Minutes of HERA Meeting      12.08.2003

HERA

F. Willeke reported that there were several unexpected technical problems which slowed down the commissioning and machine study program so that HERA is now 5 days behind the schedule. In particular there was a failure of a water pump installation in HERA West with subsequent flooding of Hall West and there was the failure of the HERAe injection Septum B with the necessity for exchanging the septum magnet and difficulties to seal the tank vacuum tight. Besides this, there has been normal progress: Both beams have been accelerated, the machine study program has been pursued normally.

HERMES

HERMES reported that the radiation interlock is now connected to the beam dump. The radiation dose during commissioning was quite large. The beam dump would have been fired 5 times if it would have been connected.

ZEUS

ZEUS reminded that Wednesday, August 20, the drift chamber will be modified for 95% voltage operation. This leaves a narrow window for the planned background studies with the old configuration.

Plans

HERA will proceed with HERAe and HERAp machine study program (see current schedule on the HERA home page). The longitudinal positron broad-band damper system and the superconducting RF system are not fully available yet and may still require some set-up time and access to the tunnel. There will be stable positron beam at 27.5GeV for the ZEUS (and H1) luminosity group on Monday afternoon, August 18. The ZEUS Synchrotron radiation tests are now planned for Tuesday, August 19. The 12GeV beam conditioning operation will start on August 20.

                F.Willeke