1. Magdalena Kowalska, CERN PH-SME-IS
ISOLDE scientific coordinator’s report
ISCC meeting, November 4, 2010
Running period 2010
Status of INTC shifts
Accelerator schedule 2011
Long shutdown (2012 or 2013)
Status of ISOLDE experiments
New ISOLDE web page
Magdalena Kowalska, CERN PH-SME-IS

2. ISOLDE experiments and requests 2010
INTC February 2010
5 new experiments: IS499 – IS503
132 approved RIB shifts (out of 183 requested)
8 experiments completed (3 REX experiments):
IS381, IS414, IS415, IS417, IS418, IS425, IS431, IS469
69 active experiments for 2010 beam period
INTC June 2010: 34 HIE LOIs
INTC November 2010
189 shifts requested in new proposals and addenda
21 shifts requested by LOIs

3. ISOLDE schedule 2010 (May 6 - Nov 21)
~29 weeks for physics
vs 31 weeks in 2009
Requested shifts:
667 in total
93 different beams
627.5 for 50 experiments
GPS
HRS
Scheduled shifts (~73%):
480 in total
75 different beams
443 for 41 experiments
REX-ISOLDE:
432 shifts requested
160 shifts scheduled (~37%)
11 experiments (7 runs)
additional WITCH runs
(need REXTRAP)

4. Main problems in 2010 (I) TISD on Sm RILIS and target
test: no laser ionised Sm visible
SSP collections with YO HP target: Strong stable contamination, not much physics output, but promising yields of Fe and Cr beams
GPS
HRS
YO CP target for 1st REX-ISOLDE run: 9C yield dropped quickly after start – run not successful – need target tests
ZrO target with RILIS for Ga at COLLAPS: Target broken right before on-line run – cancelled
WITCH run on Ta W target: Very contaminated rare-earth beam, but some recoil spectra (on mixed beam) could be recorded
Miniball run on 72Kr from YO CP target: 10-fold yield drop within a few days, strong 72Ge contamin.

5. Main problems in 2010 (II)
Pb HP target for SSP collections: GLM deflection plates blocked (broken pinion); no beam for users
ISOLTRAP run with UC CP target: No 46,47Ar visible among very strong stable contamination of SC(H). No masses measured but multi-reflection isobar separator commissioned .
GPS
HRS
96Kr Minball run with UC CP target: many contaminants and weak Kr signal at Miniball but 96Kr E(2+) observed in 2009 confirmed
202Rn Miniball run: target broke in the middle of the run; only partial statistics collected
220Rn Miniball run: cancelled due to target failure during 202Rn run

6. Main problems in 2010 (III)
70-72Kr from YO CP target for ISOLTRAP: No beams visible among large Cl contamin. but more tests with multireflection isobar separator
30Na from UC W target to Miniball: measured yield and counts at Miniball much below database value. Beam given to next user.
GPS
HRS
Mn beam for Mossbauer studies (UC Ta): GPS HV trips above 30kV (requested HV>50kV). Extraction electrode exchanged and 40kV allowed very good results.
N-rich rare earths at ISOLTRAP (Ta W): no beam of interest found among stronger contamination. Another new mass measured.
Tests of high-density UC target: GPS turbo fans go off. Pumps will probably survive only 3-4 days.

7. 2010 online shifts Shift backlog after Feb10 meeting : 877 shifts
Neutron doserate in Sv/h in ISOLDE HV room
Ca. proportional to proton intensity at the target
=> Upper limit on online shifts delivered until November 1: shifts
Shift backlog after Feb10 meeting : 877 shifts
Assuming that until end of 2010 we will have delivered around 350 shifts
=> Shifts remaining for 2011: around shifts approved in November => above 700 shifts to be scheduled

8. Accelerator schedule 2011 (draft)
ISOLDE dates (still prelimin.)
protons to ISOLDE April 25
physics start ISOLDE May 2
protons stop November 20
(i.e. 29 weeks for physics vs 29.5 in 2010)
Shutdown period used for new GPS front-end
Several 24h injector stops every 6 weeks.
Several long periods of machine development
partly with parasitic beam to ISOLDE (not guaranteed)

9. Long CERN-wide shutdown
One year shutdown of CERN accelerator complex
(to save money and manpower) planned for 2012
However:
- LHC runs better than expected
CERN/LHC competitor Fermilab might run after 2011
nobody is happy about the exact date of the shutdown
It is very probable that shutdown is postponed to 2013, which will be better for ISOLDE and HIE-ISOLDE. (Decision will be taken in late spring/early summer 2011.)
ISOLDE planning/running with 1-year shutdown at 2012 or 2013:
go ahead with GPS front-end exchange in 2010/2011 shutdown
priorities for scheduling in 2011: as normal (experiments waiting for beam longest) + projects for a PhD thesis (in case shutdown takes place in 2012)
INTC accepts regular proposals in February 2011 (June and November to be discussed)
some weeks of offline physics

10. Long CERN-wide shutdown
We asked operations group and directorate for access to necessary infrastructure and support (controls, vacuum, RP, etc) for 3-4 months after the usual stop of ISOLDE physics (i.e.December-February or March). Our request was taken note of.
Some ideas for offline physics were collected informally from various users:
Examples of requests for long-lived species:
Extracted from ISOLDE irradiated target:
Plunger t1/2 measurements (require more beamtime, e.g. 216Po)
Decay studies of long-lived nuclides
Mass measurements (e.g. on neutrinoless double beta decay)
Tensor current search with 60Co at NICOLE
With samples irradiated elsewhere (e.g. PSI or ILL) and using the ISOLDE mass-selection capability and some of its experimental systems:
7Be for SSP and T-REX
Ar from irradiated Ti foil: 39Ar for astrophysics, 42Ar for MINIBALL
Ion-implanted 26Al target for astrophysics cross sections
Requests for stable beams, mainly for setup characterisation: WITCH, NICOLE

11. Status of experiments - ECR
ECR removal and new GHM experiment
Many ECR parts waiting for transport to GANIL shipped yesterday

12. Status of experiments - MISTRAL
Clean-up continues
22 ton magnet moved to CERN long-term storage
only electronics and some vacuum parts remain

13. Status of experiments - Beta-NMR
Beta-NMR system in place
Beta-scintillator tests ongoing.
Foil holder and connection to ISOLDE beamline still missing (delays at Rehovot). September tests with Be had to be cancelled.
Tests of polarisation using Coulex on stable Ne beam done in Nov09: lower statistics than expected, analysis ongoing, no polarisation code available for comparison with data
PhD students got some data for their theses:
Christophe: Coluex on n-rich Rb isotopes
Hans: analyse part of 11Be T-REX data

14. Status of experiments - CRIS
Installation completed
Prototype experiment
for new safety structure
Off-line run allowed successful tests of ion transmission
Lasers working and laser tables ready
First on-line run planned
for November 2010
New CERN PhD student: Kara Lynch

15. Status of experiments - WITCH
Additional shielding for REX mass separator under installation (to be tested with REX beam soon)
Commissioning run in week 25: recoil spectra recorded. However, ISOLDE beam was a cocktail of rare-earth isobars and no identification or cleaning were possible at WITCH
Physics run on 35Ar scheduled for week 46

16. Status of experiments - HV Platform
Dismantled and removed
HRS collection point to be mounted soon (needs to be properly shielded with concrete)

17. Status of experiments - GLM
Some improvement in vacuum and beam focusing
New setup available and to be
installed soon
Improvement of concrete shielding
ongoing

18. New ISOLDE web page Online since September 2010:
changes in layout and content
missing info is filled up step by step
some new elements, like NEWS