--- Minutes of the PS & SPS User Meeting --- # PS-SPS Users Meeting for Week 30 held on 23 July 2026 Coordinator this week : Martin Jäkel ## News from the PS & SPS Physics Coordinator M.R. Jäkel, P. Martinengo :::success **Latest public schedule now available via https://asm.app.cern.ch/coordination/published-schedule** for all ASM user. Individual schedules (PDF, csv) migth still be attached to the Indico agenda pages for reference. ::: **New Testbeam Welcome Website (BE-EA) https://testbeams.web.cern.ch** is up and running, please use it and give us feedback on: https://codimd.web.cern.ch/bJEzOaAcTS2B6UZY1wG9Sg. **CLEAR** will run during LS3 (electrons up to 220 MeV). If interested, contact Davide Gamba (Davide.Gamba@cern.ch). Further Infos : [CLEAR.CERN](https://clear.cern/?check_logged_in=1), [CLEAR Scientific Board Meeting](https://indico.cern.ch/event/1661754/) :::info **Physics Run 2026 Information :** * n-TOF p+ : 05.02.2026 -> 31.08.2026 * EA Physics p+ : 11.02.2026 -> 31.08.2026 * NA Physics p+ : 11.03.2026 -> 03.08.2026 * NA Pb Ions : 07.08.2026 -> 31.08.2026 * EA Physics PB Ion (T8) 19.08.2026 -> 31.08.2026 ::: :::warning **Latest Injector schedule** : 2026, [[v 1.5](https://edms.cern.ch/document/3180469/1.5)] **Latest Test Beam Schedule**: 2026 [[v1.4.5](https://asm.app.cern.ch/coordination/published-schedule)]. ::: :::info **Available week PS - T10** : 24-31.Aug (Monday-Monday, last week of the year) ::: :::danger **Safety violations and consequences :** FOLLOW-UP MEASURES FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF SAFETY RULES RELATED TO COLLECTIVE PROTECTION AND PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT [[EDMS 1290224](https://edms.cern.ch/ui/file/1290224/5.1/CRN-S-PRD-0001_5_1_EN.pdf)] ::: --- **Target intensities:** See via [ASM](https://asm.app.cern.ch/experimental-area/experiments) --- ### News from the Facilities Operations Meeting (FOM/TIOC) **Upcoming SPS MDs next weeks :** https://be-dep-ea.web.cern.ch/content/md-planning-north-area Dedicated SPS MDs - if not anounced differently - are taking place from 8:00 to 18:00  Changes : * This Week 30 - Thursday Parallel MD * Week 31 : Wednesday Ded.Pb Commissioning (or MD), on Thursday additional Parallel MD - if needed --- ## PS Machine Report (Ewen Hamish Maclean)  - relatively low overall availability Thu-Thu, driven by issues Friday/Saturday in the injector (mostly L4 ~10h, but also a few hours downtime in PS due to faulty circuit breaker, and intervention on 10MHz cavities and extraction kicker). - Very smooth operation since Monday - Ongoing activities to prep SPS MD beams, and test operation with restored spare 10MHz cavity (C10-11) which has been unavailable for many weeks leading to some longer downtime and occassional degraded operation. Since weekend C11 has been periodically put in OP to replace the various other 10MHz cavities - so far no impact seen on beam quality (with exception of AD where potentially some impact on bunch length) - TOF automatic steering stopped working last week. Investigations/fix ongoing. - HRMT beams commissioned on Thursday: 1b INDIV and LHC15#72b_HiRadMat_26 at 1.2E11 - T8 transmission has improved since Friday (various optimizations for extraction)   ## SPS Machine Report (Panos Zisopoulos)   #### Availability * SPS availability since last Thursday: **82.7%** * LINAC4 fault on Saturday with 8h downtime * Planned electrical intervention last Friday (2h45m downtime) * Damper intervention last friday with 1h45m downtime #### Beam to NA  #### Activities - Busy week in the SPS with SHiP dedicated & short parallel MDs and long parallel MD with LIU beam - SHiP cycle development: managed to reach flat top with **5.3e13 ppp** - LIU beam stability at flat top was improved with additional octupoles during Thursday's long parallel MD - First systematic BSRT acquisitions for LIU emittance measurements at FT - Dedicated SHiP MD yesterday with SFTPRO + SHiP cycles in the