ALMA North American Science Advisory Committee

Contact Information for those calling in.

• Duration: 1 hr
  * USA Number: 1-866-692-4538
• Outside USA +1-517-466-2084
• Passcode: 9480444#
• Leaders: K. Oberg, P. Jewell, A. Wootten
• CV Room: 331

• Attendees:

Agenda

Topics

1. Old Business
   • Notes from previous meeting: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/ALMA/10Dec15Minutes
2. New Business under Discussion.

Discussion Items

1. NAASC
   • ALMA Board Charges to ASAC: Advice from Obsy Scientist: 'At regional meetings, you should pay particular attention to charges (4) and (6).
     • 'Here are my thoughts on some of the charges.
       • 'Charge 2: Information:
         • ALMA Publication Statistics: ALMA_publication_statistics.pdf
       • 'Charge 3: The ASAC is responsible for generating the input, but note this is related to charges 6 and 7.
       • 'Charge 4 should be self-explanatory - we would like to hear the top-level issues of your respective communities (as well as hear the things that are going well).
       • 'Charge 6: Over the next ~ 5 years, what are the main enhancements that the ASAC would like to see implemented on ALMA? These could be hardware, software, or new observing modes. To help initiate the discussion, the JAO and IST are preparing a list of potential items for you to consider, but you should not be confined to this list. I hope to distribute the list to you next week. In order for your recommendations to have the most impact, the ASAC should provide input to the ALMA management team (AMT) f2f meeting that is happening the days before the ASAC f2f meeting. Therefore, the ASAC would need to have discussions at the February telecon and over email in advance of the f2f.
         • IST suggests to think of these in the vein: 'What are the highest priority science goals for ALMA over the next 5 years that cannot be done now or can only be done inefficiently? What enhancements are needed to enable that science?
         • The science goals should be tied to the list of activities that could be done in the next five years, mainly to finish capabilities that were nominally either baseline activities or could be done in replacement of baseline activities to enhance steady-state operations, or other small items that would not require substantial investment. A list of such enhancements is provided below. For example, suppose that a goal is to improve the efficiency of a spectra scan. Sensitivity would be increased by a number of items listed below, but also by for example, implementing 3 or 4 bit correlation (same as adding several additional antennas) but of course as explained in ALMA Memo 556 that would halve the number of spectral channels available. That may be OK for extragalactic objects but not for those with narrow lines. For the latter, implementation of 'Highest spectral resolution modes halving the currently finest resolution' may be desirable if the loss of channels is OK.
         • List of ALMA Enhancements: ASACEnhancements_v4.pdf
       • 'For Charge 7, I would like us to take a look at how Grades A/B/C are assigned to proposals, how projects are executed at the telescope, and how are observations are declared “done”. A fresh look would be helpful as we approach steady state operations.
       • 'For Charge 8, I hope to provide you with a summary of my ideas by February 15.'
   • The ALMA Cycle 4 pre-announcement was made on 10 December. A Call for Proposals with detailed information on Cycle 4 (Oct 2016-Sept 2017) will be issued on 24 March 2016, with an anticipated deadline for proposal submission on 21 April 2016. Proposers will have several new opportunities available, including
     • Compact Array stand-alone mode
     • Large Programs have been announced; see the linked portal article.
     • Millimeter wavelength very long baseline observations See Portal Announcement
     • Solar observations.
   • Transitions
     • E. Murphy has arrived at NAASC from the Caltech.
     • S. Stierwalt began at NAASC 14 Dec 2015
2. ALMA Development
   • Approved Principles for the ALMA Development Program (please see attachment).
   • Development update.
     • ALMA Development Studies 2016 (Cycle 3) are announced, awarded and under way.
     • There will be a Call for ALMA Development Studies on March 1, followed by a Call for Upgrades to ALMA under the same program.
3. Principles of ALMA Proposal Review. Let us reach some consensus on how we think duplications should be assessed and handled.
   • Principles of Proposal Review Process (see attachment)
4. Molecular Gas in Galactic Environments, a NAASC Conference
   • Registration is now open for Molecular Gas in Galactic Environments, a four day Workshop to be held 4-7 April 2016 in Charlottesville, Virginia by the North American ALMA Science Center (NAASC). Please register and submit abstracts for this Workshop, which focuses on the character of molecular gas identified in various extragalactic environments.
5. 2016 ALMA Science Meeting
   • SOC formed, will be pursuing invited speakers soon.
6. Press Releases
7. ALMA Papers (choose ALMA)

Events of Interest

1. ALMA Science Meetings
2. ALMA Training Events

• ALMA Board Charges to ASAC: AEDM_2016-005-O_Rev.1_ALMA_Board_Charges_to_the_ASAC_(Jan_2016).pdf

• Approved Principles for the ALMA Development Program: Approved_Principles_for_the_ALMA_Development_Program.pdf

• Principles of the ALMA Proposal Review Process (Rev7): Principles_of_Proposal_Review_Process-v7.pdf

• ALMA Publication Statistics: ALMA_publication_statistics.pdf

• List of ALMA Enhancements: ASACEnhancements_v4.pdf

• ASAC Agenda Feb 2016: ASACAgenda_v1.pdf