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LIGO- M080360-01-P Advanced LIGO 14 Oct 2008
Advanced LIGO Project Monthly Report
for September 2008
Authors: Advanced LIGO Team
Edited by Shoemaker, Wilkinson, Coyne, Fritschel
Distribution of this document:
Advanced LIGO Team
National Science Foundation
This is an internal working note
of the LIGO Laboratory.
California Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology
LIGO – MS 18-34 LIGO – NW22-295
1200 E. California Blvd. 185 Albany St
Pasadena, CA 91125 Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone (626) 395-2129 Phone (617) 253-4824
Fax (626) 304-9834 Fax (617) 253-7014
LIGO Hanford Observatory LIGO Livingston Observatory
P.O. Box 1970 P.O. Box 940
Mail Stop S9-02 Livingston, LA 70754
Richland WA 99352 Phone 225-686-3100
Phone 509-372-8106 Fax 225-686-7189
Fax 509-372-8137
http://www.ligo.caltech.edu/
Advanced LIGO Project Monthly Report LIGO-M080360-01-P
For September 2008
Executive Summary
Project Status and Accomplishments:
FY2009 Acquisition plan submitted to NSF
Procurement awards starting to pick up – all long lead procurements for HEPI placed.
Change request for schedule adjustments for delivery of UK suspension parts approved.
First allotment of optical glass blanks have been manufactured ahead of schedule.
Concerns:
Steps to speed up and streamline procurement process at CIT in process – interviewing candidates
for additional procurement staff; back-up staff assigned in key areas.
Earned Value Date:
Cost Performance to
Performance to Date (WBS Level 2), reported against ‘early dates’1
SUBSYSTEM (WBS Level 2) BCWS BCWP ACWP SV CV SPI CPI BAC EAC VAC
AO Auxillary Optics Systems 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 6,496 6,496 0
CO Core Optics Components 1,217 313 285 (903) 29 0.26 1.10 15,974 15,974 0
DA Data Acquisition Diagostics/Control Systems 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 4,016 4,016 0
DC Data, Computing and Systems 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 13,094 13,094 0
FM Facility Modifications and Preparation 1,219 109 152 (1,109) (42) 0.09 0.72 11,389 11,389 0
IN Installation 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 21,720 21,720 0
IO Input Optics 243 82 3 (161) 80 0.34 31.57 4,102 4,102 0
IS Interferometer Sensing and Control 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 6,709 6,709 0
PM Project Management 1,898 1,898 1,471 0 427 1.00 1.29 22,071 22,071 0
PS Prestabilized Laser 94 94 94 0 0 1.00 1.00 2,457 2,457 0
SI Seismic Isolation 3,225 752 472 (2,474) 280 0.23 1.59 41,653 41,653 0
SU Suspension Systems 653 358 167 (295) 191 0.55 2.15 16,562 16,562 0
Performance Measurement Baseline 8,549 3,607 2,642 (4,943) 964 0.42 1.36 166,242 166,242 0
Management Reserve/ Contingency 38,878
Total Project Cost (TPC) (Dollars in Thousands) 205,120
5.14% Scheduled Percent complete Contingency as a
2.17% Actual Percent complete Percentage of ETC: 24%
SPI and CPI History:
1.6 1.6
1.4
1.4
1.2 1.15 1.38 1.36
1.2 1.13 1.11
1
0.97 1
1 1
1 1
1
1
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
1
1
1 1
1 1
1
1
1
1
1
1 0.8
0.6
0.85 0.66 SPI
0.45
0.8
0.4
0.6 0.2
0.54 0.43 0.42 CPI
0
0.4
8
8
09
9
9
8
9
08
8
09
9
8
09
9
9
08
8
09
9
8
9
0.2
-0
-0
-0
-0
-0
-0
-0
-0
-0
-0
-0
-0
-0
-0
-0
-
b-
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-
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ec
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ov
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Ju
Ju
Fe
Ja
Ju
Ju
O
O
0
M
A
A
D
D
M
M
N
N
S
S
A
A
Apr-08
Apr-09
Aug-08
Aug-09
May-08
May-09
Jun-08
Jul-08
Sep-08
Oct-08
Dec-08
Jan-09
Feb-09
Jun-09
Jul-09
Sep-09
Oct-09
Dec-09
Jan-10
Feb-10
Nov-08
Nov-09
Mar-09
Mar-10
Milestones and Meetings
Near Term Milestones & Events Plan Date Current Status
Core Optics Polishing Contract Awarded Dec-08 Dec-08 Projected to be completed 8 days behind early dates schedule
Single Stage Seismic Isolation Procurement Start Jan-09 Dec-08 Projected to be completed 7 days ahead of early dates schedule
-
Advance LIGO Project Advisory Panel met at MIT on October 6-7, 2008.
