Weekly Report for Week Ending January 22, 2004

The LIGO Executive Committee Agenda for Monday  January 26, 20043 will be:

(Meeting time: 10:30 am Pacific Time)

Special Announcements:

Weekly Report Highlights
  [late breaking news:  LLO is now connected to LSU & the commercial Internet via gigabit--MZ.]

LSC Issues (Saulson)

LIGO I Construction/LIGO Laboratory Administration (Lindquist)

Status of LSC/MOU Research Updates and Program Reports (Petrac)

• Attach. A for 08-15-02 to 02-15-03 / in LIGO review / Weinstein
• Attach. A for 02-15-03 to 08-15-03 / in LIGO review / Weinstein
• Attach. A for 08-15-03 to 04-15-03 / in LIGO review / Lazzarini
• Draft-Attach. A for 02-15-04 to 08-15-04 / in process for web posting
• Draft-Attach. A for 02-15-04 to 08-15-04 / in LIGO review / Lazzarini, Riles and Weinstein

• Attach Z for 08-15-03 to 02-15-04 / in LIGO review / Barish
• Attach Z for 02-15-04 to 08-15-04 / in LIGO review / Barish

• Attach. B for 02-15-03 to 08-15-03 / in sign-off / by PI
• Attach. B for 08-15-03 to 02-15-04 / in LIGO review / Barish

• Attach. C for 02-15-03 to 08-15-03 / in sign-off / GEO600
• Attach. C for 08-15-03 to 02-15-04 / in sign-off / GEO600
• Prog. Reports of Feb. and Aug. 2003 / in process for web posting

• Attach. D for 02-15-03 to 08-15-03 / in sign-off / GEO600
• Attach. D for 08-15-03 to 02-15-04 / in sign-off / GEO600
• Prog. Reports of Feb. and July. 2003 / in process for web posting

• Attach. A for 02-15-03 to 08-15-03 / in sign-off / by PI
• Attach. A for 08-15-03 to 02-15-04 / in sign-off / by PI

• Attach. Z for 02-15-03 to 08-15-03 / in sign-off / by PI
• Attach. Z for 08-15-03 to 02-15-04 / in sign-off / by PI

LIGO Weekly Site Telecon (Lindquist)

• Procedure Manuals--Ed has materials generated by the "gang of five" and hopes to get something out shortly.
  
• Reports--tracking reports have been issued.  New schedules were prepared for tracking supplies and travel.  These were reviewed and the approach was deemed acceptable.  Need to add salaries and equipment and break out some of the travel costs.
  
• HEPI Piping Procurement--Proposals have been received from four vendors.  Dennis is preparing .pdf files to be distributed to the evaluation committee members.  The job appears to have been well specified, and the contractors seem to have understood the scope.  The job walk was a useful exercise.  P. Lindquist has an action to contact the Office of Sponsored Research since the threshold for NSF approval may come into play for this subcontract.  The effort is mission critical and on the critical path.
• Livingston Inventory--An inventory is scheduled at the Livingston Observatory February 18-20, 2004.  Ed Chargois will be traveling to Livingston on February 17.  This has been coordinated with Livingston personnel.
  
• NSB Visit--The NSB will be meeting at the Livingston Observatory February 4, 2004.  LIGO is preparing some presentations and a tour.  There will be presentation dry runs February 3.  The NSB members will arrive at the site at 9:30 and the presentations will last two hours.  This will be followed by tours of the site.  The GigE line appears to be connected properly.  Presentations are due to Gary by close of business Monday.
• LIGO Video--Tom Lucas (Thomas Lucas Productions, Inc.) has been selected to do the LIGO video http://www.tlproductions.com/index2.html.  A teleconference is scheduled for an introductory discussion about the video Feb 6, 2004, 11 am Pacific.
  

From: Ed Chargois <chargois_e@ligo.caltech.edu>

• Provided assistance to the Detector Group (H. Armandula) with packing and shipping fifty (50) SF2 Substrates to Wave Precision (C. Marschik).  Account Number  LIGO.OPT 5,4 NSFLIGO.FY02ON.
• Provided assistance General Computing (L. Wallace) with packing and shipping four (4) Laptop Computers, Property Tag Numbers are C10129, C21077, C21085, and C2113.  Account Number LIGO.DIR  1.1.1 NSFLIGO.FY02ON.
• Providing support to Caltech Property Services with inventory of High Energy Physics Department.
  

>From: Linda Turner - turner@ligo.caltech.edu>

Web pages for the DCC give simple how-to's for document numbering, easy access to the latest on-line documents, and search capabilities for the DCC database. Take a look. . .

