Experimental Physics and
Industrial Control System

Learned Friends,

Accelerators and beamlines have associated with them some properties of the accelerated particles.

For example, a beamline will usually have a parameter for magnetic and/or electrostatic rigidity, but it might also have beam variables associated with it, such as the charge-to-mass ratio, or the precise mass of a heavy ion.

My question is this:  To what extent are the physics parameters part of the controls?  

Should there be channels like "Separator:BeamMass," for example? 

My feeling is that the beam, as it were, should be part of the control system from the beginning, but I don't have much to back this up.
What do you think? 

Cheers,
             -Mathias