supercycles - Extraction of low intensity (~5e11 p) spill to T4 with SHiP cycle - Various supercycle configurations to test impact of hysteresis and transients on spill - HiRadMat test for HTMT-74 (BTVmat) completed on Thursday afternoon #### Plans * Today, long parallel MD with LIU beam development (standard 4 x 72b & BCMS 5x48b ) * Friday, short parallel MDs * Next week, HiradMat BTVmat run and probably dedicated MD next Wednesday ## Safety (James Devine and Marcus Jankowski) :::danger Note the **presentation on indico**! Please remind your team members about the safety rules and **share the presentation**! ::: - Obligatory to **wear the PPE** as defined in the [safety video](https://indico.cern.ch/event/1645142/contributions/6916288/subcontributions/598017/attachments/3211079/5739980/2026_GeneralSafetyVideo_EA+NA.mp4) that was shared during the beamline user meeting and at the end of the ISIEC. Note that failure to do so is considered a professional fault ([EDMS 3413229](https://edms.cern.ch/document/3413229/LAST_RELEASED)). - **Food and drinks are not allowed** in radiologically classified areas. Use the dedicated coffee room outside the classified area instead (887/1-A92). - For **fluorinated gases** that are not supplied by the gas services, please check the [HSE website](https://hse.cern/f-gas/temporary-experiments) and contact in EP Safety. - For special requirements (e.g. **flammable gases**, lasers, bringing your own lifting table, etc.) contact us as soon as possible. ## TT2A Main: n_TOF (Giuseppe Tagliente, Alice Manna) * EAR1: Measurement of the Ar total cross section, Ar(n,tot) in the trasmission station, PTB fission chamber in the experimental area, 235U(n,f) * EAR2: Measurement of the X17, He(n,e+e-) * NEAR: Activation of 135Cs and 94Nb *  : ## East Area Beam Status (N. Charitonidis) On call phone number: :phone: [67500](tel:+41227667500) **General**: F62 XSEC pump restart intervention was done as scheduled by SY-BI on Wednesday. The XSEC was found to have partially come loose from its support and was leaning forward. A plastic component that is part of the support structure had broken. It is re-aligned and fixed using clamps. Due to high radiation, no more repairs can be performed until LS3. However, it was not possible to pump down the XSEC and start the ion pump. The vacuum level has not yet stabilized, and the calibration factor will likely continue to drift. To be checked still with SY-BI. The F62 XSEC gives the intensity measurement of protons upstream the T09 target.  **T09**: Good operation. Magnet and tables installed in T09 for CORAL on Wednesday. Manual table to be installed today (Thursday). Beam files will be checked after. **T10**: Good operation. Beam files provided to MPGDHCAL (same files as used during their last beam time). **T11**: Good operation. ## East Area Users Tour de Table ### T08 Main/Parallel: IRRAD/CHARM (F. Ravotti / S. Fiore) Good beam delivery in week 29. Intensity to T8 ~2.5E+16 p/w and TID generated by the CHARM target ~400 Gy/w (see below).  Beam transmission was still degrading at the beginning of the week and centering on both axes improved w.r.t. the previous week: >93% of the spills were within +/- 2mm from the center. In IRRAD we installed a new samples for several experiments (DRD3, CMS-PPS, SSD). The CMS-ETROC in the cold box continue as well as all previously installed long experiments (EP-DT, TE-MPE, LHCb, etc.). In CHARM Removed setups by TE-MPE and LHCb RICH FEE (LpGBT and bpol), installed new one by BE-GM (FRAS) and exchanged setups by BE-CEM-EPR for electronics qualification. We continue until next Wednesday. ### T9 Outgoing Main: SND (Please insert your name) ### T9 Main: CORAL (Marco Romagnoni) Yesterday there was installation of magnet and XSCA and Desy Table. Unfortunately our collegue that was supposed to supervise installation was not present because of a last minute issue, but the magnet and transport team have been extremely helpful in assising us (many thanks expecially to Aboubakr Ebn Rahmoun and Vincent Marchand). This morning I was present and we did final adjustment to tables and added the Manual Table.  