At Gran Sasso: Baker (*), Goretti(**), Longley(***), Michlovich(****),
Orth(*****), Scholberg(******), Walter(********)
Recently (and Dearly) Departed: Kearns
(*) Shift worker and reporter
(**) Speaks fluent Italian
(***) USPIC/Doug-wannabe
(****) Speaks almost-fluent Italian
(*****) Learning to drive
(******) LUT Czarina
(*******) Has the most stars after his name
STOP THE PRESSES!!! BIG NEWS!!! WFD ACQUSITION TESTS SUCCESSFUL!!!
That's right MACRO fans! If you haven't heard yet, Ed, Chris and Chris
have succeeded in their quest to get the WFD acquisition working and they
have run the full detector collecting WFD data for one hour. They have
overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to get to this point, and the
entire collaboration should thank them. As expected, the data rate and
dead time of the detector will more than double and we are now dealing with
the data distribution issues that have to be addressed before including the
WFD in normal acquisition.
Additionally, Chris W. has the LIP installed and working everywhere
except SM2 where he is waiting for the PHRASE. The LIP was included in the
1 hour WFD test run, and Chris is analysing the data. No fractionally
charged particles found yet though.
Ed Michlovich has made exabyte tape copies of all the MACRO data up to
recently and these tapes are now at Caltech where Bob Nolty is spinning
them non-stop.
Rich has added addtionaly ERP data monitoring to BMON, flagging the
numerous vertical tanks with serious TDC error problems for low energy
events. These TDC errors are real, and are mostly caused by bad LUTs, Rich
and Kate have identified the likely sources of these errors and hopefully
most of them will be fixed in the next week or two. Rich has also worked
on LED calibration software needed to simulate a gravitational collapse in
the ERP. Unfortunately, one of the two HP pulsers was sent to Rome for
repairs and is waiting on paperwork before we can get it back.
Kate has been busily working on the LUTs, and we ARE getting closer to
finally implementing the one true method for getting them right. Having a
trigger system that is nearly infinitely tunable is a good thing, but it
also has required nearly infinite work. Most tanks are in good shape, but
the few dozen problem tanks have, to quote Kate, "BIZARRENESSES," (yes, it
is a word, despite much skepticism at the group meeting.)
The traditional Nat-supplied calendar/list of tasks follows, but first
a bit of personal notes:
1) For 50 bonus points, which two of the Americans currently at GS were
born in the same hospital and attended the same highschool?
2) With Ed Kearns about to leave, it was time for Chris Orth to learn to
drive with a manual transmission. Unfortunately, the BU car apparently
recognized that Chris was a relatively new driver and decided to try to
kill him. After a scary weekend trying to drive a car that's engine would
start racing at the slightest provocation, the problem was fixed and Chris
is recovering.
3) The night before Ed Kearns went home, we had a group dinner at La
Fontanelle, but there were still things to fix on the WFD and Ed stayed
in the tunnel late. Such selfless dedication to MACRO should not go
unnoted.
4) Kate and Chris hosted two very nice dinners at the Caltech apartment.
Chris first made us "THE MOST DANGEROUS PASTA ON EARTH", bucatini
amatriciana... You don't even want to be in the same room as it if you
have a white shirt on. Kate made scones for dessert, but she insisted that
we call them "scons."
5) A list of anagrams of INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY is attached to the end
of this report, including my favorite: I'M ON A HUGE WISPY RHINO FART
And without any further ado, here's Nat's list:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
WFD readout on SMs 1-6 in main ACQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Chris W,
Some very preliminary news from a one-hour run: Chris O
Data rate increases 2-4 times, depending on readout choices.
Dead time increases 2-3 times, depending on readout choices.
These numbers are extremely preliminary and the actual
affects on the DAQ will depend upon how we decide to
implement the WFD system. More next week after looking
at data.
