J-PARC Project Newsletter No.74, April 2019 dispatch
=====================================================================
J-PARC Project Newsletter
No.74, April 2019
Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex under operation jointly by
the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) and the Japan
Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA)
http://j-parc.jp/index-e.html
=====================================================================
HEADLINES AND CONTENTS
1. [Overview]
THE 10th ANNIVERSARY OF FULL OPERATION AND MORE EFFORTS FOR SCIENCE
2. [Accelerator Division]
OPERATION STATUS OF THE ACCELERATORS
ACCELERATOR TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (A-TAC) MEETING
3. [Particle and Nuclear Physics Division]
A NEW DOUBLE LAMBDA HYPER-NUCLEAR EVENT.
DATA-TAKING WITH NEW NEAR DETECTOR SYSTEM FOR T2K EXPERIMENT.
STATUS OF THE MUON G-2/ ELECTRIC DIPOLE MOMENT (EDM) (E34).
STATUS OF THE COHERENT MUON TO ELECTRON TRANSITION (COMET).
PROGRAMS OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
4. [Materials and Life Science Division]
STABLE USER PROGRAM OPERATION HAD BEEN CONTINUED AT 500 KW.
179 GENERAL USER NEUTRON PROPOSALS AND 4 NEW USER PROMOTION
NEUTRON PROPOSALS HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR THE 2019A PERIOD.
QUANTUM BEAM SCIENCE FESTA WAS HELD ON MARCH 12 TO 13.
SEASONAL RUSH OF MEETINGS GOING ON.
5. [Nuclear Transmutation Division]
TEF TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HAS BEEN HELD.
6. [Safety Division]
6TH SYMPOSIUM ON SAFETY IN ACCELERATOR FACILITIES.
THE APPLICATION FOR A RADIOLOGICAL LICENSE WAS GRANTED.
7. [Editorial Note]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1. [Overview] by Naohito SAITO
---------------------------------------------------------------------
THE 10th ANNIVERSARY OF FULL OPERATION AND MORE EFFORTS FOR SCIENCE
(During the compilation of this newsletter, we had to announce the suspension
of the Main Ring (MR) user operation due to a malfunction of one of the steering
magnets in the beam transport line from Rapid Cycle Synchrotron (RSC) to MR.
We deeply apologize for any inconvenience due to this incident.
More details can be found at
http://j-parc.jp/c/en/information/2019/04/26000255.html )
In the first week of April, we have resumed the user operation at both MLF
and HEF. We would like to continue the MLF operation with more than 500 kW,
which will probably end with the high-power test operation at 1 MW. We also
improve the power at MR. While the budget for MLF would allow our operation
up to 7.7 cycles, the user operation of MR will be limited to three months,
because we have decided to invest out budget towards the power supply
improvements, which will benefit both neutrino and hadron beam users.
While the user operation continues, we have received the report from the
International Advisory Committee, which was held back in March, 3rd and 4th,
from the chair, Dr. Jean-Michel POUTISSOU, the ex-vice director of TRIUMF.
The report will be posted on our new web site.
(https://j-parc.jp/committee/en/iac.html )
The committee comprises the managements of world leading facilities.
The report is based on the presentations by the leaders of facilities and
the report by the sub-review committees;
*A-TAC for Accelerator Technical Advisory Committee (chaired by Dr. Jie WEI of
Michigan State University) ,
*NAC for Neutron Advisory Committee (chaired by Dr. Robert McGREEVY of
Rutherford Appleton Lab),
*MAC for Muon Advisory Committee (chaired by Dr. Thomas PROKSCHA of
Paul-Scherrer Institute) ,
*T-TAC for Technical Advisory Committee for ADS project (chaired by Marc
SCHYNS of SCK・CEN), and
*PAC for Program Advisory Committee for particle and nuclear physics (chaired
by Rik YOSHIDA of Jefferson Lab).
