Booking

Instructions:

The magnetometry booking system can be found here

If you do not have access to the system you can use the contact form to request it. Direct access to the booking system is for members of the Chemistry Department only. External users can request days by emailing the facility supervisor. 

The SQUID instruments are highly subscribed for the majority of the year and it encouraged for users to make the most of the available time (see additional rules below). Booking is by the day 10am-10am, the booking calendar has placeholder bookings 9am-10am to indicate which group has preferential booking for that day. Days are allocated to specific research groups to allow even access to the instruments for those groups that need it, with occasional users able to book on days allocated to 'other groups'. Days in the calendar that are available to book may be labelled with:

• Group initials e.g. [ABC group]: These days are allocated for that group to use, booking preference goes to users in that group.

• [Other groups]: These days are allocated for any groups which do not have their own reserved days. Those groups will have booking preference for these over any groups that do have allocated days.

• [Any group]: These days can be booked by anyone at any time.

Make a booking by selecting an open time slot, you'll get the option to add an entry:

Additional rules

Less than full day bookings

SQUID magnetometers are very expensive to run and it is encouraged that the most of the available time be made. If you know for certain that you'll be starting your measurement at say 3pm then you can leave the time beforehand open for someone else to book. Likewise, if you know your measurements will be finished by 4pm you can leave the evening free for someone else to book. Keep an eye on the calendar for spare time cropping up if you have a quick measurement to run.

Booking other groups' time

If a group does not need their allocated time it is encouraged for other groups to make use of it. If an allocated slot has not be signed up to 4 days prior to the day in question, any user from any group can request to use it by making a separate booking with their name, group, and ‘if possible’ in the Your Name field. Provisional bookings may be cancelled by the allocated group up to 4pm on the day before the measurement. For a user to cancel a provisional booking on their allocated day, they should email the booked user with the facility manager cc'd to request that the provisional booker delete their entry. If it was not done by 4pm on the previous day, then the day can no longer be claimed by the allocated group is awarded to the provisional booker.

Overrunning measurements

A users time starts at 10am and lasts 24 hours, by which time they should have collected their sample. If a measurement is overrunning then it is the booked user's prerogative whether to allow the measurement to finish or to end the run. If you know your sample will overrun then it is sensible to communicate with the user for the next day.