Now area is ready and we are currently busy installing setup, to be ready for the safety clearance tomorrow at 12:15 Many thanks to Dipanwita for completing beamline tests yesterday and granting us full day for our installation. ### T10 Outgoing Main: ALICE ITS3 (Livia Terlizzi, Hartmut Hillemanns) - Measured successfully in parallel both MOSAIX SEGMENT not irradiated, and babyMOSAIX irradiated (5 different chips) - No issue encountered, either on beam side or ITS3 DAQ system - Data taking very stable during the whole test beam week ### T10 Main: DRD6 MPGD-HCAL (Luigi Longo, Antonello Pellecchia) Hadronic calorimeter read out by MPGD (MicroMegas, µRWELL) + PBF~2~ electromagnetic calorimeter (CRILIN) Installed yesterday: calorimeter setup + GEM tracker. Equipment used: - DESY table for ECAL - Manual table for tracker - Calorimeter on custom structure Gas mixtures: - Ar/CO~2~ 70/30 (GEM) - Ar/CO~2~/CF~4~ 45/15/40 (µRWELL) - Ar/CO~2~/iC~4~H~10~ 93/5/2 (MicroMegas) Good experience with transport and installation. Detectors flushing, mostly noise runs for the moment.   ### T11 Main: P371 (Vincent Verhoeven) - inserted LGAD again -> good profile on straws - LH target stable (vacuum getting better) - Cherenkov Veto: - 96 % - Currently investigating DAQ setup with new gateware ## TT66 Incoming Main: BTVMat (P. Alexaki) Experiment installed, pulse-list communicated with the injector colleagues. Experiment starts Monday 27.07. ## North Area Beam Status (N. Charitonidis) On call phone number: :phone: [67500](tel:+41227667500) A few reminders: - Please leave control rooms clean and empty after your beam time and remove PPE. - During the upcoming long shutdown the zones in EHN1 will be repurposed for works and (radioactive) storage. At the start of the shutdown the zones should be clear and any fragile equipment removed. A special thanks to the user teams that demonstrate good flexibility with the use of the mechanical tables! Everybody managed to be served :-) The recovery last night from the MD was a little longer due to an economy setting stuck on that prevented sending beam in the secondary lines. **H2**:The issue with the He instability in the VTX magnet of NA61 is unfortunately persistent. Also, yesterday evening around 20h30, collimator XCSV.021045 was stuck in-beam. The BE-CEM piquet and the BE-EA engineers managed to remotely fully open it, and now it is not blocking the NA61 operation. Intervention to be planned in the future (during LS3). **H4**:Good operation. **H6/H8/M2/P42/K12**: Good operation. **H8**: vacuum infrastructure changes delayed on request of AMS. Work rescheduled for next Monday during the changeover. ## North Area Users Tour de Table ### H2 Outgoing No Beam: CMS GEM (Simone Calzaferri, Pieter Everaerts, Dragolav Lazic) * Removed our setup on monday 20th July * Proved that ME0 can also produce discharges and short circuits in magnetic field ramps * The discharges concentrate mostly at a low B field * Tested electronics communication: analysis of data ongoing, but seems to be good. Communication instabilities observed before cleaning the fibers; after fibers were cleaned no issue was observed. ### H2 No Beam: CMS MTD BTL (C. Quaranta) * Setup assembled on monday 20th * first magnet ramp on tuesday * Confirmed communication errors in optical link (Serenity-VTRX+) on our setup for a magnetic field >~ 2.5 T, as already observed in March magnet test * Found mitigation strategy by regulating optical power received by VTRx+, deeper investigation on the dependence with magnetic field and our specific setup ongoing * We may need few more days of testing, if possible (under internal discussion) ### H2 Main: NA61/SHINE (B. Maksiak) * We continue taking data. Until yesterday our liquid nitrogen target was