The full report of each committee will be also found at the respective link under
the portal page below:
https://j-parc.jp/committee/index.html
At this IAC meeting, we also organized two parallel sessions for science
presentations;
one for particle and nuclear physics and the other for material and life science,
which were well received by the committee.
While the IAC noted the progress of J-PARC operation towards more safety and
stability, we were encouraged for continuing efforts to improve further.
We will continue to improve safety awareness with the questioning attitude,
which we try to share with all users, contractors, and anyone involved in the
J-PARC operation.
And last, but not least, we would like to draw your attention to the 10th
anniversary of user operation of the entire facility. We celebrate this occasion by
holding the scientific symposium and official ceremony on September 23rd
through 26th this year, inviting many important guests from all over the world.
Please register now for this important event at its web page,
https://j-parc.jp/symposium/j-parc2019/. We are looking forward to seeing you
all at the symposium in September!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
2. [Accelerator Division] by Kazuo HASEGAWA
---------------------------------------------------------------------
OPERATION STATUS OF THE ACCELERATORS
After the New Year's holiday, the beam operation started on
January 16 as a new operation run of Run#81. The user program
resumed for the Materials and Life Science experimental facility (MLF)
on January 23. The beam power was 500 kW which was the same as the
previous Run#80 by December. The user program was rather smooth for
the MLF by the end of March.
For the Main Ring synchrotron (MR), we had a short (3-day duration)
machine study for the fast extraction in January. Then the beam tuning
for the hadron experimental facility (HD) started on February 9 followed
by the user program on February 10. The beam power was gradually
increased to 50 kW as the previous HD run in June 2018. The user program
was smooth by March 18, when one of the bending magnets had a failure
in the beam transport line from the 3 GeV Rapid Cycling Synchrotron (RCS)
to the MR. The cause of the failure was suspected to be a layer short of a coil.
One of the stacked coils out of five stacks was bypassed and operation was
resumed on April 4. This failure suspended the HD user program from
March 18 to 26 in the scheduled period.
The availability in the Japanese Fiscal Year 2018 (from April 2018 to March
2019) was high about 94 percent for the MLF since we had no serious troubles
at the linear accelerator (linac), the RCS and the MLF. The availability for the
Neutrino Experimental Facility (NU) and HD facility users was 86% and 74%,
respectively. The cause of the lower availability for the HD was the bending
magnet failure in March as described above.
ACCELERATOR TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (A-TAC) MEETING
The 18th A-TAC meeting was held at the J-PARC Research Building on
February 28 to March 2. There were nine committee members,
of which four were new. All the members attended and 15 reports were
presented such as operational status, commissioning results, and performance
upgrade. The committee deliberated the improvements, directivity, etc. and
gave recommendations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
3. [Particle and Nuclear Physics Division] by T. TAKAHASHI,
A. ICHIKAWA, T. ISHIDA, T. MIBE, S. MIHARA, and T. KOMATSUBARA
---------------------------------------------------------------------
A NEW DOUBLE LAMBDA HYPER-NUCLEAR EVENT (by T. Takahashi)
A double strangeness nucleus, which means that two hyperons are
bound in a nucleus, can be considered as a micro laboratory to
study interactions between two hyperons and generalized baryon-baryon
interactions. It is theoretically suggested that these baryon
interactions including hyperons have important roles in high density
matter, such as a neutron star. However, experimental information is
very limited, because direct scattering experiments are almost
impossible due to the short lifetime of hyperons. Therefore, a double
strangeness nucleus is one of the best tools to obtain the
information on hyperon-hyperon interactions. At this moment, only
several events have been observed so far in photographic nuclear
emulsions.
Recently, a new double Lambda hyper-nucleus event was found in
the J-PARC E07 experiment. The J-PARC E07 is aiming to obtain
10 times more double strangeness nuclei within a year.
The experiment was performed at the K1.8 beam line of
the Hadron Experimental Facility in June 2016 and April to June 2017.