Variances:
Schedule performance – Currently 10 weeks behind early dates schedule project-wide due to late
placement of RFQs. Forecasting total project completion on schedule (March 2015).
Cost performance - Work to date cost $964K less than the budget earned due to vacant staffing
positions in Program Mgmt and unplaced RFQs. Projecting on budget project finish, $166,242K.
1
All progress is reported against the performance measurement baseline (PMB), which does not include cost or schedule
contingency. The schedule uses „early dates‟ which have schedule contingency before impacting NSF Reporting Milestones.
Page 2 of 13
Advanced LIGO Project Monthly Report LIGO-M080360-01-P
For September 2008
Earned Value Performance
Accomplishments
The University of Florida award for the Input Optics was signed. Requests for quotes for
suspended optics and recycling mirrors have gone out to vendors.
The completion of the NSF approval process for FY2008 acquisitions has allowed staff to
make significant headway on processing and awarding a backlog of procurements. Work is
continuing on streamlining and speeding up the process at Caltech.
Corning has announced the completion of 9 out of 12 critical path glass blanks, with delivery
earlier than scheduled. The early delivery compensates for the one month late procurement
start, allowing the core optics schedule to remain on track for delivery of completed optics.
Negotiations are continuing on the terms and conditions for the contract with Heraeus for the
low OH glass blanks. Heraeus has taken exception to certain terms and conditions that the
Caltech Office of General Counsel has determined will have to remain in the contract.
All major long lead procurements for the seismic isolation hydraulic pre-isolators (HEPI)
have selected vendors and all have been awarded with one exception still in process. The
HEPI pump stations parts have arrived and assembly is in full process.
Vendors have been selected for the assembly facility modifications at the Livingston site and
for clean rooms for both sites. An acquisition review package for the clean rooms has been
sent to NSF for approval and another package is being prepared for the site renovations.
A change request for a delay in suspension parts delivery from the UK and an adjustment in
how UK support personnel contribute to development and the project was approved, with no
change in project milestones but an increase in labor and travel costs of $88K
The project is forecasted to end on budget and on schedule. No schedule contingency has
been used to date. A total of $174K of costs has been moved from contingency to the
baseline estimate at completion.
Cost and Schedule Performance
Note: All progress is reported against performance measurement baseline (PMB), which does not
include cost or schedule contingency. The PMB schedule uses „early dates‟ which have schedule
„float‟ or contingency before impacting NSF Reporting Milestones
The project is 2.2% complete versus the planned performance of 5.1%. The project current
performance is consistent with ending on budget. The project cost variance for all activities at the
end of August was an under run of $964K. Contributors were under runs in Project Management
(PM), Input optics (IO), Core Optics Components (COC), Seismic Isolations (SEI), and
Suspensions (SUS). Approximately half of the under run is in PM, due to a delay in bringing on
new hires in the Project Management (PM) level of effort tasks. Additional support personnel
will be added in the near future, eliminating this variance. The SUS and SEI under runs are due
to slow start up of procurements after later than planned procurement readiness reviews.
The IO subsystem under run is a result of time required for LIGO to meet requirements for NSF
approval to place the award, which was achieved at the end of August.