in the "thin" configuration (4 cm). Since yesterday it is in the "long" configuration (20 cm). * The beam last week (as long as we had it) was very stable in intensity and position. It was even more improved by Giovanni/Nikos on Friday. Since then we were pretty satisfied. The only reamaining complain is the large angle in horizontal plane, but this is now being handled by Giovanni. * Beam came back after MD yesterday. During our validation of its properties the collimator XCSH.021.045 went into a strange state, but Nikos and beam operators managed to open it. Thank you. * We noticed that somebody from beam operators keeps moving out XDWC.021.526/7 from the beam. We use that detector for our measurements. Moving it out harms our data taking. Please, keep it on the beam. * Update on VERTEX-1 magnet and our ion run: Tests of Cryo team last week showed that the situation with the helium cooling of the magnet gets worse. There are no prospects to have a fix, so we could not run with full current (critical for our ion run). It is not yet clear whether we could run with the configuration for the 40 GeV/c beam. **We decided to cancel the ion run**. Our priority now is to let the Cryo team to perform the cryo cooling diagnosis in order to find the exact source of the problem during before LS3 starts as they might need the services (i.e. power, water cooling). --- ### H4 Main: DRD1 (Karl Flöthner & Yorgos Tsipolitis) All participating setups (15 in total) are installed, through safety, and taking data. Some pictures of the area below. Special thanks to Marcus and James for the flexibility with the safety visits. Additional to mention that there was a short meeting to discuss the false flooring -> a solution was found for the future to put a sepparate channel which can be used without the need of opening the flooring. Thanks again to the transport team with helping to move setups and in particular removing a DESY table from below a telescope setup. Thanks to Nikos for the Pion beam tuning after MD yesterday. Thanks a lot to Xavier Genillon and the first line team for the help with Goliath. We could not ramp up to 1.5T - this is currently under investigation.     ### H4 Parallel: STRAW TRACKER RD (Please insert your name) - smooth running at PPE134 - at GIF++ still setting up DAQ using small SHiP prototype and preparing 4m straw (many thanks to Giuseppe for accelerating the internal delivery!) - extra-setup of NA62 straws at H8 beam dump if feasible? ### H4 Parallel: GIF++ (Paolo Martinengo) CMS-RPC1 CMS-RPC2 CMS-ARGO ATLAS-RPC Phase-2 Upgrade Ecogas GIF++ EP-DT R&D CMS-iRPC Electronics Test Ecogas Collaboration (CMS-ATLAS-LHCb-ALICE) Primary Inozation HFO1234ze(E)-ETH ATL-sMDT MPI group ATLAS-RPC CMS-CSC ME21 CMS-CSC ME11 StrawDet Straw MDT ATLAS MicroMegas   Safety visit for flammable gas this morning at 10:00 Started data taking with beam, main issue related to trigger rate, possibly due to interference with test with magnet in H2  --- ### H6 Outgoing Parallel: CMS MTD ETL (Please insert your name) ### H6 Main: ATLAS HGTD (M. Missio, S. Koch) We have been running successfully in H6A for the past week, with relative success commissioning the FELIX-based readout system that we are testing that will eventually be used for the final detector. Despite a bumpy start in this, we've taken some good data that will allow us to compare time resolution of modules using this system to our typical tabletop setups (and previous testbeams), and have learned a lot about the behaviour of the FELIX readout in a realistic operational mode. The beam conditions have been very good in our area over the past week, thank you to Laurie and everyone else for all the efforts in preparing our beamfile and keeping the beamlines running with minimal downtime. ### H6 Incoming Main: DRD4 (Sune Jakobsen) One setup in PPE146. DESY table. Two setups in PPE156. 