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Interviewed Barry and began work on upcoming article for LIGO newsletter.
• Drew up new layout configuration for Cleveland's and my office in order to absorb the functions of the mail room and three additional filing cabinets.  The redesigned areas not only made room for the additional items, but allows for a smoother work flow.  No new furniture is required, and only an estimated 1/2 day of carpentry is needed for relocation of shelves and table tops.
• Several MOU's were processed and posted.
• The electronic documents are completely processed and current to date.  The documents still residing in dcc/OUT represent two large packages of drawings received from David Reitze.  Dennis Coyne is reviewing them and when he has signed the accompanying DCN, these drawings will be processed and added to the electronic document directory.
• Prepared a list of goals for myself and DCC for 2004.
• Began preparations for the rearrangement of the DCC.  This will involve a complete emptying of everything in both offices (except the moveable track files).  During the projected 10-12 day process, DCC services will be at minimum levels since computers will be moved as well as everything else.  The result should be a better use of space and some additional file storage.

ACTIVITY

From: Esther Cunningham <esther@ligo.caltech.edu>

Press here for ACCOUNTS PAYABLE HISTORY DATA .

From: "Brambila, Ruth" <Ruth.Brambila@caltech.edu>

• Prepared charts for tracking expenditures for supplies and travel against budgets.
• Prepared two Cost Transfers for travel expenses that had been classified by the traveler to an incorrect POETA.
• Continued working on providing information on expenditures for Advanced R&D for calendar years 2000 through 2003.  Summary schedule has been completed, and I am currently working on preparing schedules providing details on the expenditures.
• Resolved minor problems related to Visitor Program.
• Updated list of account numbers for Operations & R&D has been posted on the LIGO Internal Bulletin Board.
  

• Financial reports can be found at: http://docuserv.ligo.caltech.edu/~fireport

From: irena@ligo.caltech.edu (Irena Petrac)

• Univ. of Florida: Invoices covering the CY' 03 LIGO effort at UF were approved for partial payment. Charges not consistent with the agreed upon budgets for the LLO support were disallowed. Univ. of Florida was advised accordingly and is responding.
• Univ. of Oregon: The contract for on-site support at LHO is under review. The payment for costs incurred to date is pending an agreement as to what is owed, consistent with the contract terms.  We are currently waiting for University of Oregon information regarding amounts owed.
  

SUPPORT (Baldon, Lloyd, Tischler)

>Irene Baldon

• Processed the paper work for ten (10) new/revised trips.  There are approximately six (6) trips in various stages of completion before ticketing can be done and/or paper work completed.  I continue to work closely with Terry Gunter and LIGO/Hanford personnel in acquainting them with travel procedures, etc.  I will continued to close out existing LHO trips and/or assisting where necessary.
• Completed twenty-three (23) Expense Reports and there are twenty-three (23) reports yet to be done.  I continue to contact travelers who have outstanding Expense Reports (more than one (1) month old) to ask for their cooperation in sending me their receipts so that these can be closed in a timely manner.  Presently there are ten (10) reports more than 30 days old.
• Reconciled seventeen (17) P-Card items which required numerous phone calls to hotels, car rentals, etc., in order to track down which traveler incurred which charge; and the pulling of each traveler's file to assure that charges are correct for each fee incurred.  Finished reconciliation and final closing of P-Card for two (2) LIGOites who were out of town/country and needed my assistance.
• Arranged three (3) new or revised teleconferences and five (5) new reservations on the LIGO Calendar.
  

• No report this week.
  
• Jim continued with data entry in the LIGO database and helping out in the DCC.

ADVANCED LIGO (Cost Schedule Control Systems) T. Frey

OUT of the Office on Friday the 16th and Monday the 19th.

For list of documents that are being used to develop Adv. LIGO Cost and Schedule, see http://www.ligo.caltech.edu/~tfrey/Cost_MTG_082002/

Continued development of a proposal for implementing Primavera Project Planner Enterprise.

• Continue working on draft / text of implementation.

  • Clink on links to view the Draft Work-plan and Estimate.

Advanced LIGO Request

• The following is a summary of status by sub system:

  • COC - Still need completed WBS dictionary and BOE. 

    • http://ligo.caltech.edu/~tfrey/COC_AdvLIGO/COC_index.html

  • PSL -  No action items pending.  Received and started review of revised schedule from Carol.  Started changes to cost sheet index and content.

    • http://ligo.caltech.edu/~tfrey/PSL_AdvLIGO/PSL_index.html

  • AOS - Still need completed WBS dictionary and BOE.

  • IO -  Still need completed WBS dictionary and BOE.  Continued input of progress data and changes per Dave Reitze.