Repair SM3 WFD backplane. Nat, Chris O
Identified Jorway CAMAC crate controller "feature," whereby Chris W, Nat
previous command is flashed breifly at transition to
new command, with the _new_ "N." This can be a problem if,
for instance, one module is cleared as a last comand: the
the next module to be read will briefly see its "N," "F1,"
and "F8" lines come down together. This anomaly won't
overlap with the strobe, but if the strobe is not used, there
can be a problem. Chris W. will prepare a technical note.
LED switchbox upgrade, SMs 5-6 (all SM finished). Maurizio, Ed M
Add North and South Face, GC triggers to BMON. Rich
Add permanent power strips near SM 1 & 2 WFD crates. Nat
Build three powered, wheeled portable work tables. Nat
Send bulk of data tapes to Caltech. Maurizio, Ed M
Quasi-final EMILY (Equipment Monitor and In-Line SentrY) Nat
modifications and tests, quasi-fianl installation.
Overhaul Laser calibration hardware. Maurizio, Ed M
Overhaul Laser Calibration Software. Nat
Problems with ERP GC LUTs identified by Kate ("I've learned Kate, Rich
many new things") and Rich. New plans to bring remaining
tanks into good ACQ.
ONGOING AND PLANNED PROJECTS:
Restart normal Laser and LED calibrations. Kate, Ed M,
Maurizio, Nat
Repair SM2 Pisa (install replacement CAMAC power supplies). Alessandro
Run WFD + LIP in main ACQ on all six SMs. Chris O,
Chris W
CAMAC crate standardization (limited slot reallocations, Nat, Rich
implementation waiting for WFD to stabilize).
Construct central on/off switch for lasers. Maurizio,
Delphino
Attenuated reference pmt overhaul. Ed M, Maurizio,
Kate
Continued ERP LUT work. Kate, Rich
Simulate a GC event. Kate, Rich, Nat
Install bit OR of LED pulser for SPUs (to flag accidentals; Nat
awaiting WFD stabilization).
Build interface and database for various scintillator Ed M
diagnostic software.
Finish remaining missing data tapes for Caltech. Ed M
Create hardcopy US/Pisa shiftworker logbook. Nat
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anagrams of INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY:
I'm on a huge wispy rhino fart
FISH YOUR MOTHER IN AGAIN, PAW
I RIP YOUNG WOMANISH FATHER
Utopian highways informer
Gap now horrifies humanity
Horrifying new auto mishap
Hurrah, femininity woos gap
How I purify math reasoning
A whimpering hour of sanity
A temporary high-win fusion
Purify Washington home air
Purifying one warmish oath
Shanghai power--uniformity
Harmonious fairy nigh wept
Wise fan hooraying triumph
Further poisining him away
Misfortune: A phony hair wig
High of war-pony miniatures
Afro minorities, why hangup?
Era of worshiping humanity
Upright whir of mayonnaise
Wish orphanage uniformity
How fun my irrigation phase!
Hunger: Why imposition afar?
Hug woman if inheritors pay
Hut aims horrifying weapon
How a grim phony infuriates!
Waiter furnishing Pooh yam
A human whoop is terrifying
Purifying one warmish oath
Sharpening, with aim for you
Pure fashioning, worthy aim
If separation humoring, why?
Earthworm is a unifying hop
Sanitarium grief, how phony
Worshiper: Gain of humanity
Woof up in hairy nightmares
I win atrophying farmhouse
Monitoring a fishy warp hue
Human yoga-worshiper fit in
Worship, meaning your faith
How temporary if in anguish!
I woof gray hair punishment
Hip-softening airway humor
Why fish up name originator?
Show of repairing humanity
I pay whom after nourishing?
Foreign authorship may win
We hurry, imposition Afghan
Fiery orangutan--how impish!
Enormous, hairy pig with fan
Hey, ignoramus -- win profit? Ha!
