RHIC Accelerator Beam Experiments
Accelerator beam experiments
involving the machines in the RHIC-AGS accelerator complex at Brookhaven
National Laboratory fall into two general classes for purposes of this policy:
Class-1 Experiments are those whose purpose is to improve the capabilities
and/or performance of the RHIC-AGS machines for the benefit of their associated
physics research programs; Class-2 Experiments are those whose purpose is to
benefit the accelerator physics community in general, and that do not have
specific benefits for the RHIC-AGS research programs. Class-1 Experiments will be considered and
approved within the Collider-Accelerator Department (C-AD) without explicit
involvement of the Associate Laboratory Directory of High Energy and Nuclear
Physics (ALD-HENP) or the BNL HENP Program Advisory Committee (PAC). Class-2 Experiments will be considered by the
BNL HENP PAC at the discretion of the ALD-HENP.
It is expected that the ALD will seek PAC advice for Class-2 Experiments
that require substantial amounts of RHIC operating time or substantial BNL
resources for their execution.
Class-1 Experiments: The BNL policy is that up to 12 hours per week, on average, may be used during RHIC running periods for carrying out accelerator beam experiments approved under the process described below. In calculating the run time for accelerator beam experiments, the time intervals for routine dumping and reestablishing colliding beams for physics research operations shall be counted as part of physics research and not count as part of the accelerator beam experiments time. Beam setup time for establishing accelerator operating conditions for the accelerator beam experiments, as well as the recovery time for restoring colliding beam conditions for the physics research program shall count as part of the accelerator beam experiments time allocation. The initial beam setup period for new ion species will not be counted as part of either the physics research or the accelerator beam experiments time allocations as is currently the policy for RHIC operations.
Class-2 Experiments: The BNL policy is that up to 20% of the Class-1 experiments time allocation may be used for Class-2 experiments, provided the C-A Department’s Accelerator Experiments Approval Committee (AEAC) agrees to the proposed Class-2 experiment(s), together with their schedules and priorities. The submission and decision process for Class-2 experiments will include submission of the proposals for these experiments to the ALD-HENP prior to their consideration by the AEAC. The ALD-HENP will advise the AEAC whether the advice of the PAC or the intervention of the ALD will be imposed in the approval process. The intervention of the ALD-HENP is expected to occur only for Class-2 experiments that require substantial RHIC running time or substantial BNL resources, or both.
Accelerator Experiments Approval Committee: The Accelerator Experiments Approval Committee (AEAC) will be appointed by the chair of the Collider-Accelerator Department from qualified members of the C-AD or other BNL departments or divisions. A chairperson of the AEAC will be designated by the C-AD chair. The AEAC will receive written proposals for Class-1 and Class-2 accelerator beam experiments that propose to use machines in the RHIC-AGS complex, and will consider, approve and prioritize these experiments for running in the complex. Resources needed for the accomplishment of the approved experiments will be subject to the normal management and budget authorities in the C-A Department, except as noted above for certain Class-2 experiments. The approved experiments and their schedules for operation will be posted on an appropriate C-AD website and will be presented in summary form to the RHIC-AGS user community using an appropriate communication forum. The chairperson of the AEAC will have responsibility for designating a new accelerator beam experiment proposal as Class-1 or Class-2. The chair of C-AD will review and approve the classification of these proposals.
This policy is approved by the ALD-HENP and is in effect as of December 6, 2002.