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Contact Information

  • 2006-9-20 14:30 UT
  • Duration: 1 hr
  • USA Toll Free Number: 877-874-1919
  • Toll Number: +1-203-320-9891
  • Passcode: 185064
  • Leader: Al Wootten

Topics

  1. Old Business The enhanced Agenda from last meeting is available. Science IPT notes from last month's telecon are in the agenda in red.

AOS Interior Work Collection of AOS Pictures from Seiichi Sakamoto

  1. New Business--Project news/updates (Wootten, Wilson, Kawabe)
    • System Technical Requirements now complete. Four comments were relayed by the a acting JAO Project Scientist Kawabe:
      1. Spectral resolution, minimum (Req No. 530) should be changed to < 5 kHz according to the agreement by three project scientists (see CRE 139.7.1.2)
      2. IF range of Band-6 should be changed to 4.5 to 10 GHz in Table 2 (Band-Dependent Requirements). See also FE IPT Bi-Weekly Update Form (#6 item) by John Webber in ALMA IPT Bi-Weekly Summary Document, which notes Revision of the frequency spec to lower the IF coverage to about 4.5 GHz in order to observe 12CO and 13CO simultaneously is under consideration; preliminary analysis shows this should be OK.
      3. Subreflector nutation (Req No162) should be changed to 3 mins total throw, up to 10Hz, and setting time < 10 msec in order to be consistent with the Nutator Technical Spes & Reqs Document; see also a comment by Baltasar Vila Vilaro (139.20.1).
      4. Req. No 225 (Polarization) should be consistent with the Sci Req # 320; Sci Req # 320 says The error in tpolaraized flux for a source where the circular and linearly polarized fluxes are zero shall be no more than 0.1% of the total intensity on axis after calibration. We need to clarify our requirements; there seems to be confusion.
    • Photo gallery of construction events in Chile
    • Risk Register
    • ASAC Meeting - Several items were of interest to the Science IPT--See ASAC Agenda for links.
  2. JAO Project Scientist Turno now in effect transitioned to Wootten. Project Scientist advertisement, plans. ESO's advertisement for European ALMA Project Scientist closed 15 Sept.
  3. Current Science IPT Schedule. The graph shows the schedule at the beginning of 2006; clicking on it brings up a pdf of the current schedule. I'm not sure I agree with these dates so don't put too much credence in it!
  4. Directories
    • Science IPT Directory All contributors to ALMA Science IPT (Sept05). It is time to update this; please send AW any changes. * Please update your information for the new edition.
    • ALMA Directory ALMA Directory v3.0

Science IPT Group Activity Reports

Please include your Group Activity Report here (How to Enter Your Report), or email it to AlWootten

Project Scientists

  1. Science IPT -
    • Commissioning and Science Verification
    • CRE on scattering cone: One-piece subreflector CRE revised with new definition of scattering cone profile and edge taper of 1.5 millimeter. New drawing was issued to Vertex and their cost impact to our change request was officially accepted by NRAO and VRSI accepted changes in revised drawing. AEM has indicated that there will be a price tag to this, and that a formal CRE will have to be submitted in due time.
    • Outer edge of the subreflector. In process, further study by Hills and student.
    • TICRA contract to model these items now under way.
    • Specifications for the quarter wave plate have been by C. Brogan.
    • Registration is CLOSED for Science with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) II November 13-17; Madrid, Spain.
  2. Submillimeter Frequency Protection.
    • TR reports on the the formation of the new ALMA Working Group on Spectral Line Frequencies. A white paper is being written for the NAASC about the importance of having a completely resolved spectral line catalog ready to be used when ALMA comes online. The current state of the catalog is contained at Splatalogue
  3. Astronomer Outreach: NRAO Newsletter ESO Newsletter NAOJNews. NRAO ALMA Calendar
  4. ARCs.
  5. Group Activities (all)
  6. Next meeting is on Oct 18th (14:30 UT).

