User Guide

To ensure effective communication please update your contact information, e.g., email, phone number, etc. 

We strongly encourage you to list your mobile phone number as your Work Number so that the CHESS Operators can reach you, if necessary, during your beam time.  

1. Log into BeamPASS
2. Access your profile by clicking the person symbol in the top right corner of the screen,
3. Choose “Profile” then "Edit" to update the relevant fields,
4. Scroll back to the top of the page and click "Save".

Proposal Submission and Beam Time Allocation

Thank you for submitting a proposal at CHESS. If you haven't reached this step yet, please review the Prospective User Guide for details on the process and future considerations.

Post-Submission Process:

• Proposals are accepted by the CHESS User Office and sent to Peer Review (if applicable) and Safety Reviewers.
• After scoring, we collaborate with staff and scientists to schedule as many proposals as possible.
• Please note that not all submitted proposals can be accommodated. Proposals that are not feasible at the selected beamline or receive poor scores will not be scheduled. Note: Unscheduled BTRs are not saved for future cycles, collaborators MUST submit another BTR for consideration.
• You will be notified by CHESS staff if your proposal is scheduled.

Proposal and Beam Time Request (BTR) Submission Process:

• Once your proposal has passed safety review, the first Beam Time Request (BTR) will be automatically created based on the run cycle selected in your proposal.
  • This initial BTR will be labeled with a letter “-A” (e.g., BTR #1234-A).
• For subsequent run cycles, the PI or a listed collaborator must manually submit additional BTRs to remain eligible for beam time.
  • These will be labeled with letters “-B”, “-C”, etc.
• Example: If your proposal is for the first run cycle of 2025 (2025_1), the system will automatically generate a BTR for 2025_1.
  To request beam time for later cycles (e.g., 2025_2, 2025_3), you must log into BeamPASS and submit new BTRs manually.
• Important: Unscheduled BTRs are not saved for future cycles. You must submit a new BTR for each cycle in which you seek beam time.

Expired Proposals:

• Expired proposals will not appear in the dropdown when creating a new BTR.

For any questions or assistance, please contact the CHESS User Office at CHESSUserOffice@cornell.edu.

Collaborator Access for CHESS

Only users listed as collaborators on a proposal and registered with a profile in BeamPASS will have remote and/or in-person access to CHESS.

To View Collaborators:

• Click the proposal number under "My Active Proposals".
• Scroll down to see the listed collaborators.

To Change Collaborators on Un-Submitted Proposals and BTRs:

• Un-Submitted Proposals: Under "My Active Proposals", click "Edit" on un-submitted proposals and navigate to the "Collaborators" tab.

Adding/Removing Collaborators on Submitted Proposals or Beam Time Requests:

• Email CHESSUserOffice@cornell.edu for any changes to collaborators on submitted proposals or Beam Time Requests.

Once awarded time, all Users are required to review the information provided in this User Guide in preparation for remote and in-person experiments at CHESS and complete the CHESS User Quiz.

1. Log into BeamPASS.
2. On the "Home" page, click on "CHESS User Quiz" in blue.
3. Complete the exam.

All users who come on-site must read this User Orientation and Safety Training Guide and score 100% on the In-Person User Quiz that follows before any work at CHESS can begin. 

1. Log into BeamPASS.
2. On the "Home" page, click on "In-Person User Quiz" in blue
3. Complete the exam.

CLASSE ID Requirement for CHESS Users

All CHESS Users need a CLASSE ID to log into BeamPASS, collect data, and participate in experiments. Since CHESS is part of the Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-based Science and Education (CLASSE), these accounts are referred to as "CLASSE accounts".

Account Validity and Extension:

• The account is valid through the run cycle and can be extended upon request using the CLASSE-IT Service Request.
• Your CLASSE account is used to log into BeamPASS. If you forgot your password, click "Forgot password" at login.

Creating a CLASSE ID:

• If you do not have a CLASSE ID, click "Don't have an account?" to complete the required form.
• You will receive an email to set the password and activate the account once the request is approved (up to 2 business days).