    • http://ligo.caltech.edu/~tfrey/IO_AdvLIGO/IO_index.html

    SUS - No action items pending.  Continue working with Janeen, Jay, and Helena to input changes to the cost estimate and schedule. 

    • http://ligo.caltech.edu/~tfrey/SUS_AdvLIGO/SUS_index.html

    • Attended SUS meeting to discuss RAL scope and tasks on Tuesday the 20th at 11:00am.

  • SEI - Schedule changes are pending per our meeting of November 12.  Continue input of changes per Larry Jones.

    • http://ligo.caltech.edu/~tfrey/SEI_AdvLIGO/SEI_index.html

  • ISC - Still need completed WBS dictionary and BOE.

  • LDAS - No action required at this point in time.

  • INSTALL - No action items pending. 

  • DAQ - No action required at this point in time.

  • PM - No action required at this point in time.

  • FAC - No action required at this point in time.

  • SUP - No action required at this point in time.

Cost Book Tool.

• ROSTER DATABASE:

  • Continued input of changes / corrections regarding supervisors and departments.

• COST BOOK DATABASE:

  • Reconciling cost account listing from cost book and schedule loading. 

  • Continue to work with Carol and Florence starting work setting up "crosswalk" between accounting and progress reporting.

Development of the Advanced LIGO Project Controls Guidebook continues.

Project Web Site for posting schedule and progress related data continues to be updated with the latest and greatest.

• See http://www.ligo.caltech.edu/~tfrey/index.html

Nothing to report.

Open Change Requests:

CR-030015	FY 2003 Livingston Observatory Detector Maintenance Expenses (Increment)	R. Wooley	July 14, 2003
CR-030016	Hanford Facilities 2.2--Divide the Large Equipment Access to Facilitate Movement of Large Items (currently assigned to FY 2004 liens list)	J. Worden	July 31, 2003

I believe that CR-040001 replaces CR-030015 and CR-030015 should be closed.  CR-030016 will be placed on the "watch" list.

From: Cindy Akutagawa <cindy@ligo.caltech.edu>

• Various personnel/payroll /HR related work.  There was a staffing meeting on January 12, 2004.
  

Quality/Safety (Tyler)

LIGO Hanford Observatory (LHO) and Interferometer Operations (Raab)

Much of the Martin Luther King long weekend was devoted to DAQ studies, a search for the source of glitches observed during S3.  Recall the signature of the glitch is a random setting of some of the least significant bits of channels such as state vectors (at LHO) and REFL_Q (at LLO).  Barker et al. traced the problem to the sharing of a VME bus by the DAQ controller and the test point manager.  A new DAQ configuration will eliminate this conflict.  Read the summary elog here.

The workhouse  tool DTT was upgraded.

4K IFO
ISCT3 POY work was undertaken to compare POY and POB error signals.  The ports are redundant and thus should look very similar, which they do, with the exception of the bounce mode at 12Hz.

The coil driver range was shown to be unable to contend with large microseism, something that was learned empirically during S3.  Among many Saturday summaries, R. Schofield detailed how dust in ISCT4 causes glitches in AS_Q, particularly where the beam narrows.  Glitches observed in AS_Q were correlated in time with VCR images of dust passing through the beam.  Fred Raab points out that the steadily increasing range on H1 during S3 remains unexplained, and may be related to air cleanliness in ISCT4.

Acoustic coupling is worst at the REFL port.  1Hz sidebands on 60Hz can be seen in AS_Q, induced by HVAC system.

2K IFO
WFS work has been relaunched on the 2k.  The overarching goal is to increase the bandwidth on the WFS to ~3-4Hz.  Table mods are underway, as are digital filter construction - the un-optical lever filter that ameliorate the handoff between optical levers and the wavefront sensors.  WFS5 channels were observed to suffer from Pentek glitches, so the ADC was swapped out.

ASPD2 showed an apparent spontaneous 45 degree phase shift.

