Together, We Conduct Impactful Science
May 10, 2021
Dear Everyone,
As the situation in New York slowly changes for the better, we at NSLS-II are also moving forward with cautious enthusiasm. As always, we continue to seek to create the best possible research conditions for everyone, while staying as safe as possible. In this edition of our newsletter, I would like to give you a preview on how we plan to do that this summer.
2021 Users’ Meeting is rapidly approaching
The joint NSLS-II and CFN Users’ Meeting will be held virtually from May 17 – 20. We will host a series of 13 workshops, two plenary sessions, a poster session, and sponsor networking sessions. There is no charge for the Users’ Meeting, but attendees must register in advance. For complete information and to register, see the meeting website. I look forward to seeing you there!
Spring shutdown & new RF cavity
NSLS-II was shut down from March 26 – May 3, 2021 for routine maintenance and upgrades. A key activity for this shutdown was the successful installation of the third radio frequency (RF) cavity. This was a tremendous amount of work, and was done with intense planning particularly with the additional risks of COVID-19. The installation was highly successful and the cavity was commissioned very smoothly thanks to the hard work and expertise of all those involved. With three powered cavities, we now have critical redundancy in the RF system, which will improving reliability of the user beam and is an important step on our path towards improved performance of NSLS-II.
May – August (2021-2) operations cycle
The summer operations cycle runs from May 3 – August 11, followed by a shutdown through early September (details are here: NSLS-II operations schedule website ). The primary focus for the 2021-2 cycle will be the allocation of highly-rated proposals that can run remotely. Given the lower COVID-19 positivity rates expected, we will also welcome users on site to support highly-rated experiments that cannot be run remotely. Up to 10 users per beamline will be permitted on site during the 2021-2 cycle. All on-site users will have to follow all BNL, New York State, and Federal travel guidelines. Further details on allocation guidance and on-site user access for the 2021-2 cycle can be found on the NSLS-II COVID-19 User Resources site.
Remote experiments at NSLS-II
We have finished changing the networking at all beamlines to connect NSLS-II to the High Throughput Science Network (HTSN) at Brookhaven Lab. We have also rolled out a new tool for remote experiments called Guacamole that allows remote desktop connections without VPN. All you will need is your new Brookhaven Lab (BNL) domain account, which we started issuing to users a few months ago. These accounts follow a single sign-on strategy and replace the “controls” accounts. If you have not received an email with information about your BNL domain account, you can find more information in our Users Guide. These changes should improve the remote experience for all.
In addition, to coordinate remote experimentation across all U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) light sources, we have established a Remote Access Working Group (RAWG) that is working together to identify best practices and collaborate on implementing them.
ORCID iD
Beginning in the fall of 2021, NSLS-II will collect a user’s ORCID iD as part of the guest registration process. If you do not already have an ORCID iD, we encourage users to sign up for one by going to the ORCID website. ORCID iD accounts will help streamline user authentication into NSLS-II computer systems and improve the robustness of reporting user statistics to our stakeholders.
An ORCID iD is a persistent digital identifier that you own and control and which distinguishes you from every other researcher, even those with the same name as you! You can connect your iD with your professional information — affiliations, grants, publications, etc. You can use your iD to share your information with other systems, ensuring you get recognition for all your contributions, saving you time and hassle, and reducing the risk of errors.
Countdown for the new NSLS-II website
I am excited to share with you that we will launch a new NSLS-II website in time for the Users’ Meeting. Over the last several months, we have worked with our web developers to design a site that features more intuitive menus and content to help navigate the site faster, highlight ongoing research at NSLS-II, showcase our partnerships, and guide new and returning users through the proposal process. I encourage you to check out our new website while joining the Users’ Meeting from May 17-20.
High impact science
Last, but perhaps most significantly, I am proud to report that last year was our most impactful one as a facility: More than 38 percent of the 564 peer-reviewed NSLS-II papers in this period were published in journals with an impact factor greater than 9. This is an impressive fraction, and reflects the strength of a user facility like NSLS-II, with users, staff and state-of-the-art tools all working together to address problems of importance. It is clear that the work we do at NSLS-II is shaping our future and moving science forward.
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and I look forward to seeing you at our Users’ Meeting!
John Hill, NSLS-II Director