2 XSCA tables. As small and as intense as posible beam in all setups. ### H6 Incoming Parallel: ALICE ITS3 (Elena Dall'Occo) Two setups on a DESY table (thanks to DRD1 for the table!): - ALPIDE based telescope with cold box (5mm diameter window) - BabyMOSS based telescope Goal is to test highly irradiated test structures. High intensity beam with small beam spot size would be ideal (in line with DRD4 needs) Other services needed: nitrogen or dry air (as it was setup a few weeks ago worked very well) --- ### H8 Outgoing Main/Parasitic: CMS PPS (F. Garcia) This test beam went quite smoothly and succesful, appart from the fact that it was shorted than anticipated. The setups were two telescopes on movable tables (many thanks to the NA infrastructure team for the XSCA and the DESY table). The first setup downstream is the PPS2 telescope and the second is an ETROC-CE telescope.  We managed to acomplish most of the program for this test beam. Collecting large amount of data on each of the scans. Thanks to the beam conditions made by Maarten. There were several types of beam with the smallest 0.7x1.3 mm, allowing to collect enough statistics and move fast between points. Many thanks to the Safety inspection team, specially to James at al., for their flexibity. Also thanks to the Radio protection team for their cooperation. I would like to thanks to the Gas team for providing the Nitrogen line in a record time. The PPS2 and ETROC teams would like to thanks to all other teams in the beamline for their collaborative effort and for helping to accomplish our program in time. First signals of the PPS2 LGADs...  ### H8 Outgoing Parallel: STI (J. Braach) - Setup and new software modules commissioned ahead of Wed. 15. - Telescope operation and coordination among beamline users without issues - Data taking successful, all planned measurements completed - For now setup stays installed until Mon. 27. not to interfere with AMS beamtime ### H8 Main: RE1 AMS L0 (M. Duranti)  - good beam from monday, almost always 3 spills so many thanks! - many thanks to STI and CMS-PPS that let us take advantage of the Monday's beam already from 08:00! - test is proceeding very well:   - also the parasitic data are really interesting   ### H8 Incoming Main: DRD6 IDEA DRC (Kyeongpil Lee, Hwidong Yoo, Sehwook Lee) * Contact * Kyeongpil Lee (kyeongpil.lee@cern.ch) * Hwidong Yoo (hwi.dong.yoo@cern.ch) * Sehwook Lee (seh.wook.lee@cern.ch) * Short summary of the experiment * **Dual readout calorimeter (DRC)**: Sampling calorimeter made of copper (absorber) and two types of optical fibers (Scintillating and Cherenkov) * Measure the EM energy fraction in the hadronic shower event by event -> achieve excellent energy resolution * Under development for FCC: working with DRDCalo collaboration (Work package 3: Optical calorimeters) * Test beam in the upcoming week * Prototype DRC: *30 cm x 30 cm x 2.5 m long* (~1.5 ton) * Will measure the EM and hadronic performance (response & energy resolution) * **Will use 10 - 120 GeV e+ beam & 20 - 120 GeV hadronic beams** for the test * Also will perform a horizontal scan to study the shower depth & 3D shower reconstruction **Expected scheme after the installation**:  * Current status * DRC module: ready to be moved to the hall (will be done by crane at the first day, 27 July) * Currently placed in R-280 * ISIEC form has been submitted: waiting for approval * request the **safety check on 27 July (Mon.), 5PM** * Confirm the Cherenkov counters are ready to be use (Helium is filled) * Support from CERN * Borrow **TRAGKRAFT table** for vertical movement, which will be installed on top of the Sapphire table * Vertical movement: TRAGKRAFT table * Horizontal movement & rotation: Sapphire table * Borrow the **two delayed wire chambers**: will be installed on 27 July (first day) by experts * **Thanks again for your support!