sPHENIX is a new detector at RHIC.

[David Morrison <morrison AT bnl.gov>]

Thanks to Eric Mannel we have minutes from the last general meeting:

Bi-Weekly General Meeting, 14-Apr-2017
Indico page with presentations:
https://indico.bnl.gov/conferenceDisplay.py?confId=3035
Request to have indico page link included in the meeting notice.

Comments from Dave and Gunther:

Finished discussion with ALD Berndt Mueller this morning, it was very
positive meeting.  He encouraged sPHENIX to apply to be a “recognized
experiment”.  This can help with the discussions with CERN about things
like test beam efforts, using CERN facilities for GEM production etc.
Need to investigate more.  There is a list on the CERN web site.  This
seems to be unique to CERN.  No one is aware of a similar type of thing
in the U.S.

Dave and Gunther had a positive discussion with Saclay.  Have expertise
with micromegas, electronics, etc.

Several opportunities for people to give talks, looking for nominations,
self nominations are perfectly fine. Still discussing what talks will be
given at SQM.

Reminder that there is a workfest at UT Austin to discuss MAPS readout
next week.

Project news from Ed:

PHENIX South Muon Magnet is now history.  Major effort to loosen the
bolts, special tool required.  Central plate was  a  technically
challenging lift.  Steel is being saved to possibly be used for one of
the sPHENIX end doors.

Valve box extension is almost complete. The extension is non-trivial
component.

Flux return for high field tests is progressing. Brackets to support the
magnet were machined at FSU, a significant contribution of FSU to the
sPHENIX effort.

Project issues:
Integrating the project files has started.

Maria Chamizo Llatas is replacing John Kotcher who is taking on the
leadership of the US ATLAS upgrade. She will oversee preparation for CD-1

No update on the negotiation of the extraordinary rate for sPHENIX
procurements.  Tile order for preproduction HCal module has been placed.
 SiPM order will go out shortly.

Discussion have occurred with IHEP and Saclay about joining sPHENIX and
how they will participate in sPHENIX.

Updated, revised cost estimate will be complete by early May.  Time to
start thinking about additional funding sources.

Work continues of document production for CD-1.

tentative dates for CD-1 practice sessions:
mid-June: CD-1 Dry Run
Week of Aug 7: sPHENIX Director’s Review.
DOE-OPA CD-1 Review: Week of Nov 6.

Writing of the CDR has started. Want to have a draft ready by May 1.
Lots of ways to help.

Discussion of upcoming reviews, proposals, and conferences

There are a number of reviews, meetings, and conferences coming up that
need updated performance plots.

List of Milestones was shown, which is basically tentative dates for
upcoming reviews and other key meetings.  Key dates for updated plots is
early July.

Principles for upcoming studies was shown. One important item is
defining a “straw man” run plan to be used by all groups to define the
run conditions for the different studies.  Study results should be
“published” to the sPHENIX webpage after the results are reviewed.

Discussion about putting in writing a straw man run plan, with input
from the collaboration and CA-D.  Need to be careful and not counter
what was stated in the past.   Should include a trigger study in the
list of To-DO items.  Some discussions have already started.  Need to
think about how we include considerations on how the CA-D luminosities
impact detector performance

Is the forward group planning on including 500 GeV p-p running in their
studies?  The answer is yes. Need to think how we will deal with that.
Concern is what the impact of that running would be on the detectors,
especially the SiPMs and the TPC.  Suggestion was to have the forward
group send around a few slides showing what the physics goals of 500 GeV
running.  Yuji indicates that Drell-Yan, W and Z physics are the driving
physics motivations.

Nine different topics on Gunther’s list to be studied and documented in
the coming months.  Already ambitious,  so adding more studies, while
potentially  useful, will make it even more challenging.  May not be
possible to complete all the studies in the few months with given
resources.  Some high level decisions will have to be made. Need to make
sure we have what is required for the reviews, but also make sure that
we don’t exclude future physics due to detector design choices.  John H
would like to take 500 GeV running off the table for the CDR and
reviews.  It is more of a forward upgrade physics issue which is not
part of the current MIE.  Gunther suggests that now is not the time to
define the actual run plan.  Ed supports John’s comment about the 500
GeV running.  Dave M brought up the need to have a more detailed
discussion with the Forward group to understand what the motivations are
and how best to approach it.   John H also mentions that we need to
“freeze” the tools needed to make the physics plots, otherwise the
topical groups will not be able to make the required physics plots. Dave
mentioned that this does not mean a permanent freeze, and work will go
on.  Gunther mentions that we need to get  “drop dead” dates out soon so
groups know what they are and plan accordingly.  Jamie pointed out that
what might be needed is refocusing the efforts in some areas to make
sure that different parts come together in required time frame.  The big
issue is the status of the tracking code and that the new code is ready
on a timescale that will allow it to be used for the required studies.
Also need to think about doing studies that don’t need tracking first to
allow time for the tracking to come together.  Needs more thought and
discussion on a short time scale to make sure the plan makes sense.

Suggested to have a meeting with all the relevant groups to define what
studies need to be done on what time scale to set priorities.  Part of
the issue will be  making sure that the simulations can also be
completed as needed.

Question about underlying mechanics to handle the plots and documents as
they are approved to make it easier to keep track and locate the
information.  Discussion about GITHUB as one option for doing this.  Has
to be private so that the information cannot be public.  We do have an
sPHENIX GIT repository now at RCF.  Making a decision soon is important.
 Discussion about establishing guidelines for how things are done.

Gunther projects that there will be a number of  e-mails coming out to
look for volunteer to start to address some of these issues.

On 4/13/17 8:38 PM, Gunther M Roland wrote:
> 
> Friends,
> 
> Just a quick reminder that we'll have the 25th general meeting tomorrow at 
> the usual time. Apart from the news items, we'll have a discussion of 
> ideas/plans for organizing performance and physics studies in the coming 
> months.. Please let us know if there are other items that we should add to 
> the agenda.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Gunther and Dave
-- 
David Morrison  Brookhaven National Laboratory  phone: 631-344-5840
                Physics Department, Bldg 510 C    fax: 631-344-3253
                          Upton, NY 11973-5000  email: dave AT bnl.gov