AAS Splinter Session: North American ALMA Development Program



Tuesday, 14 June 2016, 2:00 - 3:30pm
Hilton San Diego Bayfront, [Room] Sapphire 400, San Diego, CA

aas228_almasession.jpg

Participants in this Session will learn about the North American (NA) ALMA Development Program and how to provide important input to the long-range development plan for the ALMA Observatory.

ALMA Operations are led on behalf of North America by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, on behalf of Europe by the European Southern Observatory, and on behalf of East Asia by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides unified leadership and management of the ALMA Observatory. The JAO coordinates the ALMA Development Program, its goal being to effectively manage the technological evolution of the ALMA facility. Periodically, solicitations (“calls”) are issued by each of the international partners to identify and fund development initiatives (“upgrades”) that will enhance the performance of the ALMA facility. The implementation of ALMA upgrades is assigned on a competitive basis.

Upgrade priorities are science-driven, and are established by the collective input from the ALMA Science Advisory Committee, the ALMA Development Steering Committee, their respective subcommittees, and the user community at-large. Upgrades typically progress through three successive development that correspond to increasing levels of technology readiness:

  • conceptual study,
  • prototype/pre-production, and
  • full production and implementation.

The NA ALMA partnership typically funds conceptual studies (“Studies”) every year. Prototype/pre-production and full production initiatives (“Projects”) are typically funded every two years. All members of the NA ALMA partnership, and the NA astronomy community at-large, are invited to participate in the ALMA Development Program.

The NRAO will convene a follow-on Strategic Development Workshop in Charlottesville, Virginia on 24 August 2016. The emphasis of the Strategic Development Workshop – and subsequent Cycle 5 Call for Studies and Projects – will be on high-impact initiatives providing major advances in sensitivity, instantaneous bandwidth and spectral coverage, spatial resolution, and imaging speed.

ALMA/NA Development Status Splinter Session Presentations
American Astronomical Society meeting, June 2016, San Diego

  1. Information and Mechanics of Upcoming Calls (Bill Randolph presentation).
  2. Scientific and Other Goals of the Upcoming Calls (Al Wootten presentation).

Connect with NRAO

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

Founded in 1956, the NRAO provides state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community. NRAO telescopes are open to all astronomers regardless of institutional or national affiliation. Observing time on 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. NRAO also provides both formal and informal programs in education and public outreach for teachers, students, the general public, and the media.

The National Science Foundation (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..."

AUI collaborates with the scientific community and research sponsors to plan, build, and operate cutting-edge facilities. We cultivate excellence, deliver value, enhance education, and engage the public.