An impressive event of the double Lambda hyper-nucleus was
observed in the first 30% of total exposed emulsions. The emulsions
were scanned at Gifu University and the observed event was named as
MINO, associated with the place of discovery. In the kinematical
analysis of the event, the event is interpreted as two Lambda
hyperons bound state in a Be nucleus. The binding energy for two
Lambda hyperons was obtained, and it is crucial information to
understand interactions between two Lambda hyperons.
This report was published as Progress of Theoretical and
Experimental Physics, 021D01 (2019).
(http://doi.org/10.1093/ptep/pty149)
DATA-TAKING WITH NEW NEAR DETECTOR SYSTEM FOR T2K EXPERIMENT
(by A. Ichikawa / T. Ishida)
T2K experiment will soon start data taking with a new near
detector system at the near detector hall, 280m downstream of the
production target.
The system consists of (1) A neutrino interaction target
detector WAGASCI (WAter Grid And SCIntillator) and (2) a prototype
Magnetized Iron Neutrino Detector (Baby-MIND). The Baby-MIND, which
was assembled and tested at CERN, aims at precise identification and
tracking of negatively (positively) charged muons produced by muon
neutrino (anti-neutrino) interactions in WAGASCI, respectively. The
main motivation of WAGASCI and Baby-MIND measurement is to determine
the cross section of neutrino interactions with water and
scintillator with 5% precision.
The detectors were successfully installed in a location at a deeper
floor with off axis angle about 1.6 degrees, which is to be compared to
the existing near detector system at the upper floor with 2.5 degrees off
axis angle. By comparing the measurements at 2.5 degrees and 1.6
degrees, detailed study of the neutrino-nucleus interaction will
become possible.
At the same deep floor, another detector system NINJA = Neutrino
Interaction research with Nuclear emulsion and J-PARC Accelerator
will also start measuring neutrino interactions with sub-micron
resolution, realized with the use of nuclear emulsion.
For more information, please visit WAGASCI/Baby-MIND:
https://www-he.scphys.kyoto-u.ac.jp/research/Neutrino/WAGASCI/wiki/
dokuwiki/doku.php?id=public:start
https://home.cern/news/news/experiments/baby-mind-born-cern-now-ready-move-japan
NINJA:
https://kds.kek.jp/indico/event/29923/contribution/4/material/slides/0.pdf
STATUS OF THE MUON G-2/ ELECTRIC DIPOLE MOMENT (EDM) (E34)
(by T. MIBE)
The E34 collaboration prepares for precision measurements of the
muon anomalous magnetic moment and electric dipole moment.
Following reviews of the technical design report by the program
advisory committees, both the Institute of Particle and Nuclear
Studies and the Institute of Materials Structure Science (IMSS)
were granted a stage 2 status for the experiment.
Construction of the surface muon beamline (H-line) is in
progress lead by the IMSS muon group. The collaboration works on
realization of a thermal-energy muon source, preparation for muon
acceleration to 1 MeV, beamline components for spin flip, demonstration
of spiral beam injection to the storage ring, and construction of the
positron-tracking detector.
STATUS OF THE COHERENT MUON TO ELECTRON TRANSITION (COMET)
(by S. MIHARA)
The COMET experiment aims to search for the lepton-flavor
violating muon reaction, mu-e conversion, with sensitivity better
than 10^{-14} in Phase I.
Construction of the COMET facility is in progress; installation
of the Lambertson magnet, used in a dipole bending magnet for COMET
beam operation, has successfully been completed and operated. Winding
two coils for the pion capture solenoid was completed in JFY2018.
There is another coil necessary for the capture solenoid that will be
constructed in JFY2019 and assembled into a large single coil
together with other coils in JFY2020.
Intensive studies of detector R&D are in progress; the CDC detector
is tested with cosmic-rays with a complete set of readout and trigger
electronics.
