Call for New Proposals/Letters of Intent/Beam Requests for Experiments or Tests using PSI's Pion, Muon and Ultracold Neutron Beams

The pion, muon and UCN beams of PSI are normally available free of charge to user groups of universities and research laboratories. A prerequisite for the charge-free admission of external users is the readiness to publish the scientific results in internationally accepted journals, giving proper credit to PSI staff members involved in the experiments as well as proper mention of the PSI facilities.

Research groups interested in beam time must first submit research proposals which are reviewed by an international committee and recommended for approval to PSI. Proposals, as well as letters of intent or beam time requests for approved experiments and hardware tests can be submitted once a year ( address , date ).

New proposals, progress reports and beam time requests are discussed at the CHRIP users' meeting "BVR" (Benutzerversammlung Ring). Authors are requested to present their request in person at each BVR, in order to have close interactions with lab and other scientists.

 

The cover page of the proposal should contain the title, a list of authors with their affiliations and a summary (abstract) of the full experiment.

The second page should contain the beam and area requirements:

• beam line, area, special facilities (separators, SC magnets, cooling water)
• amount of required electrical power in area
• beam properties (type of particle, intensity, momentum....)
• duration of the experiment (time for setting up, tests, production runs)
• any special conditions
• beam time request for the first beam period after approval

The third page should consist of a declaration sheet for hazardous samples/equipment, should such things be used in the experiment. This may include lasers, strong magnets, radioactive sources, high pressure vessels, gases, high voltage supplies and similar things. This does not replace a detailed description of safety questions in the full text of the proposal.

The main part of the proposal should contain the exact description of the experiment:

• Motivation, physics and other goals. Comparison with other experiments and theory.
• Principle of the measurement, its technique and apparatus.
• Proposed measurements, milestones, expected performance and rates.
• Estimate of beam time needed for each step.
• Involvement of the contributing partners in terms of manpower (with percentageof each person), and finances.
• Requests from PSI : manpower (workshop), finances, special equipment.

An electronic copy (preferably as a PDF file) should be sent before the deadline to stefan.ritt@psi.ch.

If you need beam time for the forthcoming period, please fill out and send us the beam time request form.

Upon request from PSI the collaborations of larger projects must prior to final approval write a Memorandum of Understanding where each collaborating institute must list its financial and personnel involvement in the experiment. The MoU must show that the collaboration will be able to come up with the required resources. It  must be signed by the grant holders of each collaborating institute.

Starting from 2014, new safety regulations are in operation at PSI. As a part of that, a safety training at the beginning of the beam time for each experiment has to be done by the spokesperson(s) before the experiment is allowed to be started. This is usually done together with the respective area coordinator and PSI contact person for the experiment. It includes an inspection of the area and a review of PSI safety instructions. Then the spokesperson has to fill out a safety declaration form, pass the safety training to all collaborators in the experiment, and collect their signatures in the safety declaration form. The completed form then has to be given to the PSI contact person. For further information please visit the PSI User Office Safety page.

If a group working on an approved experiment wants to go beyond the scientific goals of the initially proposed experiment, it can submit an addendum which will be treated like a proposal. Please follow the safety procedures. Please fill out the beam time request form, if you want beam for the coming period.

An electronic copy (preferably as a PDF file) should be sent before the deadline to stefan.ritt@psi.ch.

Beam time request forms should normally be accompanied by a status report (electronic copy, preferably as a PDF File), so that the committee can review the progress of the experiment, and sent before the deadline to stefan.ritt@psi.ch. 

Beam time request forms for testing experimental equipment in test beams should be submitted accompanied with a short justification (electronic copy, preferably as a PDF File) before the deadline to stefan.ritt@psi.ch. Please follow the safety procedures .

The decisions about beam times will be communicated orally at the last day of each BVR meeting. In addition, all decisions will be posted after the meeting at https://www.psi.ch/de/sbl/previous-user-meetings

Please find the publication policy for experiment done at PSI Particle Physics Facilities on a dedicated page.