sPHENIX is a new detector at RHIC.

[Gunther M Roland <rolandg AT mit.edu>]

Please find the minutes from last week's general meeting below - many thanks 
to Darren!

Cheers,

Gunther

23rd sPHENIX Fortnightly General Meeting
========================================
*Date* 17 Mar 2017
*Notes* Darren
*Attendance* 34 Bluejeans connections ... 

sPHENIX News
------------
* Summer 2017 collaboration meeting:
    - BNL, Tue-Wed June 13-14 (Two Full Days!)
* Volunteers for Winter 2017 collaboration meeting?
* "Modest" Forward Upgrade
    - [Nils] What does $5M MIE limit include?
    - [Gunther] Report M&S, not including overhead. Need confirmation in 
writing and how that translates to the $5M mentioned. "Modest" means not 
going through "CD-like" approval process. Still needs clarification from 
Berndt. 
    - [Ed] $5M threshold typically considers primarily M&S, but does need 
some contingency and overhead with minimal labor. 
* Planning for a multi-year program
    - [Ed] Also means detector groups need to plan for the additional RAD 
exposure of 5 years compared to 2.
    - Some discussion about PR problem, primarily from the JLab community, 
with the perception that BNL is extending RHIC running which pushes back the 
EIC. 5 year run plan comes down from DOE, need to bring this to Berndt's 
attention.


Project News
------------
* Still waiting on decision about extraordinary overhead rates. This is also 
holding up OPC(R&D) accounts. Hopefully resolved by end of March.
* Moving forward with CD-1 review preparations. CD-1 review expected for 
early fall. 

HF TG status and planned simulations for MVTX review
----------------------------------------------------
* Current planning assumes 2 time-scales:
    - May: Directors review
    - Fall: Proposal submission; DOE review
* Clear schedule and plan laid out for both technical and physics performance 
improvements.
* List of additional topics where help is needed on S7. Lots of room for more 
manpower!
* Good progress on both simulation & analysis sides, but still plenty more to 
go.
* Expect a HF TG workfest around the time of May collaboration meeting.
* comments:
    - [Gunther] Don't forget about prompt D's for measurement validations


Cold QCD TG status and plans for modest forward upgrade (MFU)
-------------------------------------------------------------
* RHIC Spin Collaboration meeting for forward upgrades, Mar 9-10
    - Physics driven by RHIC Cold QCD Plan
    - Some initial discussions on heavy ion physics topics
    - Good STAR-sPHENIX collaboration on calorimetry with more collaboration 
beneficial
* Current plan is LOI should focus on the physics with two main topics:
    - Formation of QCD systems
    - Structure of QCD systems
* Question to HF TG - How well can we measure midrapidity J/psi
    - [Ed] Question of triggering
    - [Jin] Study by Sasha L, might be able to trigger down to a few GeV in 
J/psi pT via invariant mass dielectron trigger
* [Ed] Are there any machine upgrades necessary for this program. [Christine] 
Not that I'm aware of. 
* Discussion about run-plan and length. Really need a clear charge from 
Berndt to both sPHENIX & STAR. Should be consistent between MVTX & fsPHENIX 
LOI. Also need to make sure we maintain significant deliverables within the 
nominal 2 year plan.