Performance tests of delivered LYSO crystals are in progress.
Final adjustment of straw-tube tracker is carried out toward the
construction of the first tracker module.
PROGRAMS OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS (by T. KOMATSUBARA)
The 27th Program Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting was held at
Tokai on January 16-18. Status of the experiments was reported, and
proposals and near-term machine time allocation were discussed.
https://kds.kek.jp/indico/event/29923/
PAC report will be available through the following web page.
http://j-parc.jp/researcher/Hadron/en/PAC_for_NuclPart_e.html
The next PAC meeting will be held on July 16(Tue)-28(Thu), 2019.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
4. [Materials and Life Science Division] by Toshiji KANAYA
---------------------------------------------------------------------
STABLE USER PROGRAM OPERATION HAD BEEN CONTINUED AT 500 KW
1) Neutron Source
The beam operation is going very well with a good availability
of 93.5% since October 22 in 2018, as of March 18 in 2019.
Because the material of mercury target vessel is exposed to radiation damage,
the target vessel is replaced every year and the used target vessels have been
stored on the basement floor of MLF. But the storage space was limited and was
going to be full in the near future. In order to solve this serious issue, a new storage
building, which is called RAM building, was built about 300m apart from MLF.
On January 16, the used mercury target vessel, which received the first proton
beam to MLF in 2008 and was replaced after the big earthquake in 2011,
was transported to RAM building from MLF. The total weight including
the target vessel and shielding cask was 80 ton and the outer size of the cask
was 3.2m in width, 3.4m in depth and 4m in height. All of the procedure
was carried out as the rehearsal with the elaborate schedule starting from
December in 2018, and the operation was completed successfully. The next
transportation is planned in July this summer.
179 GENERAL USER NEUTRON PROPOSALS AND 4 NEW USER PROMOTION
NEUTRON PROPOSALS HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR THE 2019A PERIOD
QUANTUM BEAM SCIENCE FESTA WAS HELD ON MARCH 12 TO 13
2) Neutron Instruments and Science
From January 23, we resumed the later part of the user program for the
2018B period, which continued till March 26. The 2019A user program
will start from April 2.
Proposals for 2019A were reviewed by the joint meeting between Neutron
Science Proposal Review Committee (NSPRC) and Proposal Evaluation
Committee (PEC) held on January 24. 179 general user proposals for neutron
instruments and 4 new user promotion proposals for public beamlines were
approved. This result was authorized by the joint meeting between MLF Advisory
Board and Selection Committee on February 8. In this period, the competition
rate of general user proposals was 1.5.
Quantum Beam Science Festa which is a conference for mainly domestic users
for MLF J-PARC and IMSS KEK was held in Tsukuba (EPOCHAL TSUKUBA) on
March 12 to 13 with about 580 participants. In this Festa, MLF symposium
was held on March 13 where MLF facility status, scientific results and
developments were reported.
SEASONAL RUSH OF MEETINGS GOING ON
3) Muon Science Facility (MUSE)
The New Year started with a series of meetings for reviewing 2019A
experimental proposals and for the international advisory committees over
every level of J-PARC activities. Following the IMSS Muon Program Advisory
Committee for reviewing S-type proposals (long-term projects), the Muon Science
Proposal Review Committee was held in the late January 2019 to review 54
general-use proposals. The committee approved 36 proposals through
D1/2 and S1 instruments, while 15 proposals got reserved status due to the limited
availability of beam time and put on the waiting queue according to their priorities.
The quick recovery in the total number of submitted proposals since the previous
review round proved the concern about the decline of proposals unfounded,
which was also appreciated by the Muon Advisory Committee meeting held in
early March under the charge of the J-PARC director.
