It is time to initialise the STAR database with values for the 2013 run. Initialisation is to be completed before Wednesday 30th January 2013. Here is a summary the tasks needed for initialisating the database and some things to consider.

Timestamps

The range of timestamps for initialisation are given here: http://www.star.bnl.gov/HyperNews-star/protected/get/softcoord/202/3.html

• Initialisation of simulation ("sim") values occurs in the range [20121210,20121215[ (10th to 15th December 2012). These should be "perfect" values suitable for simulated data.
• Initialisation of real data ("ofl") values occurs after 20121220 (20th December 2012). These should be real or "best guess" values as a starting point for this year's calibration.

Tables

For the FMS we have the following ten database tables (see http://online.star.bnl.gov/dbExplorer/#):

• fmsChannelGeometry: number of channels in each detector subsystem
• fmsDetectorPositioning: x/y placement of each subsystem
• mapping/fmsPatchPanelMap: patch panel mapping of each detector channel
• mapping/fmsQTMap: QT-to-patch-panel mapping
• mapping/fmsMap: detector channel to QT (crate/slot/channel) mapping
• fmsGain: channel-by-channel nominal gains
• fmsGainCorr: channel-by-channel gain correction factors
• fmsLed: channel-by-channel LED values
• fmsLedRed: channel-by-channel LED values for reference period
• fmsPi0Mass: channel-by-channel pi0-mass-based correction factor

For the geometrical information (the first five in the list) the tables do not differ between the sim and ofl database "flavours", so the same table is entered for both. Values can differ between sim and ofl for the last five, all of which are related to calibration.

Notes/things to check

I will take care of uploading all the tables. Before doing so, the following should be considered:

• Have there been any changes to channel mapping that would affect the geometry files (or are there changes anticipated before the start of the run)? If not the first five can just be copied from last year. Note that last year there was an error in QT mapping, with slot number 12 being specified instead of 11. This has now been fixed.
• What is the status of the FPD? If it is to be used what nominal gain and gain correction factors do we want to use for initialisation?
• What are the "latest and greatest" gain corrections for the FMS? These should be used as our initialisation for ofl (sim should use all 1s here). Presumably nominal gains are as before.
• LED and pi0 mass values should presumably all be initialised to zero correction (all 1s?).

Please let me know if you have any other questions, concerns or suggestions regarding database initialisation in time for the deadline.