Page 3 of 13
Advanced LIGO Project Monthly Report LIGO-M080360-01-P
For September 2008
The project performance to date is consistent with meeting all major reporting milestones. The
project schedule is approximately 10 weeks behind the „early dates‟ plan, due to several factors:
delay of initial project funding, delayed procurement readiness reviews in subsystems, start-up of
the procurements process at Caltech, and the time required to obtain NSF approval of high value
procurements. The rate of schedule slippage has slowed as procurement activity has picked up,
as shown by the SPI history. The 10 week schedule delay is for work with schedule float and
does not affect the project performance measurement (PMB) critical path. No schedule
contingency has been used to date, and the schedule is still ahead of the “NSF reporting”
milestones. The “Core Optics Glass Blanks Contract Awarded” performance milestone was 22
days later than the early date, but well within the NSF reporting date. The delivery schedule from
the vendors is ahead of the planned early dates, compensating for the delayed procurement start
and allowing the subsystem to meet future milestones. The major contributors to the schedule
delay are the Facilities Modifications and Preparations (FMP) procurements for site assembly
prep and SEI procurements for the external hydraulic pre-isolator (HEPI). Both subsystems were
delayed by internal procurement readiness reviews which incorporated design updates. Those
reviews are complete and procurements are now proceeding. The Suspensions team has decided
to delay early procurement of some non-essential electronics in order to take advantage of
technology advances. The delay in the approval of the IO subaward is a minor contributor to the
schedule variance at this time.
With completed approval of the FY2008 Acquisition Plan at the end of August, the LIGO
procurements team has been able to concentrate efforts on reducing a backlog of procurements.
LIGO is working with the Caltech procurements office to streamline and speed up the internal
procurement process using lessons learned from the first award placements. Improvements
include the addition of contract administrator staff and increased access to key approvers for
major acquisitions. The project submitted the FY2009 Acquisition Plan with 15 procurements to
NSF for approval. The Advanced LIGO procurement team met with the NSF Grants managers
both before and after submission. The approval process for this next year is expected to proceed
more efficiently since the initial start–up period is past and both NSF and LIGO are well along
on the learning curve. NSF has three action items as a result of the meetings: determine whether
review packages can be for future procurements rather than full award packages; determine if it
is better to submit the acquisition plan every 6 months rather than one a year in order to
minimize re-approvals due to design changes; and prepare a letter addressing whether LIGO is
allowed to break up or combine pre-approved awards without seeking re-approval if all pre-
approval conditions are still met.
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Advanced LIGO Project Monthly Report LIGO-M080360-01-P
For September 2008
1
Advanced LIGO Earned Value Performance – Project Level, reported against ‘early dates’
Page 5 of 13
Advanced LIGO Project Monthly Report LIGO-M080360-01-P
For September 2008
One Advanced LIGO Change Request (ACR) was approved in September 2008, as shown in the
Change Control Log below. ACR-080006 included the cost and schedule impacts from the
adjustments to the Advanced LIGO United Kingdom (ALUK) group‟s schedule and labor
distributions. The delivery of parts for suspensions is delayed several months and UK technical
support labor has been shifted from project assembly tasks to development testing and training of
LIGO assembly personnel. Impacted subsystems include Suspensions (SUS) and Input Optics
(IO). The net result was an overall increase of $88K in the performance baseline cost for labor
and no change in schedule milestones.
Change Log - Advanced LIGO Total Project Budget Baseline ($K)
Estimate to Contingency/
ACR Approved Schedule Total Approved Change Contingency
Charge Description Complete ETC
No. Date Impacts Baseline Budget Amount Budget
(ETC) (%)
Beginning Balance - August 2008 08/31/08 205,120 166,153 0 38,967 164,127 23.7%
SUS BSC Schedule & Budget No impacts to
080006 09/30/08 205,120 166,242 88 38,878 164,127 23.7%
Revisions critical path.