In the meantime, the proton beam power was ramped up to 500 kW, turning the
time structure of beam into double-pulsed. The power ramp-up makes it comfortable
for those who are checking the stopping depth profile of the ultra-slow muon (USM)
with energy of less than 1 keV. Meanwhile, muSR experimenters at D1 and S1
instruments face the regular demand of muon beam kickers to get single-pulse
muons.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
5. [Nuclear Transmutation Division] by Toshinobu SASA
---------------------------------------------------------------------
TEF TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING WAS HELD
The fifth TEF Technical Advisory Committee (T-TAC) meeting was
held in J-PARC site during 14th to 15th February 2019. Three Japanese
members and four foreign members from Belgium, Germany and
Switzerland were gathered to review the current progress of the TEF
facility design and related research and development works.
In the first day, TAC members observed the experimental hall of
Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility and large
experimental loops for liquid Lead-Bismuth Eutectic alloy (LBE)
application studies. Then, J-PARC staff introduced outline of the
TEF and individual activities to establish elemental technologies for
TEF components, such as LBE target design, elemental technologies for
LBE application, proton beam transport including the laser charge
exchange technology, and nuclear reaction cross section measurements,
together with building design and safety issues. Over 12
presentations were reviewed by the TAC members. An English version of
Technical Design Report (TDR) for TEF-T, that was recommended to be
issued in the previous TAC meeting, was also introduced by J-PARC
staff, and the TAC reviewed it to judge the completeness of the TEF-T
design.
After the closed discussion by the TAC members, various comments
and recommendations to move forward the TEF design were shown at the
end of the meeting. TAC realized the basic design of TEF-T has been
completed and was appropriate.
In the meeting, JAEA proposed the approach using computer
simulation to accelerate the research and development activities for
ADS realization. The facility that works together with computer
simulation was proposed. The new facility will be designed based on
TEF-T concept, which installed the 400MeV-250kW LBE spallation
target. The T-TAC indicates that the proposed new applications are
sound and technically feasible, and recommends ensuring the
uniqueness of the new TEF facility by comparison with similar
existing or planned facilities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
6. [Safety Division] by Yukihiro MIYAMOTO and Kotaro BESSHO
---------------------------------------------------------------------
6TH SYMPOSIUM ON SAFETY IN ACCELERATOR FACILITIES
J-PARC Center holds a safety symposium every year in order to share
information on safety at accelerator facilities. The 6th Symposium on
Safety in Accelerator Facilities was held on January 24-25 at Ibaraki
Quantum Beam Research Center (IQBRC), and 120 participants
exchanged information on various safety issues at accelerator
facilities. The featured topics this time were personal dose management
and fire emergency response at accelerator facilities. Nine talks and
sixteen posters were presented, and active exchanges of views were
conducted. Mr. Fabian Saretzki, DESY, Germany, was invited to give a
talk on fire protection and emergency response measures at a 3-km
long accelerator tunnel of the European XFEL facility.
THE APPLICATION FOR A RADIOLOGICAL LICENSE WAS GRANTED
The application for minor changes of the radiological license
was granted by the Nuclear Regulation Authority on Feb. 4. The
approved changes in the application were the addition of a sealed
radioisotope in the Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility
and so on.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
7. [Editorial Note]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
In case you do not wish to receive this Newsletter in the future,
please send an email to news-l-ctl@ml.j-parc.jp and simply write one
sentence in the body of the message as unsubscribe.
If you wish to receive, write one sentence in the body of the
message as subscribe.
You can get a help with a sentence of "help" in the body.
Information on the project can be also obtained at the web site:
http://j-parc.jp/index-e.html
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Editorial Board:
Toshifumi TSUKAMOTO (Chair): toshifumi.tsukamoto@kek.jp
Kaoru SHIBATA: shibata.kaoru@ jaea.go.jp
Takashi ITO: itou.takashi@jaea.go.jp
Dick MISCHKE (English Editor): mischke@triumf.ca
Tomoko KAWAMURA (Secretary): kawamura.tomoko@jaea.go.jp
++++++++++++++++End of Letter++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++