sPHENIX discussion of the superconducting solenoid

[Kin Yip <kinyip AT bnl.gov>]

Agenda / presentation materials can be found in :
         https://indico.bnl.gov/conferenceDisplay.py?confId=2631

It's a very long and sometimes chaotic meeting when people came at different times and we discussed the same things again
when new people came in ... But let me try to summarize.

(1) I list out some latest "rough schedule" as I gathered from people :

  --- Return Yoke may finish construction in  Feb.  or Mar. (J. Hock) with platform ready

  --- Cryo (C-AD) can finish making connections/setting up in Mar. or  Apr. (P. Orfin) if we can find another tech or more
        --- Cool-down starts and then finishes in Apr. or May

  --- Cryo Extension assembly (SMD) should start Jan. and should be completed in Jan. (M. Anerella)

  --- Data acquisition/quench detector : ~Apr. (C. Schultheiss)

  --- Power Supply/Dump Resistor :  Middle of Mar. (P. Rosas)
      --- P. Rosas told me in an email : “We have not touched the sPHENIX PS or Dump Resistor for a while, we are in the process
            of checking AGS and RHIC PS all this month. I think we will start again later next Month on sPHENIX.” 
         
What P. Rosas said is kind of representative for other people that we're busy preparing for RHIC/AGS startup and they'll be able to
come back to work on sPHENIX when RHIC starts running.


(2) As J. Mills has suggested, J. Hock, C. Schultheiss and P. Orfin have agreed to write several milestones/task with dates so that
we can gauge whether we're behind or ahead of the schedule.


(3) We have spent quite a bit of time discussing about the return yoke construction :

   --- J. Hock again told us that he doesn't have dedicated technicians, riggers or welders and the progress has been slow.  This week, the riggers would
        help take the 2 pieces of steel which have been scanned back to 911 from 1004 and then take the last piece of steel to 1004 to be scanned.  They are
        for the roof and need to be sent to Streck to be machined.

        Next week, the riggers will start work on 912 to work on the steel pieces which will become the wall.

  --- BNL Central Shop has given the price of $66K to make the welded steel brackets/jack-support in which >$61K is for labor.   In the meeting, people
       can't figure out why there is so much for the labor cost and wonder whether the burden has been added or not.   So, J. Mills and J. Hock have decided
       to go to talk with Kevin Campbell (Central Shop) to see whether they may understand the price better and even find a way to reduce the price

       J. Hock told us that the bolded aluminium brackets will be even more expensive.    J. Mills is still contemplating whether Stony Brook can do the steel or ask
       FSU do the aluminium version etc.


 ---  J. Hock said that hopefully, by the end of Jan., we can have 2 rows of walls built and it's the time to move the Magnet/Cryostat to the base.   That's also the
       time that we need the brackets/jack-support, at least 4 of them at that time.   If the 4 brackets are not ready by that time, it'll be a  delay !!


(4)  J. Hock also said that the platform and the valve box can be installed even without the entire return yoke structure is completed.   Consequently, the Cryo group
      may start slightly earlier to make all the connections.


(5) C. Schultheiss told us that he's still busy with the design of his board that he hopes to be installed in RHIC this coming March.  After that, next week or so,
     he can start working on sPHENIX stuff.   Hopefully, his long-awaited/talked-about review can happen in this month.  The review, as I understand it is more
     of a working meeting, rather than anything like a safety review.

(6) P. Giannotti also mentioned that he's asked Kevin Campbell in the Central Shop for help so that he can design/plan the cabling from the old junction-box to
      the new junction-box, through the Cryo Extension which will be assembled.


(7) After the schedule discussion, P. Giannotti gave a talk about the connections (Cryogenic, cooling water, power etc.) between 1008B and the sPHENIX Interaction-Region.
His presentation can be found in the above indico page as well as here :

https://collab.external.bnl.gov/sites/sPHENIX-Magnet/Past%20Presentations/2016-12-7%201008%20connections.pptx

He shares his thoughts/plan and they may not be final.  Eg. on slide 3, he put a sign "REMOVE" but during his talk, he may have a 2nd thought etc. etc.
He has also shown us a lot of distance measurements and allow us to appreciate the intricacies/complexities of everything.   There are photos as well
as sPHENIX models in his presentation.