LIGO Livingston Observatory (LLO) and Interferometer Operations (Zucker)

Detector/Technical Support (Coyne)

see also:

• the LASTI report for HEPI controls testing and re-installation of (production) actuators on the BSC
• the CDS report for software and electronics development

Dennis Coyne reporting

• Piping installation bids have been received and are being evaluated. Plan to make a source selection decision next week. Costs and schedule are in line with in-house estimates.
• Last December we discovered a pinhole in one manifold cap in the actuator during He leak testing. The leak was repaired with a 'wash' pass on s/n 004.  Since then 12 actuators (s/n 005 to 016) have been completed and He leak checked successfully. Yesterday multiple pinholes were discovered in another cap. Repaired by welding, as before. Tracing the stock finds that it was rolled in Brazil.  Rather than proceed with a bunch of patched we've asked Southern Enterprises to remanufacture the batch of these suspect parts (four simple parts).  This will not hinder production, they can proceed with the bulk of the welding and attach these when replaced. We've got eight actuators on hand for LLO's first installation
• The first five housings are on schedule to be delivered to Southbridge Sheet Metal from the machine shop doing the finish machining on friday 1/30/04
• Arland will ship one boot to Southbridge Sheet Metal (SSM) on 1/28, in time for us to keep our schedule for the fit check. The next two lefts and two rights will be sent to SSM by 2/4 (current date for our fit check). SSM then has to paint them along with their four housings and ship them to Livingston.
• Lavallee Machine has shipped all their parts (brackets, clamps, etc.) to SSM for painting. Painting is about 90% complete.
• All swagelok fittings and pipe, together with orbital welder, are on site.
• Valve calib cart mostly assembled.
• 1st batch of 4-way bypass valves have arrived.  Flex hoses can be purchased quickly, and will be spec'd once we work out the exact plumbing on the piers.
• LLO will send an additional eight actuators to MIT in time for the fit check.

The seven LLO pump station sub-assemblies are complete.  The pump station frames were rejected and the purchase order cancelled (poor QC). The frames are being made another shop (Southern Enterprises). The assembly of the pump stations was moved from a contractor's location to on-site at LLO for a cleaner and better controlled environment. Two of the seven frames should be complete 1-27, the remaining 5 frames by 2-4.  The 7 inlet tube assemblies should be complete 1-23, the frame drip pans should be complete 2-2.  The fluid biological growth test is showing nothing after 56 weeks. [12 weeks dark environment, seven weeks with the following materials added] I have added aluminum, copper, brass, and iron to the fluid to represent the materials in the system, and moved it to the light.

CDS

see also CDS meeting minutes in the commissioning archives:

CDS Software

Rolf Bork reporting

• As part of continued HEPI development, investigated alternate methods of running and acquiring data from the ICS110B ADC modules. One problem with our present Clock Driver Modules (CDM), which control the timing and sync of the 110B modules, is that it only allows a sample rate of 16KHz. For a 2KHz system, such as HEPI and small optics controls, this then requires the software to either read out the data still at 16KHz or, alternatively, read a sample at 2KHz and then command the 110B to flush its buffer of the remaining samples. In the latter case, if the sync between the software and 110B does not remain exact, the software can command the 110B to flush its FIFO while the 110B is actually in the process of writing its next 32 channels of samples to the FIFO. The net result of this is "channel hopping". In the 16KHz readout mode, this can also occur if the software is trying to readout the 32 channels of data when the 110b has not completed storing all 32 channels. In our development system, we ended up with a particularly flaky CDM, causing timing to move around, and saw these channel hopping effects as well as channel glitches. The channel glitches occurred in the 16KHz readout mode when software was trying to read while 110B was busy writing to the output FIFO. In an attempt to try and prevent this situation, at least in 2KHz systems, a couple of modifications were made. First, the CDM was modified to only send an external clock to the 110b modules. This only required the addition of two jumper wires and the removal of two jumpers from the signal output header. The first 110b module in the set was then configured to operate as the Master ie provide the inter-module synchronization signals and data acquire signals instead of the CDM. This allowed the software to be modified such that the 110b was set to sample at 16KHz but internally decimate to a lower sample output frequency to the VME bus. By now outputting data at this lower rate, the problems of having to read at 16KHz or dump data were avoided. Even with continuing to test with the flaky CDM, no data corruption was detected. While these hardware/software changes appear to have solved the problem for 2kHz systems, I still need to further investigate a solution for 16KHz systems, such as end station controllers.
• Working on a couple of generic code modules to run in all realtime front end processors to allow them to connect to GDS and DAQ when the new DAQ network is installed. In the process of this changeover, a few significant changes are being implemented, which have been discussed with Sigg. First, there will no longer be a single DAQ "master" config file. Instead, we are adopting the GDS param file structure, with a master file for each processor connected to the DAQ network. This file contains a list of all data signals that a front end processor can provide, all assigned "test point" numbers. What this change allows is for any front end to send any of these signals to the framebuilders as DAQ channels for writing to frames, including those that have traditionally only been available as test points and could not be written to DAQ frames without recompiling the front end software. This is done by sending a DAQ list of numbers to the front ends, very similar to the way new filter coefficients are sent now. In essence, this makes the system dynamically configurable. For added data integrity checking and detecting network faults, CRC check sums have been added to every 1/16 second data block transmitted by a front end to the framebuilders. While this requires a fair amount of extra computing in the front ends, it seems to be working well, even in the LSC software, which is the most time critical. Some work still needs to be done on this, as GDS excitation and test point data blocks are read by/written to by multiple front ends. Therefore, these CRC check sums must be on a per channel basis instead of a data block basis.
• HEPI software is pretty much complete, but the processors have not yet arrived. I've sent off another request to VMIC for an updated delivery date.