Ending Balance - September 2008 205,120 166,242 0 38,878 163,599 23.8%
A list of potential risks with estimated impacts on cost and schedule contingency is given in the
table below. A determination by US Customs (Adj. #1) that equipment donated by international
partners is subject to import duties is being appealed. The baseline assumed that the equipment
would enter as duty-free scientific equipment. A placeholder is indicated for potential new scope
and requirements for Charge Mitigation in the vacuum chambers if determined to be needed,
Adj. #2. An estimate of the potential give back for equipment already installed in Enhanced
LIGO has been included as Adj. #3 to give a balanced picture of the potential contingency usage.
For the Pre-Stabilized Laser (PSL), the German partners have delayed delivery of production
lasers by nine months (Adj. #4 in the table below). This delay was due to the need to update air
filtration in the assembly and test spaces to meet increased cleanliness requirements. There is no
schedule impact since delivery still occurs in time for installation, but there may be a slight
increase in related US activity costs due to escalation on delayed tasks.
Adj. #5, below, is for a design upgrade from VME architecture for the electronics and controls to
a more modern architecture, PCIx. A cost savings is anticipated.
Two new potential adjustments have been added to the contingency adjustments list. See table
below. The Interferometer Sensing and Controls (ISC) design team has determined that the HEPI
external seismic isolation system will meet ISC requirements for the readout chambers. A change
order (Adj. #6) which transfers budget from ISC to SEI for additional HEPI units is in
preparation. An increase in costs is anticipated since the HEPI unit costs are higher than those in
the original ISC estimate for seismic isolation.
Page 6 of 13
Advanced LIGO Project Monthly Report LIGO-M080360-01-P
For September 2008
The Technical Review Board has determined that the coating requirements for the reaction
masses require a more expensive coating in order to meet performance specifications. Adj. #7
anticipates a cost increase of $350K.
Potential Contingency Adjustments
Potential Potential
Adj. Contingency Schedule
Items Notes
# Adjustments Contingency
($K) Adjustments
Waiting for a ruling on appeal of the US Customs
Potentially required to pay duties for equipment
1 -$1,400 None determination that duties must be paid on foreign
provided by the UK, MPG and other foreign sources.
equipment donations.
The Project may need to implement a Charge Mitigation
Additional budget may be required for labor and
2 -$300 None approach to avoid the build up of static charges on the
equipment costs for Charge Mitigation.
optics.
AdL-design equipment installed in Enhanced LIGO
Equipment already installed by Enhanced LIGO
3 may be usable in the project, resulting in a return of $650 None
includes 1 HAMs SEI at $650K.
budget to contingency.
MPG was required to upgrade the PSL lab air filtration
Potential added escalation cost to PSL caused by a
4 -$50 TBD system to meet requirements for the 200W laser,
MPG driven schedule delay.
delaying delivery nine months.
Changing the SUS electronics baseline from VME to a
5 Reduced cost for PCIx architecture for electronics. $200 None PCIx architecture and rescheduling to allow just in time
procurements would result in reduced costs.
The Technical Review Board decided to add a HEPI for
the ISC chamber. The ISC Subsystem has budget for a
Decision to add an additional HEPI for the ISC
6 -$200 TBD less costly version of isolation. HEPI meets ISC's
chamber will require additional budget.
requirements. A budget tranfer and a cost increase are
required.
The Technical Review Board has revised the
Revised requirements for coatings on End Reaction requirements for coatings on End Reactions Masses,
7 -$350 None
Masses will require additional budget. which will require a more expensive coating than
defined in the current baseline.
Page 7 of 13
Advanced LIGO Project Monthly Report LIGO-M080360-01-P
For September 2008
Progress Highlights and Summary
Project Overview
Project activities once again focused on the preparation of procurement orders and bid packages.
Several large procurements made significant advances this month: assembly clean rooms,
seismic isolation components, and optical substrates. A number of reviews were carried out or
were underway which will allow Project-phase activities and procurements to start.
Note that there are several subsystems which do not have planned Project activities yet.
Development activities proceeded as planned this month and are described in the LIGO
Laboratory Operations monthly report.
Subsystem Reports
4.01 Facilities Modifications and Preparations
The Facility Modification and Preparations (FMP) subsystem encompasses modifications to the
permanent facility infrastructure and the site preparations required for the assembly and
installation of new detector instruments.