Oh-oh, wiring snafu: empty air
When forming, utopia's hairy
A rough whimper of insanity
Oh, wormy infuriating phase
Inspire humanity, who go far
Waiting for any promise, huh?
Hi-ho! Yow! I'm surfing Arpanet!
New utopia? Horrifying sham
Fury, morphia, a wise nothing
Hey, what of inspiring amour?
How pithy -- a finer ignoramus
I swamp, horrify huge nation
I whisper nothing of my aura
Newt has a horrifying opium
This warning of my euphoria
Whining, amorphous -- yet fair
Why shun origin of a primate?
Wishing for a utopian rhyme
A funnier highway impostor
Ah, infinity grew amorphous
Ah, somehow I purify ranting
Aim high now, Senator; purify
Aim high: entropy, raw fusion
Aim high; you're post-war Finn
Anguish, hairy women, profit
Aspiring whore of humanity
Fame: Hi, worship you ranting
Fiery ranting; who has opium?
Fish grew in harmony, utopia
Forewarn: my, his utopia nigh
Frighten him away -- oops, ruin
Gore fan: I worship humanity
He is up, waiting for harmony
Hey, I whip furor, antagonism
Hi, I'm snooping further away
Hi, geranium -- show any profit?
Hi. I am wry, profane, shouting.
High priority: amuse fan now
High priority: women's fauna
High-priority, famous, an' new
Ho ho, wiring snafu, my pirate
Hop on imaginary white surf
How I signify humor: Arpanet
How I terrify pious hangman
How strange: I unify morphia
How you finish grim Arpanet
Humanity wishing for opera
Hush, yawn, origin of primate
I foresaw high-unity on-ramp
I hum, yearning, show a profit
I muster fawning "Hip, hooray"
I refashion on-ramp with Guy
I whisper aura of my nothing
I'm a hero; purify Washington
I'm a panther, wishing for you
I, prisoner of a naughty whim
If your nightmarish weapon
Imagine rush; profit anyhow
Inspiration of my wager -- huh?
May haunt origin of whisper
May punish hero for waiting
Misfortune, phony hair, a wig
My wish: euphoria of ranting
Now I hop the imaginary surf
Now terrify Shanghai -- opium
O, worship the imaginary fun
O, yow -- human hair, fingertips!
Oh, Newt purifying his aroma
Oh, arouse my whip if ranting
Oh, hi... um... swearing? profanity?
Oh, now, prim naughty fairies
Oh, pigs, I forewarn humanity
Oh, show up terrifying mania
Oh, to whisper "Imaginary fun"
Oh, we shun imaginary profit
Oh, you rant as if whimpering
Opium frightens away rhino
Or a whispering of humanity
Origin of the unwary mishap
Origin of wispy human earth
Origin of wispy human heart
Our new profanity aims high
Poet, rhyming on Hawaii surf
Poisoning him further away
Premonition: Surf a highway
Prisoner of my wit again -- huh?
Proof Newt is imaginary -- huh?
Punishment for Hawaii orgy
Pushing heroin away from it
Regain humanity of worship
Say "Hi" if I'm another grownup
Somehow infuriating harpy
Waiting for hymns, euphoria
Waiting for one's hairy hump
Warning of euphoria is myth
We hush on imaginary profit
What, his yearning for opium?
When I surf imaginary photo
Whim: go finish your Arpanet
Who, Rush? Imagine profanity
Whoa, push a fringe minority
Why finish a utopian, Mr. Gore?
Why go infuriate his on-ramp?
Why refashion grim utopian?
Why, origin of human parties
Why, origin of puritan shame
Win my harsh foreign utopia
Wiring of amateurish phony
Wish harmony, utopia, fringe
Wish of huge, primary nation
Wishing for utopian ham, rye
Wit of imaginary person -- huh?
Won me a high-priority snafu
Worship nation if huge army
Worshiping era of humanity
Yearning for opium, hash, wit
You are fishing with on-ramp