ALMA NRAO News December 2007

ALMA News

  • December 18, 2007: ESO ALMA Newsletter (14th edition)

    Contents:
    • The ALMA Regional Centre Nodes
    • ALMA and Joint ALMA Office people
    • Open Positions
    • Report on ARC discussion at the ALMA Community Days
    • The new ALMA building in Garching
    • Upcoming events

  • December 14, 2007: ALMA VertexRSI unit-2

  • Vertex AntennaThe second VertexRSI antenna is shown in the Site Erection Facility. This antenna's major assembly occurred in November; the antenna parts had arrived in Chilean ports in September. The third VertexRSI pedestal arrived in Mejillones, the port for Antofagasta Chile on December 8. The upper 'inverted umbrella' portion which supports the accurately machined surface is expected in port on December 23. This is the third antenna delivered to Chile by VertexRSI under contract with NRAO/AUI. It joins three antennas delivered by Mitsubishi Electric Company (Melco) of Japan; the fourth Melco antenna also arrived in port last week. At the close of 2007, seven ALMA telescopes have been delivered to Chile, about one tenth of the total. Assembly and testing of these telescopes continues at the Operations Support Facility.

    (Note: To see a larger view, move your mouse over the image)

  • December 13, 2007: ALMA VertexRSI unit-1

  • Vertex AntennaThe high performance VertexRSI unit-1 antenna underwent fast motion demonstrations for the ALMA Board on October 31, 2007 at the ALMA Operations Support Facility in Chile. The antenna will soon be undergoing surface tests using an ALMA holography system and pointing tests using the ALMA Optical Pointing Telescope. During the demonstration, holographic tests were underway on the Mitsubishi Electric Company 12m antenna, which can be seen in the background (left center). North American ALMA Project Scientist Al Wootten (in hard hat) watched while Instrument Scientist Darrel Emerson (not shown) worked with the holography system. Five ALMA 12m antennas are now assembled in Chile and parts for an additional two have arrived in Chilean ports.

    (Note: To see a larger view, move your mouse over the image)


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The NSF National Radio Astronomy Observatory and NSF Green Bank Observatory are facilities of the U.S. National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Founded in 1956, the NSF NRAO provides state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community. NSF NRAO telescopes are open to all astronomers regardless of institutional or national affiliation. Observing time on NSF NRAO telescopes is available on a competitive basis to qualified scientists after evaluation of research proposals on the basis of scientific merit, the capability of the instruments to do the work, and the availability of the telescope during the requested time. NSF NRAO also provides both formal and informal programs in education and public outreach for teachers, students, the general public, and the media.

The U.S. National Science Foundation (U.S. NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense..."

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