CDS Hardware

Rich Abbott reporting

Working to get loose ends tied up for HEPI.  Dave Grimmett has been here this week and has accomplished a great deal of work.  He was able to kit up and inventory all parts for the seismic interface chassis and even did a dry fit to be sure things line up.  Various people are putting together cable assemblies for the sensors used on the pump cart and in HEPI proper.  I have finished the schematics for the STS2 interface box, and am in the process of laying out the board.  Parts continue to come in on a daily basis and are piling up here and there. We are still on schedule for delivery of electronics in the second half of February, but there isn't a moment to spare.

Ben Abbott

HEPI electronics:

• The ICS Interface chassis have come back from PCB Express, and it looks fine.
• The XYCOMM 212 Interface board and the XYCOMM 220 interface board are finished.  They went off to the board house today, and should be back shortly.
• All of the orders that I know of at present, are in and will be coming back whenever each becomes ready.
• I have begun work on the 8-Channel Valve Driver Board, and should have it redone by early next week.

Jay Heefner reporting

Frequency Devices DAC:

• FDI plans to ship five modules 1/23/04.

EMI  Upgrade:

• All drawings, cable lists and parts lists for the end station are complete, with the exception of the atomic clock and PEM field connections.
• All feedthroughs are ordered and are due at LLO on 2/4.
• Quotes for cables have been received and all cables will be on order by 1/26.
• All rack and crate panels have been designed and are on order. They are due 1/29. 

Thermal Compensation: Two PCs have been received from LHO. The memory in the machines needed to be upgraded prior to installation of Linux and EPICS. Both machines now have Linux installed and should be ready to ship back to LHO by 1/30.

Sander Liu

(HEPI) Since F. Mann was unable to start designing the optical link circuit boards I have taken over the designing task myself. The transmitter board should be ready by tomorrow and the receiver board sometime next week.

Thermal Compensation

Mike Smith

The magnification ratio of the projected annulus mask pattern was measured to be approx. 25X; the ASAP and MathCad models predicted a magnification of 21X. The difference may be due to dimensional tolerances of the actual purchased optical elements. A new annular mask, central beam mask, and Bessel aperture mask were designed compatible with the actual magnification ratio.

The Edmund Sci. gold coated elliptical mirrors for the compensation bench periscope are out of stock. Uncoated mirrors were ordered and a protected gold coating will be applied by a local coating vendor.

The lenses for the redesigned central heating beam/mask illumination optical system will be ordered after Dave O. tests the new design. The optical layout of the thermal compensation bench was revised to incorporate the latest changes.

PSL

Peter King

After pumping down for the better part of a week, the pre-modecleaner pieces have started baking.

Because the new M-150 laser chiller does not have the same instruction set as the original RTE-140M chiller, I have been trying to get at the chiller instructions issued by the laser power supply.  The current strategy being to use a software translator to translate RTE-140M commands from the laser power supply into M-150 commands and then respond to the laser power supply.  Hopefully this will hoodwink the laser power supply into thinking that the RTE-140M chiller is connected.  This way the controls to the laser temperature can still be executed from the dial, if need be, with the M-150 chiller doing the work without need for the RTE-140M "answering machine".

Errant Beam Baffles

Ken Mailand

The baffles, mounts, and hardware have been received at LHO.

Optical Contamination Cavities

Lee Cardenas, Liyuan Zhang

OTF Lab. (W. Bridge)

Contamination Cavity # 1

A total test of 1700 hrs for the solder sample for the OSEM assembly has been completed.we got a result for the absorption= -0.1+/-0.1 ppm/year and total loss = -0.7+/-0.8 ppm/yr, this result meets the advance LIGO requirement. Please see Dr. Zhang's report.

We have introduced a new sample in this chamber. (21) pieces of  the new twisted, shielded, kapton cables.  Each is 106" inches long cables. Chamber is pumping and laser alignment is in progress.

