ISOLDE Technical Coordination Meeting

Tuesday 12 Aug 2025, 14:00 → 15:00 Europe/Zurich

508/1-001 (CERN)

14:00 → 14:05 General news, agenda review, minutes approval

Speakers: Erwin Siesling (CERN), Joachim Vollaire (CERN)

14:05 → 14:20 Operation Report - REX/HIE ISOLDE update

Speakers: Alberto Rodriguez (CERN), Eleftherios Fadakis (CERN), Emiliano Piselli (CERN), Erwin Siesling (CERN), Joachim Vollaire (CERN), Miguel Luis Lozano Benito (CERN), Simon Mataguez (CERN)

ISOLDE week 32 Monday 11_08_2025.docx

ISOLDE week 32 Monday 11_08_2025.pdf

14:20 → 14:30 RILIS report

Speakers: Anjali Ajayakumar, Cyril Bernerd (CERN), Joachim Vollaire (CERN), Jordan Ray Reilly (The University of Manchester (GB)), Katerina Chrysalidis (CERN), Manikanta Elle (KU Leuven (BE)), Reinhard Heinke (The University of Manchester (GB)), Sebastian Rothe (CERN)

14:30 → 14:40 MEDICIS & Building 179

Speakers: Charlotte Duchemin (CERN SY/STI/RBS), Edgars Mamis, Joachim Vollaire (CERN), Laura Lambert (CERN), Manikanta Elle (KU Leuven (BE)), Matthieu Deschamps, Patricija Kalnina (University of Latvia (LV)), Ralf Erik Rossel (CERN)

 

Last Week

• Collection of Ra-225 to CMI Czech Republic
  • About 9% efficiency for Ra-225 from 2nd Indian ThC charge
  • Rather consistent with the 1st charge in #887M
• Indirect irradiation of #769M Ta foils for Eu-145 
  
  • Derogation beyond 2 uA on HRS and stopped irradiation of Friday.

 

This Week

• • Shipping of Ra-225 to CMI Czech Republic
  • Removed the Pin 7 direct connection
    • Thanks to Julien Parra-Lopez for help
  • After target change the switch of target table caused Transformer/heating and High Voltage interlocks
    • Temporarly solved by Christophe
  • Collection of Eu-145 for NPL (UK)
    • MELISSA lasers for Eu-145
  • Target #872M UCx irradiation 
    • K-43 collection from UCx target -friday

 

Next week

• • Cu-67 development run
  • Tb-149/155 development run from TaC
    • Thursday
    • Irradiation - direct overnight on 20-21.08

 

Other

• ThO2 shipment from SCK-CEN delayed
  
  • Target material tests planned at MEDICIS from 24.10-11.11.

14:40 → 14:50 Targets, Schedule and Physics

Speakers: Hanne Heylen (CERN), Isabel Frank (CERN), Matthias Alexander Grasser, Simon Thomas Stegemann (CERN)

Physics

Busy but successful week:

• At HRS, very exotic ⁹⁶Cd beams were sent to ISOLTRAP to study nuclear structure around the double-magic ¹⁰⁰Sn nucleus. This isotope is produced only in very small quantities, so the possibility of increasing the current to 2.5 μA was greatly appreciated, even though the request came at the last minute from our side. The experiment detected on average only six counts per day, despite its high sensitivity. This is really at the limit of what ISOLDE can achieve, but everything went very smoothly and the users were very satisfied.
• On GPS, in parallel, a collection of ²²⁶Ra was carried out using a pre-irradiated target. The ²²⁶Ra was implanted into 15 different samples, which is useful for assessing radon emanation rates. This is important for the calibration and development of detectors for dark matter studies and neutrinoless double beta decay experiments. They got higher rates than expected.
  • ---> First collection since restart: any feedback for things to improve for the collections until the end of the year?

 

Schedule

• 26/8: ISOLDE physics needs post-LS3

14:50 → 14:55 Hall activities / Mechanical workshop requests

Speaker: Oscar Fjeld (CERN)

14:55 → 15:00 Safety, AOB, visits

• Request from SY-BI to have a test FC for new motors for beam instrumentatoin devices (new hardware)

• Email from 28/07
  Dear ISOLDE Coordination Team,

I’m contacting you regarding a follow-up intervention on the chilled water circuit, related to the issue encountered two weeks ago. At that time, an urgent action was taken to prevent an imminent fire risk caused by overheating in the electrical cubicle.
Following that initial intervention, an investigation was conducted. We concluded that a second intervention is necessary in the electrical cubicle. This will enable both pumps to run simultaneously, which should reduce their current draw to nominal levels and prevent further overheating.

The intervention is estimated to take approximately 1-2 hours and can be executed without disturbing the target cooling (as it was the case during the previous intervention, as the PLC was cut…). During this period, the chilled water pumps will have to be stopped.

We expect the following impact:
• AHUs: The intervention should be transparent, as they can switch to free-cooling mode, and the current weather conditions are favourable.
• Room RILIS: Should not be affected, as the standby SPLIT unit can take over during the intervention. (TBC, maintenance is ongoing on the SPLIT)
• Tunnel dehumidifier: Please note that this unit will not be supplied with chilled water during the intervention.

Normally, we should be ready to carry out the intervention as early as tomorrow morning, with a preference for an early time slot.

Please let us know when a suitable time window is available. This intervention remains urgent, as it is still a safety-related issue.

Thank you,
Best regards,
Gabor

Speakers: Alexander Schmidt, Alexandre Dorsival (CERN), Elodie Aubert (CERN), Hanne Heylen (CERN), Line Le, Melania Averna (CERN), Mia Au (CERN), Nadine Conan (CERN), Oscar Fjeld (CERN), Simon Mataguez (CERN)

• Scaffolding week 36
• Chemicals cleaning ongoing
• Reopening of route Democrite in week 36
• New worksite layout in week 36