Greetings from CAMD, the Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices. First, our hearts go out to all our friends who lost loved ones in the September 11 tragedy. Each of us will be looking at our own security measures - although for the accelerator group, our task is smaller than for many institutions. Still, we are left with a sense of vulnerability and a little unease.
CAMD is once again supplying user beam, after a prolonged shutdown. Radiofrequency shields that were placed in bellows during the shutdown had to be completely removed (hence another shutdown). We are moving forward with our first protein crystallography beamline. Those who know our facility will be happy to note that the new hutches for this and the high-energy x-ray lithography beamline will be roofed and completely lead-lined. This new hutch implementation for all wiggler beamlines is almost completed. We are now building shielded hutches instead of simply building personnel exclusion devices. We also have had to redesign the Bremsstrahlung shutters and continue to make improvements. All these innovations keep me busy full-time and more.
I would like to request that readers of this newsletter send me information on their permanent radiation monitoring equipment, with advantages and disadvantages as you see them. Please include your opinion of vendors (service, availability, etc.). We are in the process of upgrading our instrumentation and could benefit from your experience and expertise. One of our unique problems is the pulsed field (low-duty cycle) of our linac.
Please respond directly to me by sending me information at the following e-mail address, day@lsu.edu, or give me a call at (225)-578-4616. I await your collective wisdom.