become a
well-defined list of tasks, even with constant
recommissioning
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Some tasks require expert-level knowledge
The Operations group now has sufficient experience
to be able to perform the balance
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Operations Group
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6 teams of rotating shifts
 1 Operations Coordinator (5-15 years experience)
 2 Operators (0-10 years experience)
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2* RHIC Machine Specialists (17,19 years experience)
Responsible for hourly management of the
accelerator complex (Booster, AGS, RHIC)
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Accelerator Physics group
Physicists with expert level knowledge of one or
more accelerator systems (RHIC & Injectors)
 Some the original designers of RHIC systems
 Responsible for developing and commissioning
machine upgrades
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RHIC Run Coordinator
Chosen from Accelerator Physics* group
 Experience with Operations ranging from none to
extensive
 Experience with RHIC ranging from none to
extensive
 Responsible for day to day management of the run
and the meeting of Physics goals
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 Often separate Run Coordinators for Protons and Ions
if run during the same Fiscal Year
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Run Coordinator develops StartUp plan
Run Coordinator holds daily meeting to report
progress
Run Coordinator maintains ‘Plan of the Day’ to
deliver shift-by-shift instructions
Operations staff operates Injector accelerators
RHIC Accelerator Physics shift leader operates
RHIC to meet shift’s Plan of the Day goals
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Given the amount of variation in the experience level
of the Run Coordinator with regards to Operations or
RHIC itself, there can be an extremely steep learning
curve
The Run Coordinator runs out of hours in the day
(especially when needed to complete AP work for the
Run)
When conflicts arise shift leader requires guidance
from Run Coordinator, either in person or via phone 24
hours a day
Experienced RHIC AP personnel don’t want to be on
shift
Less experienced RHIC AP personnel know less about
operating RHIC than many of the Operations crews
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RHIC Machine Specialists develop StartUp Plan
Run Coordinator holds daily meeting to report
progress
RHIC Machine Specialist maintain ‘Plan of the
Day’ to deliver shift-by-shift instructions to
Operations crews
Operations staff operates Injectors and RHIC
Newer RHIC AP people on shift to provide
expertise and learn about Operations
RHIC AP staff available for assistance by phone
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Planning by RHIC Machine Specialists provides for the most realistic
estimates for timing of StartUp tasks – ‘personality management’ based
on experience
Allows Run Coordinator a much less intensive role during the first ~10
days of running, ease into their role while still being involved running the
daily meeting
RHIC Machine Specialists share role of leadership and are able to provide
24 hour coverage during the StartUp period without undue hardship
Experienced AP personnel are off shift
Newer AP personnel gain experience
Operations shift crews empowered to make planning decisions when
conflicts arise
Operators can make great strides in knowledge during StartUp.
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Watching ≠ Doing!!
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W. Fischer, BNL
Boxed area indicates the new StartUp model in use (effectively for runs
11.5 and 12, officially for runs 13 & 14)
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Run Coordinator notified of run 6/12 (always
had been a very small possibility)
Setup Plan created 6/13. Plan details 3 day’s
worth of work starting 6/16 and ending
midnight 6/18
6/16 mode switch begins (12 hour maintenance
period for some physical modifications to
power supplies)
Store for experimenter setup in place at 2200
6/18
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