A vendor for the assembly clean rooms has been selected. This procurement will be reviewed by
the NSF as the selected bid is significantly below the original budget due to simplifications in the
design.
Bids were received for the major elements of the modifications of the Livingston staging
building; the RFQ for the Hanford Staging Building modifications is ready to go out to vendors.
RFQs for aqueous parts washers for both sites and a second large air bake oven for LHO are in
preparation.
An inventory control system has been in preparation, and will soon be made available for use by
the Project. The objective is to allow all incoming equipment to be tracked from receipt to
decommissioning. The back-end database is substantially complete. Work is progressing on the
user interface with a few functional pieces in place.
4.02 Seismic Isolation
The seismic isolation subsystem (SEI) serves to attenuate ground motion in the observation band
(above 10 Hz) and also to reduce the motion in the control band (frequencies less than 10 Hz). It
also provides the capability to align and position the load. It is made up of in-vacuum elements
(ISI) and external pre-isolators (HEPI).
Page 8 of 13
Advanced LIGO Project Monthly Report LIGO-M080360-01-P
For September 2008
Project work focused on the HEPI external pre-isolators. Purchase orders were issued for the
HEPI actuators, a significant step forward for the subsystem and Advanced LIGO, as well as for
other elements of the assembly.
Most parts have now been received for the HEPI Pump Station frames and manifold assembly.
Assembly is now in full swing.
4.03 Suspensions
The suspension (SUS) forms the interface between the seismic isolation and the suspended
optics. It provides seismic isolation and the means to control the orientation and position of the
optic while minimizing the amount of thermal noise from the suspension elements.
Responsibility for this subsystem is shared by the LIGO Laboratory and the Advanced LIGO
United Kingdom (ALUK) group, a consortium of the University of Glasgow, University of
Birmingham, University of Strathclyde, and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. ALUK is
responsible for supplying the test-mass and beam-splitter suspensions as well as electronics and
actuators for all Advanced LIGO suspensions, using UK funds. Interfaces, and all other
suspensions, are LIGO Laboratory suspensions team responsibilities on NSF funds.
The Fabrication Readiness Review (FDR/FRR) for the Beam Splitter and Fold Mirror has begun.
A vendor for assembly stands for suspensions delivered by the UK has been selected and the
purchase order is in preparation.
4.04 Pre-Stabilized Laser
The pre-stabilized laser (PSL) provides the frequency and intensity stabilized light for the
Advanced LIGO interferometers, at the specifications required at the entrance to the Input Optics
(IO) system. The core of the subsystem is the responsibility of the Max Planck Albert Einstein
Institute (AEI), using German funds. Electronics and infrastructure interfaces are LIGO
Laboratory responsibilities on NSF funds.
The Project monitored progress at AEI and their industrial partner. A successful preliminary
design review was held; the prototype lasers are meeting critical performance requirements.
4.05 Input Optics
The Advanced LIGO Input Optics (IO) subsystem conditions and matches the light from the Pre-
Stabilized laser to the Core Optics, applying phase modulation, and reducing the frequency,
intensity, and geometric fluctuations in the process. The University of Florida carries the
responsibility for this subsystem under subcontract (as it did for initial LIGO).
RFQs have been sent to vendors for blanks for IO suspended optics and recycling mirrors.
Polishing specifications for the input optics critical elements have been completed in preparation
for bid packages.
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Advanced LIGO Project Monthly Report LIGO-M080360-01-P
For September 2008
4.06 Core Optics
The Advanced LIGO Core Optics consists of the test masses, beamsplitter, recycling mirrors and
folding mirrors (to allow the sharing of the beam tube by two interferometers at the Hanford
Observatory). This subsystem includes the substrate procurement, optic machining and
polishing, the reflective dielectric coatings, and metrology at all stages.
Corning, the vendor for the end test masses, has completed production (well ahead of schedule)
of 9 out of 12 parts. Heraeus, the vendor for the input test masses and beamsplitter, is on
schedule for production of their parts.