Accessing Data with CLASSE ID:

• Verify that you are listed as the Principal Investigator (PI) or Collaborator on an upcoming scheduled BTR:
  1. Log into BeamPASS.
  2. Click "Home".
  3. Click "All Proposals".
  4. Click the ID number in the left-hand column.
  5. Scroll down to view the "Investigators" box.

Modifying Collaborators:

• To add or remove a collaborator, email CHESSUserOffice@cornell.edu.

Additional Steps:

• If you have not done so, take the CHESS User Exam. Refer to the "Take the CHESS User Quiz" tab for more information.
• Check your spam folder for an email from service-classe@classe.cornell.edu with the subject line “New CLASSE computer account created”. This email will contain instructions to activate your account.
• If you can't find the email, email service-classe@classe.cornell.edu for assistance.

Assistance:

• If you are having trouble or need to access data from a past experiment, contact CLASSE IT at service-classe@classe.cornell.edu with your questions.

Enrolling with CLASSE Duo

Two-factor authentication is critical to ensuring the security of your data and systems and is our best defense against ransomware. For all CHESS Users, this will require a one-time setup to enroll in Duo after you activate your CLASSE accounts. After activating your CLASSE Account for the first time, you’ll receive an email with instructions, or you can visit the Duo management portal for guidance on enrolling and installing any necessary clients.

The Duo management portal provides a step-by-step guide to enroll with CLASSE Duo and install any necessary clients. The process should take approximately 5 minutes. CLASSE ID is necessary for this step. 

Remote Access Using NoMachine Enterprise Client

CHESS uses NoMachine Enterprise Client for an easy-to-use remote connection interface to station computers.

Requirements:

• You need a CLASSE Account to connect remotely. Please refer to "Activate your CLASSE Account" in this guide before proceeding.

Installation and Configuration:

• Instructions on how to install and configure the software can be found here.

Testing Your Connection:

• Test the remote connection at least a week before your scheduled remote beam time.
• You can test your connection without interfering with CHESS experiments on a dedicated test computer as described here.
• You will gain access to the actual station computer controlling the experimental equipment when your remote beam time starts.
• Access to the station computer ends when your beam time concludes. Data retrieval is still available after beam time ends. Please refer to "Data Retrieval from Experiment".

Assistance:

• If you are having trouble or need to access data from a past experiment, please contact CLASSE IT at service-classe@cornell.edu.

Wondering how to access your data collected at CHESS? See Data Retrieval from Experiment section below. 

Shipping Instructions

For detailed instructions on shipping to CHESS, please refer to the Shipping page. Ensure you complete the shipping form linked on that page before sending any samples or equipment to CHESS.

https://www.chess.cornell.edu/users/shipping

For GPS purposes, the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source can be found at:

161 Synchrotron Drive

Ithaca, NY 14853

GPS Coordinates: 

N 42° 26.654'
W 076° 28.228'

There will be signs directing you to the CHESS User Office for check-in. If the CHESS User Office is closed, please proceed down the hall and to the right to CHESS Operations.

You can find more information about Travel and Lodging here:

https://www.chess.cornell.edu/users/travel-lodging

Parking and Building Access

Parking:

• "ME" Parking Permits are required for our parking lot at 161 Synchrotron Drive between 8 am-5 pm Monday-Friday. The User Office will digitally register vehicles with an ME Permit, once vehicle information has been collected, upon user arrival.
• Additional parking is available with a parking pass in the lots labeled "ME" here.
• A limited number of parking passes (maximum of 2 per group) are available for users and can be requested during check-in.
• Other parking options can be found via Cornell Transportation.

Building Access:

• The main User Entrance will be via the loading dock.
• The fifth-floor entrance across from the Cornell Athletic Fields is also accessible for CHESS Users, but parking is not available at that entrance.
• From the Wilson Lab parking lot, walk down to the loading dock, following all posted signage. Once inside, the CHESS User Office is the first office on the right (room 147). If unavailable, proceed down the hall to CHESS Operations.