Absorption Test Measurement prototype in progress

A linear scan along the x-axis of the new sapphire mirror that came from Lyon, France 314 mm Dia. X 131mm thick.  The absorption scan test has been completed.  A bulk absorption measurement completed.  To compare with Lyon I SMA's result, the map was  made with the same coordinate.  The measurement was done at the depth Z= -58mm and with an interaction length of about 8mm, we may compare our results with  SMA's map at Z=-57 mm with main absorption ~ 91ppm/cm at 1mm steps.  Basically, the patterns are consistent, measurement is relative.

Please see Dr. Zhang's report. as well as the attachment at:  http://www.ligo.caltech.edu/~gari/LIGOII/Downselect/SapAbsLyon.ppt

Scatterometer system in standby

OTF Lab at Lauritsen ROOM 38

Cavity #3

The cavity was recovered and it is locked again.  We are taking ring down and beat frequency measurements every day as well as the RGA for the chamber.

Cavity #2

Test cavity optical set up in standby

PSL LAB.

• The assembly of the 2" High vacuum mirror mount has been completed.  A total of (7) mirror mounts was given to the 40m Lab. (Steve Vass).
• P.King and I are baking (4) PMC bodies, which is in progress.
• A complete and new alignment of the 10 watt laser is in progress.
• Misc... tasks  ordering of mirror mounts and optical mounts for the absorption test.   Machining of small parts completed etc....

40 Meter Interferometer (Weinstein)

• We plan to vent for the installation of the two suspended recycling mirrors, early next next week.
• Osamu remeasured the Michelson asymmetry using the 33 MHz RF sidebants, and obtained 0.462 +- 0.028 m, or 0.012+-0.028 m larger than design. It is hard to reduce the error on this measurement as it is currently being done.
• Seiji used Finesse to determine that the length sensing matrix is not too sensitive to the Michelson asymmetry, and can tolerate a few cm difference from design.
• However, Seiji also found that the lengths of the power and signal recycling cavities must be within a couple of mm of design, or the length sensing matrix will be significantly degraded. We're not sure how we can place the optics to that level of accuracy in air! We will try our best, and iterate (requiring vents) if necessary.
• Osamu looked at the optical axis of the 29 MHz and 33 MHz pockels cells, and found they differed by 18 degrees! But, then he found that a HPW placed before the 29 MHz pockels cell in the PSL IOO path during the re-layout was actually a quarter wave plate! He has replaced it, and remeasured the optical axes of the 2 pockels cells; they are within 3 degrees, quite tolerable. He has realigned the beam through all 3 pockels cells (including 166 MHz), minimized the AM for the 33 MHz, and found that the AM on the other two frequencies was small and tolerable.
• He then re-established the mode cleaner lock with the correct polarization and modulation depth for all 3 RF frequencies.
• Osamu is testing the use of the in-vac mode matching telescope and in-vac PZT steering mirrors, in preparation for mode matching into the main IFO after installation of the recycling mirrors. We are relieved to see that moving the mode matching telescope focus steers the beam only slightly, and the spot doesn't move off the small PZT steering mirror downstream. Current plan is to mode match by maximizing the light transmitted through the arm cavities; not very sensitive, but good enough for us.
• Before vent, we will recenter all oplevs, and document all the readbacks and settings for all servos, OSEMS, oplevs, PZT steering mirrors, etc.
• Rob Ward has built a small Michelson interferometer for use as a hands-on demo. It works great!
• Seiji has been looking at uses for double demodulation to improve the diagonality of the length sensing matrix, and finds that it can be used to improve the matrix for the PRC, SRC, and MICH degrees of freedom (l+, ls, l-), *if* the demod phases can be chosen and optimized well. We are not sure how to do that!
• Bob has returned the dycor RGA head to Steve, and Steve has reinstalled it on the 40m main volume and calibrated it. The electron multiplier on this head doesn't work, but it isn't a big problem right now.
• Steve has all the 2" mirrors and mounts needed to install a BS pickoff beam. He has all the in-vac oplev mirrors. he has all the weights for balancing the BS table (cleaned and baked). He has all the clean air for the vent.
• Bob is getting replacement bulbs for the chamber illuminators (plus spares).