4.07 Auxiliary Optics
The Auxiliary Optics subsystem (AOS) is responsible for (a) transport of interferometer output
beams, (b) stray light control, (c) thermal compensation (including diagnostic wavefront
sensing), (d) optical levers for alignment reference, (e) initial alignment procedure and
equipment, and (e) the photon calibration/excitation system. The unifying theme for the AOS
work is in-vacuum optical layout and beam transport.
No AOS Project activities were planned for this month.
4.08 Interferometer Sensing and Controls
The Interferometer Sensing and Controls (ISC) subsystem consists of the length sensing and
control, the alignment sensing and control, and the overall servo-controls infrastructure
modifications for the Advanced LIGO interferometer design.
No ISC Project activities were planned for this month.
4.09 Data Acquisition System
The Data Acquisition (DAQ) subsystem includes all hardware, software, integration and testing
for the analog and digital signal conditioning electronics, computers, networking, sensors,
actuators and excitation devices for reading Advanced LIGO data and diagnostic data and
operating diagnostic systems.
No DAQ Project activities were planned for this month.
4.12 Data and Computing Systems
The Data and Computing Systems (DCS) element includes all incremental upgrades to data
analysis systems and computational infrastructure needed to support the analysis of data from
Advanced LIGO. Data Analysis algorithms are not in the Project scope.
No DCS Project activities were planned for this month.
Page 10 of 13
Advanced LIGO Project Monthly Report LIGO-M080360-01-P
For September 2008
4.13 Installation and Testing
The scope of the work of the Installation and Testing activity (IN) includes the decommissioning
and disposal of the initial LIGO components, the implementation of the vacuum equipment
modifications for all interferometers, the installation and initial checkout of the Advanced LIGO
subsystems, and the integration, testing, and demonstration of locking for each interferometer.
No IN Project activities were planned for this month.
4.14 Project Management – Management and Controls
The scope of the Project Management and Controls (PM) activity covers the project and
technical direction and control. It includes the functions of the project management office as well
as of the change control processes.
To handle the significant complexity of the procurements and their documentation, two
additional positions in the Caltech-based procurement office will be added. Candidates are being
interviewed.
Procurements:
Requisitions for seismic isolation (SEI) – the actuators and the crossbeam foot - have
been awarded. Req‟s for the actuator housings are being processed.
The University of Florida Advanced LIGO contract has been signed and sent to UFL,
enabling procurements to start on the Input Optics mirrors.
A bidder has been selected for the warehouse renovations at LLO with award pending
approval by NSF.
The contract with Corning for Advanced LIGO optics has been signed by Caltech and
forwarded to the contractor. Delivery of blanks is forecasted to be ahead of schedule.
Negotiations are continuing on the terms and conditions for the contract with Heraeus for
the low OH glass. Heraeus has taken exception to certain terms and conditions that the
Caltech Office of General Counsel has determined will have to remain in the contract.
NSF Acquisition Approvals:
A request for NSF re-approval of the assembly clean rooms award (FMP) has been sent
to NSF. The award needed re-approval because the cost savings due to a design
simplification passed a cost deviation threshold limit in the cooperative agreement.
Another approval package is being prepared for submission for NSF approval for
renovations for the LLO warehouse building and cleaning facility (FMP). A winning
bidder has been selected. The original procurement was estimated to be under the $250K
submission limit, but exceeded it as a result of a design change request made after the
submission of the acquisition plan for 2008.
The Acquisition Plan for 2009 was submitted to NSF for procurements >$250K. Some
procurement activities for the second half of the year are not well known at this time and
will be submitted to NSF for approval at a later date.
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Advanced LIGO Project Monthly Report LIGO-M080360-01-P
For September 2008
A meeting with the NSF Grants Officers was held to go over the items in the acquisition
plan and to discuss the processes for submitting review packages. LIGO has asked NSF
to consider the proper path to take for procurements that exceed various thresholds and
limits after the submission and approval of the yearly acquisition plan. One interpretation
of the cooperative agreement is that these awards require review and approval of full
procurements packages. We anticipate several such procurement changes to occur since
we are still in the design phase for several subsystems.
