After your beamtime

1. At the end of your run, please complete the experiment feedback form.

After your beam time is over, please make sure you follow these steps before you leave:

2. Return Beam Blocker Key to the Cyclotron Operator in Charge.

The beam blocker key is provided by the operations group for the experiment running. This key must be inserted into the beam blocker panel located in the electronics rack in each data-U to actuate the beam blocker and to take control of the beam. This key is also needed to enable the trigger clock reset pulse.

Since the experiment running needs to be in possession of this key and since there is only one key, it must be returned to the Cyclotron Operator in Charge immediately after your beam time is over.

3. Close the Experimental Account

Upon completion of the experiment (including taking calibration data), the experimenters will immediately confirm in writing that the experiment has ended by completing the “checklist for NSCL experimenters” form and giving it to the Manager for User Relations.

  • This should be done within 24 hours upon experiment completion.
  • The Spokesperson signs the form, then puts it in the mailbox of the Manager for User Relations or scans and email to useroffice@nscl.msu.edu.
  • The experimenters will indicate on the checklist if they need more than one copy of the raw data and home directory on LTO tape.

      Storage

  • Within three business days after receiving the form, the Computer Department will combine the experimental home directory (/user/expnum) with the /events/expnum file into the /mnt/rawdata/expnum area, then create and validate two sets of LTO data tapes (or more, if requested by the experimenters) with these data.

The experimenter’s copy will be handed to the Manager for User Relations for distribution to the experimenter. The other copy is placed in the NSF Storage Inventory. After two years, the Computer Department will remove the tape(s) from the NSF storage inventory and offers them to the Manager for User Relations for distribution to the spokesperson. If the tapes are not required by the spokesperson, they will be reused or destroyed.

Seven days after submission of the “checklist for NSCL experimenters” form , the experimental account and all temporary disk spaces will be removed (/user/expnum, /events/expnum, /mnt/daqtesting/expnum)

In addition, the machine ‘tapehost.nscl.msu.edu’ in data-U 2 is available for experimenters to read, writ,e and validate LTO tapes.

  • All users are reminded to properly survey all equipment being removed from the experimental vaults, especially equipment that was directly exposed to primary or secondary beam particles.
  • Please make sure that the experimental vault and the Data-U are left in a tidy state (the presumed pre-experiment condition). S3 vault experimenters should follow the guidelines referred to in item 7 above. Outside users should allow enough time to tidy up the experimental vault before they leave; they are also responsible for removing all experimental apparatus and materials they bring in. Outside users can store limited amounts of material at NSCL in storage boxes. An outside user group wishing to store something should inform the Manager for User Relations and then take the material to our receiving department, have them put it in a storage box, and record the number for the box. The receiving department has a database of stored boxes. Thus it will be easy to locate and retrieve the box when the item is needed again.
  • Your feedback at the end of the experiment will help us make NSCL a more supportive place to do research. To this end, within two weeks of the end of your beam time, please submit the feedback form posted here.

We would appreciate your notifying the Manager for User Relationswhen a paper is submitted for publication or an advanced degree (Ph.D. or Masters) is awarded to a student, in cases where the paper or degree is based in part or whole on experimental work at NSCL.

4. Leave the Vault and Data-U Clean

After the experiment is complete, please make sure that the experimental vault and the Data-U are left in a tidy state. Outside users should allow enough time for this before they leave.