Chairman: Karsten Riisager

Scientific Secretary: Mats Lindroos

Present: Juha Äystö, R. Catherall, Luis Fraile, Roland Garoby, Jacques Lettry, Mats Lindroos, Reiner Krücken, Mats Lindroos, K. Riisager, Thierry Stora

1. Minutes of last meeting

• The minutes from the last meeting were approved.

2. Report on PAF and POFPA (RG)

• Roland Garoby told the meeting that there are two working groups at CERN for the future of the proton physics programme, the first group (PAF) is working on the machine aspects and the second group (POFPA) is working on the physics case that should drive the machine development. The mandate for each group can be studied at their respective web sites. In parallel, a possible future for an electron colider at CERN is investigated by other groups and CERN is now an official ILC candidate site.
• The DG has asked for a preliminary report from the PAF and POFPA groups for January 2005 as the CERN SPC strategy group will start working in January with the objective of presenting a strategy plan for the future of its physics in the second half of 2006.
• The preliminary finding of PAF is that linac 4 is an important ingredient to improve the performance of the injectors. The PS is due to its age due for replacement, a possible scenario would be to build a new PS ring below ground close to the present ring so that the old PS can be used up until the day the new PS can take over. Some of the SPS magnets will need replacement and construction of new magnet units might have to be launched. The obvious replacement for the PSB for a future neutrino physics and nuclear physics programme at CERN is the SPL. The study is advancing but could be accelerated if extra funds are made available.
• The faster cycling of the PSB (900 ms) is possible in parallel with PS operation but additional studies and some new hardware will be required to make it operational. To not strain the aging PS magnets the PS ramping rate would be kept as at present and empty cycles would be left in the PS to keep the RMS current on the same level as today.

3. Report from the NuPAC meeting (JA)

• Juha Aysto reported that the NUPAC meeting reviewed the future physics case for the ISOLDE and nTOF facilities at CERN. The ISOLDE facility is unique for several different reasons, notably the use of the ISOL method with 1.4 GeV protons as driver and the many isotopes available. The target and ion source development programme at ISOLDE has a long and rich history and there are now more than 800 isotopes available for physics at ISOLDE.
• The INTC found a strong case for a continued operation of ISOLDE and REX-ISOLDE. There are important developments, such as the 5.5 MeV/u upgrade of REX, a REX spectrometer, the RFQ cooler and the RILIS renovation to undertake with high priority. The HIE-ISOLDE project envelopes most of the developments that were promoted by the NuPAC participants. INTC also found that it is essential for ISOLDE to strengthen the target and ion source development programme to keep the leading edge in this important field.

4. Status of HIE-ISOLDE (including HIE-ISOLDE report and RFQ Cooler) (ML)

• The HIE-ISOLDE project is described in a short note and in the draft HIE-ISOLDE report available here. The aim is to have a final draft of the report for January 2006. The physics chapters will be separated out from the technical report and the ISOLDE physics group will coordinate a second report on the HIE-ISOLDE physics case. The RFQ cooler is now being assembled and it will be commissioned and tested off-line in building 275 in 2006. The installation in the hall after the HRS is planned for the shutdown 2006-2007.

5. Priorities for target & ion source development (LF,TS)

• Thierry Stora and Luis Fraile reported that the priority lists (priority 1, 2 and 3) for target and REX development at ISOLDE has been updated. New items in priority 1 are n-deficient Mg isotopes, in priority 2 REX slow extraction, Au RILIS ionization scheme and a RILIS Hg efficiency measurement and in priority 3 a LIST source for RILIS. Since the last meeting the carbon lined transfer line, the quarts transfer line and the negative ion source were tested on-line. The quartz line was a great success with two new Zn isotopes (^80,81Zn) produced for ISOLTRAP. The negative ion source is now available for proposals and further tests with other types of negative ion sources are planned for 2006. One new ionization scheme for Au at the RILIS will be explored during the first off-line run in the shutdown. A twin transfer line system is being studied and tests are planned to establish if such a configuration could give any gains.
• The part of the EURISOL DS target development programme which will require proton beam at CERN will be presented at the INTC meeting.

6. Status of REX-ISOLDE (ML)

• The external financing of REX posts will come to an end in 2006. The future of these posts is now in the hands of the CERN management. A decision can only be expected after the Research Board in December when the INTC recommendations for the future of ISOLDE and NTOF are discussed.
• The time table for the REX upgrade is to proceed with the proposal elaborated by Oliver Kester, Thomas Sieber and Didier Voulot. A first stage could be implemented for 2008 going to 4.2 MeV/u and a second stage for 2009 going to 5.5 MeV/u. To hold this realistic but optimistic schedule it is absolutely necessary to proceed with a planned funding application for the cavities in Germany in 2005. The granted money in Belgium will be used for the renovation of a CERN amplifier and modification of two 100 MHz amplifiers at REX. Further grant applications will be necessary to fund this upgrade. Mark Huyse commented that he could see some possibilities for another grant application in Belgium.
• The 10 MeV/u upgrade is presently being discussed within the REX team at ISOLDE. The next phase is an internal definition project to explore all possible options.

7. EU projects (KR,ML)

• The EURONS and EURISOL DS projects at CERN are advancing very well.
• Mats Lindroos reported that the EURISOL DS target tasks are making good progress on both the direct targets and the compact neutron converter. The direct target task will start irradiation tests of new target materials in 2006 and the multi MW target station task has presented a feasible design for a compact neutron converter. The beta-beam task is elaborating a parameter list for the baseline so that engineering oriented studies can be launched in 2006. The beam preparation task is making full use of the ECRIS source at CERN for studies of after-glow extraction. The RFQ cooler will be another important instrument to refine the possible lay-out of the low energy part of EURISOL. Important input from the ISOLDE yield database is being given to the yield task. The SC-RP group is working within the safety task using the FLUKA Monte-Carlo code for calculations of radioactive inventories.
• Karsten Riisager reported that the EURONS access programme now is fully operational for ISOLDE and that the associated physics post has been filled. The work on a new high resolution separator within INTAG is making progress. The INTAG project will hold a workshop at CERN 21-22 November with one objective being to study a spectrometer for e.g. REX-ISOLDE.

8. AOB (All)

• The next meeting of the upgrade group will be held in May 2005.

Minutes by Mats Lindroos, 15/11/05