A Change Request for adjustments for the Advanced LIGO United Kingdom (ALUK) group‟s
later delivery of BSC suspensions has been approved. A delay of several months resulted in re-
arrangements of the time phasing of US and UK staffing levels but had no impact on overall
schedule milestones. The change request also accounted for a switch from assembly support to
additional testing support and earlier training of US personnel on assembly from the planned
assembly support labor. ALUK provided training during the development cycle instead of the
project assembly phase. This causes an increase in US staffing and travel costs of $88K.
4.14 Project Management - System Engineering and Integration
The scope of system engineering and integration (SYS) is to define, establish and control
individual subsystem requirements and interface requirements between subsystems. SYS also
maintains the opto-mechanical layout, maintains the mass budgets, performs trade studies as
needed, and reviews technical compliance with requirements and standards by the subsystems.
In addition to providing guidance to subsystems, Systems activities included the following:
Design Reviews
BS/FM suspension mechanical/subsystem Final Design and Fabrication Readiness
Review (FDR/FRR) draft report is being prepared.
PSL Preliminary Design Review (PDR) committee review has been completed.
COC Final Design Review (FDR) committee review has started.
SEI HAM-ISI FDR committee review has started.
Active technical studies
Optical Layout: Near final, small wedge angle optical layout, including transformation to
local gravity vector, have been completed and a check with the 3D solid model is
underway
Parametric Instability (PI): Crosschecking of the detailed numerical model used to predict
the solid body modes of the test masses is complete. Data on the first 100 of 3000 modes
have been passed to the model for Parametric Instability.
HAM1 (ISC output chamber) Isolation: A study of methods for isolating a chamber used
only for sensing elements has been completed, with a decision to pursue an
implementation of the hydraulic pre-isolator.
Beam Splitter suspension wire interface: A study is starting on the feasibility of
incorporating the higher Q, two prism (sapphire and metal) concept into the beamsplitter
suspension (and possible others) using solid models from Rutherford Appleton Labs.
Page 12 of 13
Advanced LIGO Project Monthly Report LIGO-M080360-01-P
For September 2008
Modeling of realistically imperfect optics continued with a system for representing
aberrations. We are interacting with potential polishing vendors to find the most effective
way to communicate our requirements in a form which they can employ.
Quality Assurance and Safety
While not a subsystem, these important Project activities are called out separately. Both offices
report directly to the Advanced LIGO Leader.
The overall Lab safety officer and the Lab Safety Committee continued to monitor Advanced
LIGO design and prototyping efforts and participate in all Advanced LIGO Reviews. Other
activities undertaken this month:
Organized and reviewed safety and QA information to date for ease of access and to
assess priorities in these domains
Finished drafting Standard QA Requirements for RFQ's. This template document will
help the procurements team ensure appropriate QA requirements are given to the
potential suppliers bidding on work.
Integrated QA needs into the database design for the inventory tracking software
Working through calibration needs for Advanced LIGO
Researched defect tracking software which is appropriate for tracking of hardware
problems; a target system has been identified and will be tested
Staffing
As the Project advances, staff on the LIGO Laboratory Operations effort and from selected
collaborating institutions are moved to the project and charged accordingly. The majority of the
staff needed will be available immediately upon need. We filled two positions this past month.
We recently identified a need for technical assistants to help the subsystem leads with
documentation and procurement efforts. Ads will be placed for new positions as we determine
the job skills needed on a case by case basis.
We are actively in the process of filling several additional positions, specifically:
Two additional contracts administrators
A Mechanical Engineer, to be located at the Livingston Observatory
Assembly technicians at the observatory sites
Optical coating scientists/engineer
Optical technician
Electronics Engineers and Software Coding Engineers
Because the salary structure at Caltech is not competitive against market salaries for software
coders, the project is exploring ways to identify and bring on suitable contractors. With the
exception of the software coding engineers, we do not perceive any problems at present with
filling these positions in a timely way.
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