• Jay and Peter Fritschel discussed the prototyping of the sensing beamline centering/stabilization servo at the 40m. Peter will send us some steering mirrors. Rob Ward will take responsibility for commissioning and characterizing the servo.
• Jay has 133 MHz and 199 MHz resonant circuits working for the LSC RFPDs.
• Jay has 2omega I&Q demod boards for SPOB signal ordered and are due by 1/29. They will then be stuffed and tested.
• Mohana is working on the EPICS controls of the PZT steering mirrors, the mechanical shutters, and the vacuum interlock (ensure that the PSL shutter is closed, and the PZT mirrors are not energized, when making transition from vent to high vacuum and vice versa).
• Rob and Steve discovered a 2 hz comb on the ETMY UL OSEM noise spectrum. Jay determined that it was due to ICS110b channel hopping, and he cold-booted the crate (power down crate; count to 60; power back up; restart processor) and it went away. A day later, it was ETMX LL, again fixed by cold booting.
• The c1asclinux processor (for MC WFS ASC control) has been falling out of time-synch; the servo works fine, but the DAQ data is probably screwed up. Rebooting fixes it. Sigh.
• Lisa Bogue has instructed us on how to back up the data on our main CDS computer (op140m), and we will do it weekly.
• Work on ASC readout (especially the QPDs) is in progress.
• The STACIS system still is down, awaiting some attention. Rob Ward is starting to look at it.

• We have checked out the PRM and SRM digital suspension controllers (DSC's) by using them to damp the BS. Next, we will damp the actual suspensions with them (they are in the South Annex flow bench). Thus, everything will be well tested prior to installation, except for the in-vac cables (which were tested when they were installed last year).
• Shihori has completed the diagonalization of the input matrix for all suspended optics except for ETMX (which has a badly-positioned OSEM which will be fixed during the upcoming vent). She obtains satisfactory decoupling of POS, PIT, YAW; the worst cases in the small optics are ~ 8% cross-coupling; in the ITMs and ETMs, ~ 3%. She is documenting the procedures and results, and will move on to the output (coil) matrix.

• We should have 12 QPDs looking at the main beam (as well as 7 oplev QPDs). Most are in place, have light on them, are being read out, and being logged to frames (16 Hz). Steve and Jay are getting two very important ones (initial pointing position and angle) all checked out. A few more will be completed after the vent. (Done: IOPOS, IOANG, TRX, TRY, POX, POY. In progress: IPPOS, IPANG. Later: SP, AP, MCR, MCT).

• Bob has installed a lockout-tagout kit, and he and Steve are setting up the system. We will all be trained on it in a week or 2.
• Steve and Bob are getting info on formal crane operation certification from the safety office.
• Steve & Bob are getting steel-toed safety boots for all crane operators (Steve, Bob, Osamu).
• Steve will install drip trays under the vacuum roughing pumps.
• Bob has modified and reposted the emergency procedure for the South Annex bake-out facility.
• An audible fire alarm will be installed in the back room of the South Annex.
• Steve has removed obstructions in the areas around the electrical panels and the emergency exits.
• All 40m personnel will get an update on lab safety from Steve in the next couple of weeks.

• Bob is baking glass dishes to hold the in-vac cables, to keep the ground braid isolated from the chamber walls. 
• Bob continues to work with Larry Jones and Dennis Coyne on getting the bake ovens clean enough for AdvLIGO specs. He's building a new super-clean oven, and is replacing the temperature controller for another.
  

Thermal Noise Interferometer (Libbrecht)

LASTI (Ottoway)

Data Analysis and Computing (Lazzarini)

• This week, Matt is working at LHO. His report will be included in other appropriate section.
• Hiro is studying the radiation pressure effect using a simulation of a FP with realistic mechanical disturbance.

• State Space Model

• Bruce continues the research for a more efficient linux kernel for a multi-threaded E2E modelling process.

• Imported S3 L1 data at sites (shipped from other site).
• Gave Ed Maros feedback on his new FrVerify--have tested a couple of versions on known good/bad frames.
• Set up sendmail on ldas-pcdev1 according to the new scheme, but have been trying to get local aliases to work to solve a problem Al Wilson has.
• Mostly worked on retrieving data off a somewhat bad LHO tape at CIT and figuring out best practices for handling this in the future.

• Setup Ganglia on the cluster. Expereimented with various configuration options.
• Ran verification tests on the files transferred from the sites to CIT during the S3 run.
• Continuing to publish S2 and S1 data here at CIT.
• Trying out the Globus Java version for the ftp server program. Also, looking at striped ftp server for the same.
• Working with Condor on the cluster, and making some modifications to the START expression, so that it may run jobs faster.

• Put online tclglobus and (new) ldas-pcdev1.
• Rebuilding the old ldas-pcdev1.
• Had to make some changes to the file systems on tclglobus. The new file system will have a raid 1 system added.
• Tweaked and Troubleshooted various desktop and sever systems.
• Worked with Dan on getting Sun raid disk to report errors to BB.
• Working on sendmail configuration so that root messages from ldas machines will be sent to ldas_admin_cit.

• Coordinated several maintenance tasks that where postponed during S3 now that the run is over.
• Working with Sun to solve a cpu-over-use problem with the newer graphics cards.

