APS User News-at-a-Glance

Issue 2; November 1, 2000

1. End-of-Run Summaries

Beginning with the first user run of fiscal year 2001 (November 2, 2000, to December 21, 2000), APS users will be expected to complete a brief on-line End-of-Run Summary at the conclusion of each experiment (defined as each posting of an Experiment Safety Approval Form or ESAF). Information collected from these forms will be used to help APS and CAT staff provide more effective equipment and services to APS users. This form, located at http://beam.aps.anl.gov/pls/apsweb/xsr0013.eor_frames, should be completed by one member of each user group before the group leaves the APS.

2. Six CATs Now Accepting Independent Investigator Proposals

(contact: strasser@aps.anl.gov)

Six APS Collaborative Access Teams (CATs) are now accepting research proposals from Independent Investigators. Information about these CATs (BESSRC-, DND-, IMCA-, SBC-, SRI-, and UNI-CATs) and their research capabilities, as well as information about the electronic APS Independent Investigator proposal submission/review process and schedule, can be found at http://www.aps.anl.gov/xfd/communicator/useroffice/II_proposal.html.

3. User Survey Results Available on the Web

(Contact: dmm@aps.anl.gov)

Check out the link below to view the complete on-line version of the first APS User Activity Report: http://www.aps.anl.gov/xfd/communicator/user2000/home.html.

In an effort to provide APS management with feedback from users on the technical operation of the APS, the APS developed and distributed a survey entitled "What APS Improvements Will Help Your Research?" in May 2000. Paper versions of the survey were distributed at the Tenth Users Meeting for the APS; subsequently, APS users were requested by email to complete the survey on the Web if they had missed the opportunity at the Users Meeting. Approximately 300 responses were received, and the results can be found at http://www.aps.anl.gov/upd/usersurvey/. Individual answers to some of the comments and questions are being sent by e-mail now.

4. FY 2001 Long-range APS Operations Schedule

(Contact: avr@aps.anl.gov)

The schedule for FY 2001, which can be found at the Web address below, currently includes 88 shifts of top-up operation. (More shifts may be added during August and September). Full-time top-up operation is scheduled to begin with the first run of FY 2002, beginning next October. Goals for the development of each long-range schedule include 5000+ hours of user beam time, fixed days for starting each user run, fixed days for planned interruptions, and minimal user operations during holidays. This current schedule includes four user run cycles separated by four maintenance periods (two long and two short). Eventually, the APS plans to convert to a schedule with three longer user runs (about 11 weeks) and three five-week-long maintenance periods. This type of schedule will be in place for FY 2003, with a transition schedule being developed for FY 2002. The current schedule, which shows scheduled dates through July 31, 2001, can be accessed through this link: http://www.aps.anl.gov/xfd/calendar/fy2001longrange.pdf

5. Mark Your Calendar: Date Set for the Eleventh APS Users Meeting

(Contact: zschack@anl.gov)

Save the dates of October 9-11, 2001, for the Eleventh Users Meeting for the Advanced Photon Source. Meeting Chair Paul Zschack and the APS Users Organization Steering Committee have already begun planning for this event, which is held at 18-month intervals. The program will feature workshops, scientific talks, a poster session, vendor exhibits, the Compton Prize announcement and lecture, and the traditional social events.

6. New Options for Food Service at the APS

The new "5 to 9 Grill" officially opened its doors for APS users on September 20, 2000. Located on the lower level of Bldg. 402, the APS Conference Center, this new facility features an inexpensive, high-quality menu, which includes a signature "Chicago-style" hot dog, hamburgers, soup, salads, and vegetarian items. As the name suggests, the grill is open year-round from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., Mondays through Fridays.

In addition, service hours for dinner in the Argonne Guest House dining room have been extended by an hour on Monday through Friday (the hours now are 5:30 - 9:00 p.m.). On weekends, meal service is available in the Guest House dining room from 11:00 a.m. though 9:00 p.m. (Daily lunch and dinner menus can be viewed on line on the Web)

7. Construction Progress

(Contact: sidarous@aps.al.gov)

As the interior of the experiment hall continues to fill up with beamlines, additions to the building's exterior are keeping pace.

The recommendation of award has been made for the construction of lab/office module (LOM) 436, and Argonne National Laboratory's procurement department is in the process of signing the contract. Groundbreaking for the 21,000 square-foot addition on the southwest quadrant of the hall is expected in mid-November 2000, with completion scheduled for October 2001.

On the other side of the building, between LOM 431 and Bldg. 401, the addition to LOM 431, known as Pentagon Z, is progressing well. Structural work on the 3,700 square-foot space is complete. Interior construction has begun (including the building of partitions and roughing in of electrical and Mechanical work) with roofing and siding to begin in early November. This work began in the summer of 2000 and should be complete by January of 2001. LOM 431, Pentagon Z will house the APS floor coordinators, technicians for the Experimental Facilities Division, and health physics workers.

More beamlines mean more people and more cares. To meeting the on-going need for more parking space, the LOM 438 parking lots has been expanded by 11 parking spaces; paving of those spaces is now complete.

The APS User News-at-a-Glance is a periodic electronic news bulletin for APS users. If you've received this issue by direct e-mail, you are already subscribed and need to do nothing further to receive future bulletins. If you prefer not to receive these messages, you can unsubscribe by replying to this e-mail and placing the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line of your e-mail reply.