Important Notes:

• We are unable to offer space for rest/sleep in our building at this time due to code violations. It is not permitted onsite. Check out the CHESS website for Travel and Lodging information.

Aerial Map of Wilson:​​​​​​

CHESS User Office Location and Arrival Instructions

The User Office is located on the first floor, in Room 147. 

Upon Arrival:

• Report to the CHESS User Office on the first floor by walking down the loading dock at 161 Synchrotron Drive.
• Follow the signs down the ramp and the directions on the doors.
• Check-in (and out) at the CHESS User Office.
  • If User Office staff are unavailable, proceed to the CHESS Operator.

Services/Materials Provided at the User Office:

• Temporary parking permits
• Card access to the building
• Temporary radiation badge

First-Time Visitors:

• If this is your first visit to CHESS, please check in at the CHESS User Office, then a CHESS Operator will give you a brief tour and overview of the experimental area after check-in. This tour should take about 15-20 minutes.

Wireless network access is provided by Cornell University. Please contact the CIT Service Desk with any problems. We recommend using these networks, in order of preference:

1. eduroam (preferred): if you belong to a participating institution, then you can connect to eduroam using your institutional login credentials [instructions here]. Notes:
   • Two common mistakes when trying to log into eduroam are:
     • Using one's CLASSE credentials instead of one's Cornell credentials.
     • Omitting "@cornell.edu" from the username. You must log into eduroam as your-NetID@cornell.edu because eduroam is a cross-institution service.
   • If you have a CLASSE-managed laptop, you need to follow a special procedure to connect them to eduroam -- see ConfigureEduroam. By default, they'll try to use CLASSE authentication, which cannot work with eduroam.
2. Cornell-Visitor: Per device registrations are valid for one day [instructions here].
3. RedRover: for anyone with a Cornell NetID [instructions here (but select RedRover instead of eduroam)].
   • If you do not have a Cornell NetID, you can request a Cornell GuestID through CLASSE for use with RedRover.

During your experiment, you can request support from a CHESS operator and CHESS scientists through our online REmote ACcess Help (REACH) system. REACH is monitored 24 hours/day during the experimental run.

Information regarding the status of the accelerator and updates that are important for all CHESS users can be found on the CHESS status page here.

Moreover, each beamline has a beamline specific status page:

• Beamline 1A3 (SMB): http://new-status.chess.cornell.edu/ID1A3
• Beamline 2A (PIPOXS): http://new-status.chess.cornell.edu/ID2A
• Beamline 3A (FAST): http://new-status.chess.cornell.edu/ID3A
• Beamline 3B (FMB): http://new-status.chess.cornell.edu/ID3B
• Beamline 4B (QM²): http://new-status.chess.cornell.edu/ID4B
• Beamline 7A (XBio / BioSAXS): http://new-status.chess.cornell.edu/ID7A
• Beamline 7B2 (XBio / FlexX): http://new-status.chess.cornell.edu/ID7B

Data collected at CHESS beamlines are written to a centralized data acquisition and storage system known as CHESS-DAQ. This system consists of a dedicated high-speed network that connects the experimental stations to hundreds of terabytes of enterprise-class redundant disk arrays, as well as an offsite magnetic tape library for long-term archival.

Instructions for retrieving your data from CHESS-DAQ can be found HERE. The recommended method is Globus.

Users will receive an email from the CHESS User Office to solicit feedback on the experimental run using a brief form. Your feedback is very valuable for improving the user experience at CHESS. Please submit the form after your experiment has concluded.

To be notified in the event of weather-related closures or other emergencies, visitors to Cornell’s Ithaca campus can sign up to receive CornellALERT text notifications by texting “CornellVisitor” to 226787. You can stop receiving messages at any time by texting “STOP” to 226787. Go to Cornell Emergency Management for more information.