• Performing T3 swap.
• Performing linux upgrade.

• Received 5 spare 200GB IDE drives from ASA. These should work in the linux servers and the beowulf nodes.
• Received LLO RDS tapes and imported them into the L700.
• Moved t3-26 backup disk over to olddataserver:/backups from the old metaserver.
• Oldmetaserver Sun E450 shutdown and given to CDS. The plan is to eventually use it as a replacement for fb3.

• Now that S3 data is in the archive, set up direct access from DTT sessions running on machines which mount the archive filesystems.  Also set up remote access to S3 data from DTT, getFrames, and lidax.
• Participated in a meeting to plan the future course of LIGO data analysis software.
• Wrote an article for the proceedings of the PHYSTAT2003 conference (http://www-conf.slac.stanford.edu/phystat2003)

• Added new postdoc Michele Zanolin
• Continued work on mail clients using encryption for remote access
• Continued work on June review meeting
• Cleaned up from burst pipes in basement due to NE cold snap

• Tuesday Boyd (LSU networking) and I tested the Bell South circuit for the GigE connection.  We were able to successfully ping between the routers. Started some preliminary configuration on the new router and connecting fibers.  I moved the bellsouth equipment to a better location in another rack closer to the switches.
• From a meeting at LSU (Wed. 21st) concerning the network changes, we decided to try and do the network upgrade on Friday morning.  I started doing some configuration on the PIX firewall.  The PIX is now Gigabit on one end and 100 Mbit on the other.  After LSU changes the routing information I will have to change over to GigE on the outside interface also.  Hopefully the network swap will go without a hitch.  It appears to be going well so far and does not look like there will be any problems.
• Other than networking, I have been spending time getting ready for the NSB meeting.

• Installed Win2k on a computer that had to have the hard drive replaced.  Also installed all the drivers, flashed the bios and installed all the standard GC software as well as Protel and Matlab.
• Set up the e-mail for the user.
• Deleted some old user and e-mail accounts.
• Installed and configured another AP-2000 wireless access point with both the b and g radio cards.  Three more to install and the whole site will have b/g wireless.
• Purchased a new laptop for a user.
• Received the Hummingbird Secure Shell software to evaluate.  So far looks like any other SSH.
• Removed the broken 4500dn color printer from the LSB.  Helped a few people set up the drivers for the new 5500hdn color printer that replaces the old 4500.
• Created a user account for a new user to the Calcium web calendar.
• Updated the workpermit web form.
• Misc. other user support.
• Some time spent working on CDS software projects.

• Assisted with the logistics covering the power outage for Bridge.
• Loaded a PC for Riccardo and swapped it out with his old one. His old computer had a hardware issue. We have surplus this PC.
• Loaded three laptops for the NSB meeting. This included reloading the OS and general computing software.
• Updated the FlexLM Ansys license server this morning (Thursday 22nd).
• Worked on Barry Barish laptop. This laptop had a hardware issue after contacting IBM in regards to this, they replaced the mother board. A good amount of time was spent restoring data and getting things to work correctly.

• Started a class on linux networking tools.
• Wrote a tcl/expect script to automate updating of the new orinoco access points.
• Started installing a blade 2000.
• Worked with Larry into looking at a problem on sirius.
• Misc. user support.

• LIGO website: Usual upkeep. Posted updates to several pages. Working on a static printable version of a map of collaborating institutions, as well as on a dynamic version for web posting. Updated a list of accounts at the Internal Bulletin Board.
• LSC website: Started working on a website for the upcoming meeting in March. Updates to the website (past and upcoming talks, employment etc).
• CaJAGWR website: User support. Updated the seminars webpage.

• Time was spent working the logistics for the power outage. No major problems and there was basically no downtime for the main servers. I also learned about which items are controlled by the circuit-breaker for the computer room.
• Worked a number of procurements and related issues. We have received a couple of new items and hope to get them distributed next week.
• Took care of a couple of E2E issues on their test computer system.
• Resolved a couple of computer security issues. We had a couple of machines get hit with a virus but no major damage was done. We need to be careful before opening e-mail attachments.
• Worked a couple of issues with the meeting coming up in Livingston.
• Worked with Shannon on the GigE connection. The swap is scheduled for Friday the 23rd of January.
• Setup a couple of new web locations for different groups.
• Working on a couple of webcam items in hopes to improve the telecoms between the LIGO locations.
• A lot of debugging of PC's printers and related items. Most were due to machines not being shutdown correctly.

Advanced LIGO and Supporting R&D (Shoemaker)

For additional information about this report, contact sanders@ligo.caltech.edu