The crews are currently working in concert with each other, moving from east to west through the L-0 experimental hall. When a new magnet assembly goes in, the crews place a new portion of shielding wall, then a new front end assembly, followed by utilities and more portions of shielding wall - creating a dance that requires strict planning while donning steel-toed boots.
Inside the tunnel, the Sector II CHESS compact undulators have been installed, marking the first new undulators placed in line for the CHESS-U project – the first at CHESS since 2014. A total of 8 CHESS compact undulators will be installed by the end of the project, creating a true 3rd generation light source available for all CHESS users.
In order to pass the synchrotron light from the upgraded 6.0GeV beam of CESR into the newly installed beamlines, new front ends have been assembled and installed. They consist of beam position monitors, beamstops, shutters and UHV pumps. They also have a 2 meter section reserved for future placement of mirrors.
These 24-foot-long sections were each built on top of steel girders at Advanced Design Consulting in Lansing, NY. Off-site assembly of the front end components as one complete unit has allowed for quicker installation of these front end sections.
Side bounce mono assemblies are currently being assembled by the optics team. These will feed hutches 2B, 3B, and 4A.
Two of the SRF cavities, the powerhouses of CESR, have been removed and brought into the portable clean room for modifications. These integral pieces, which perform at 2K while installed, have not been brought up to room temperature in over 10 years. While it used to be standard practice for the CESR team to inspect the cavities at room temperature, this was discontinued due to the unnecessary risks associated with these temperature changes. However, the CESR accelerator team is confident that they will return to their powerhouse status after commissioning.
Next Milestone:
On September 10th the large equipment platform will be delivered to Wilson Lab for installation. This essential piece will be placed over the newly constructed hutches, and will serve as a home for the PLC safety and equipment protection controls for Sectors 1 – 4, RF control racks, power distribution, and hutch HVAC. Placement of the platform will require the same coordination as has been needed throughout this project.
The crews will continue their waltz through L-Zero, building more hutches, placing more magnets, and preparing to bring the beam back to CESR. Stay tuned for future updates.