** * **Thanks to AMS team** as well for allowing us to check the hall and sharing the control room! * Plan to start the installation in the experimental hall **on 27 July, 9AM** **[Things to discuss with CERN and AMS team]** 1) **The exact time for beam pipe removal and TRAGKRAFT table installation** * In the current experimental hall, the beam pipe is crossing the Sapphire table: it needs to be removed before installation * Also, TRAGKRAFT table is needed to install our DRC on top of it * Could you let us know when it can happen? Hopefully it can be done in the morning (to save the installation time) * At least rough estimation is needed for us to request the crane in advance to move the DRC to the hall * Could you also confirm that the initial vertical position of Sapphire table can be adjusted at the installation? 2) Request **a small table** & schedule to **remove the concrete block in the hall** * Could you please open the [slides](https://indico.cern.ch/event/1703157/contributions/7163542/attachments/3318409/5940518/20260723_DRD6DRC_DAQ_Installation_TB2026.pdf) uploaded on the agenda (there are some useful photos to explain) * Q1) Could we borrow a small table (~1 x 1m) for DAQ PC setup? * Q2) to AMS team: could you let us know when could the concrete blocks in S5 be removed? 3) **Muon counter installation** * The muon counter in the downstream of our detector was removed from its original position by the other DRC team * We would like to move it back to the original position (attached picture) * Could we shortly access the inside of the area on 27 July to install?  4) **Request some concrete blocks** to install the leakage counter (LC) around the DRC module (not urgent than the others) * We usually install the leakage counter (LC) around the DRC module to capture the shower leakage (like the picture below) * This time, our detector will be on TRAGKRAFT table, which has smaller area than Sapphire table: no space to put the LC on the TRAGKRAFT table, especially for the side of the detector * Instead, if we can borrow some concrete blocks with enough height, we can put them to the side of the detector, and put our LCs on top of the blocks * The LC installation is scheduled on Wednesday (29 July) during MD: if we can borrow some appropriate blocks, we can put them in parallel on Wednesday * Exact size of the block: could be estimated after the installation on Monday  --- ### M2 Main: AMBER (Martin Hoffmann) - Ongoing physics data taking: 23k spills last week (Thu-Thu) - Taking remaining dedicated measurements with 20 bar H2: Beam Intensity Scan, Alignment, TPC HV Scan with beam - Finished data taking at 20 Bar Hydrogen, Reduced to 4 Bar H2 during MD - Preparations for SM1/SM2 Field Map Measurements ongoing. Removing and moving detectors with the help of the transport group to reduce necessary transport/crane operations beginning of August ### K12-P42 Main: NA62 (Adam Tomczak) - Good beam availability. Intensity slowly drifting up (new!) a few times over the past week, see plot. Always promptly resolved by SPS operators, thank you. - Big intervention on the beam spectrometer (GTK) yesterday around the scheduled MD, with cavern accesses before to stablish the necessity and for preparation. Experiment availability of 84.3% since last Thursday.  --- ### H6 Parasitic: ATLAS MALTA (Please insert your name) ### H8 Outgoing Parasitic: RE1 AMS L0 (M. Duranti) See above ### H8 Parasitic: STRAW TRACKER RD (Please insert your name) ### M2 Parasitic: MUONE (Riccardo Pilato) In the past two weeks, communication issues with a few 2S modules in the system were identified as due to an incompatibility of the latest software with an old version of the lpgbt installed on those prototypes. Instead of working on the software side, it was easier replacing those prototype 2S modules with pre-production ones mounting up-to-date components. This solved the communication issues. Good progress so far on the commissioning of the system, with the aim to take data in the final part of the run. --- ## AoB --- _Minutes by the respective speakers, edited by the Physics Coordination_