View source for General Meeting Summary 7/11/13

MRI DETAILS:

* [http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13517/nsf13517.htm MRI solicitation]

* Upcoming MRI opportunity has a due date of 23 January 2014
::* For university internal reasons documents typically have to be ready (or most of them) at least a week before that due date

* MRIs require a cost sharing contribution of all PhD granting universities of 30% of the funds requested by a particular institution. Please check the solicitation for details.

* Every institution is allowed 3 MRIs per competition. It could be important to check the internal competition history at each institution. Please check the solicitation for details.


NPS PROJECT DISCUSSION:

* Discussion about the first draft of the project. 
::* In previous the MRI purchase of 40 additional fADCs had been assumed. However, based on recent news from JLab these should be available now and focus of the MRI is assumed to be on the detector rather than the electronics

* Discussion on which institutions could contribute to MRI and how the project cost could be reduced for the request to stay inside the physics division
::* MRI would include CUA, ODU, OU, Yerevan, JLab, and perhaps additional institutions
::* What is the exact limit to stay within physics division? Is the usually quoted figure of 800k the project or the total cost?
::* Is it a problem to exceed the physics division limit? In general, the competition will be tougher, but maybe this would be manageable?
::* If 800k is the limit, then could try to reduce the total MRI project cost by reducing the scope though impact on physics would need to be studied. Another way may be to explore if some of the project could be taken on by European institutions.
::* First opportunity for INP to contribute would be in 2015. Competitive funding application may be possible, but would need to include multiple institutions. Perhaps Glasgow and Ljubljana would be interested?

* General agreement that should submit the NPS project to the upcoming MRI opportunity


NPS COMPONENT DISCUSSION:

* Lead Tungstate, PbWO4
::* General properties should be like for the crystals produced for CMS
::* Vendors available from China, Japan, Russia, Europe. Hamlet has contact info for some of them and will forward it.
::* In what quantities do companies produce crystals? Cost estimates?
::* Do companies agree to produce crystals to our specifications, e.g., requirement on radiation hardness? The 6 GeV DVCS/HA experience is that one cannot return crystals once purchased.
::* An important crystal property is radiation hardnesss. How to define radiation hardness and how can we test and quantify this property? For the 6 GeV DVCS/HA experiments crystals were irradiated in Idaho test facility. This provided a way to classify crystals. Are there other facilities or methods to test radiation hardness? Should we try to get small samples from vendors first and try to test them with a prototype? 

* PMT choices
*:: Model of PMT used in Primex with the modified voltage divider seems good enough and there would be spares from Primex available

* Magnet
*:: Requires additional design studies. Need to discuss with HC about designer time.

* Temperature Controlled Frame
*:: Good item for prototyping, in particular, for investigating exact temperature

* Support Structure/stands and sliders/rollers
*:: Needs additional studies. Need to discuss with HC about designer time.

* Light Monitoring/UV Curing System
*:: Needs additional studies. Need to discuss with HC about designer time.

* General agreement that need to get good quotation for PbWO4 and discuss with HC about contributions
 

ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING:

* Continue discussion of NPS project funding strategies 


NEXT MEETING: THUR, 1 AUGUST at 9AM (EDT)