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CERN/DG/LM/sb/99-267 Geneva, 4 May, 1999

MEMORANDUM

To T. Nakada (spokesman of LHCb) cc.: R. Cashmore

J. Engelen

From L. Maiani, Director-General

Subject: Approval of LHCb

 

 

In checking the files we find that a formal letter was never sent to you after the meeting of the Research Board that approved the LHCb Technical Proposal. I would like to put this right and to confirm the approval of the LHCb project, together with the plans, including milestones, leading to the Subsystem Technical Design Reports (TDRs). Project approval will be completed by the specification of a cost ceiling (see below) in due course. Before proceeding to the final construction phase, each subsystem will be subject to a detailed review (see below) based on the TDRs. The overall status of the project will be reviewed on a regular basis.

This approval incorporates the various conditions proposed by the Research Board, as described in the conclusions of its meeting on 29th September 1998, and the Recommendations of the LHCC (CERN/LHCC 98-22; LHCC 35) which include a specification of the plans and milestones. In particular:

1. The detector must be built inside a cost ceiling. Until the design is completely frozen, any cost overrun in some element must be dealt with by reducing the performance of that subsystem or finding compensating reductions in some other subsystem. It is not possible to set this ceiling at present, pending clarification of substantial uncertainties that remain concerning some contributions. It will be set when, the funding issues having been clarified, the first Technical Design Reports are submitted to the LHCC, and will in no case be more than 82 MCHF (1998).

2. Before proceeding to the final construction phase, each subsystem will be subject to a technical, financial, and manpower review by the LHCC based on the Technical Design Report. These Reports must incorporate all the elements stipulated by the LHCC, which include precise costings and must be consistent with the overall cost ceiling and inside the envelope of available resources.

3. The collaboration must continue its current practice of consulting the CERN Directorate as part of the procedure of appointing spokesmen. The Technical and Financial Co-ordinators will be appointed in agreement with CERN and will be (or temporarily become, if exceptionally seconded from elsewhere) CERN Staff Members.

I would like to take this opportunity to offer my congratulations to the LHCb collaboration for the excellent work it has done. I now look forward to witnessing the realisation of your plans, and to the first physics results.

Yours sincerely,

 

L. Maiani