Emerson/Laing/Vila-Vilaro -- Instrument Scientists

Conway, Holdaway -- Configuration Group

  • The Technical specifications and SOW for the IFB for the AOS Road network design have been contracted. A contractor will be on the site 7 August to begin design. A design for road and fiber network at the high site is expected in September. Design of the extended array should occur during October-November.
  • New Configuration submitted for approval Wootten presented to ASAC, Board. Still before CCB.
  • Y+ configuration now under design by Holdaway. New M3 proposal for road and fiber network is input; Mark is working on a new mask and suggestions on alternate road pathways to ensure better configuration performance.
  • Proposed ACA Configuration for comment.
  • ArrayCenter shows photos of the region of the center of the Array.

Jeff Mangum -- Calibration

  • Calibration Plan: Current version of the calibration plan and associated documents ("examples", "roadmaps", "matrices", etc.) posted. Comments welcome.
  • Calibration Examples: The "meat" of the Calibration Plan. Review of these documents nearly complete.
  • Ancillary Calibration Devices: Documents which describe the weather station and temperature profile technical specifications have been developed. Will use these documents as part of the RFQ process for these devices. NOTE: I need suggested vendors for the temperature profiler.

Robert Lucas -- SSR

  • Latest SSR meeting (2006-09-13)
  • Holography control software is completed - still to be tested at ATF
  • Development of Single Field Interferometry in simulation (phase 2) is continuing.
  • A presentation on observing modes was given to ASAC.

Michiel Hogerheijde -- DRSP

  • The update of the DRSP is now under way. The deadline for submission of projects has shifted to October 1, which seems a more realistic time line. The on-line ALMA sensitivity calculator is being upgraded to allow 25-percentile best weather conditions around 183 and 372 GHz; for the time being tabulated rms values are provided for these frequencies on the DRSP web site. I will start to contact people soon to act as reviewers for the new submissions. So far only a few projects have been updated, but I know that several sub-themes are working on new projects.

  • Coordinators for the various science sub-themes have been identied and are listed on the DRSP web site. Their task is to (1) review the DRSP 1.0 projects in their area for updates, and (2) suggest new projects in your area. Both items should take into account the evolving science questions and the increased capabilities of ALMA. Almost all topics have coordinators assigned now. The entire list of DRSP authors has also been contacted solliciting project updates directly.

  • The current time line is
    • 1 July 2006 : Announcement of DRSP 2.0
    • 1 October 2006: DRSP projects due
    • 1 November 2006: Due date review of the the projects by members of JSAC, ESAC, ASAC, and ANASAC (tbc)
    • 15 November 2006: Reply by DRSP authors to reviews due
    • 15 December 2006: Final DRSP 2.0 on the web, and summarized in a report to ASAC

Robert Laing -- Commissioning and Science Verification

  • Update of Commissioning and science verification plan, see above.

Mark Holdaway/Steve Myers, Reid -- Imaging

L.-A. Nyman -- Site Characterization

The CR4 hygrometer arrived about 2 weeks ago in Tucson, Angel checked its status. He found the pumps used to pump the outside air into the chilled mirror chamber were faulty, the coating of the chilled mirror was somehow damaged affecting its reflectance and consequently the determination of the absolute humidity in the sample parcel of air. After this evaluation was done he sent the instrument to John Buetow at Buck Research incorporated to give it maintenance and for recalibration. The instrument was delivered to the manufacturer. Angel is now waiting for his own evaluation of the status of the instrument and the estimated price to bring the instrument on shape and well calibrated.

This device will be deployed to the OSF in late Fall. Sakamoto located two possible locations--one near the holography tower has the advantage of power and internet connection. Best option, given that the wind comes from west, candidate location may be in the southern part of the SEF areas, near the border of the 1 km square OSF area. However, power and internet availability there are not readily available.

Science Corner:

Calendar

Official JAO Calendar New!!

ALMA Events of Interest

(see also Al's ALMA Biweekly Calendar)

2006
 
 
 
 
 
Day Date Time Event location details
We
Jun 28
1430UT
ALMA Sci IPT Telecon
Telecon
 
Fri-Sun
Sep 20-22
All Day
Pre-Production Design Review for the Vertex ALMA Antenna
Duisberg, Germany
Thurs-Fri
9-10 November 2006
all day
ALMA Board Meeting
Madrid
TBD

Upcoming Meetings

IAU XXVI General Assembly Prague, 14-25 August 2006 *Sessions of Particular ALMA Interest*

A Summer School on "(Sub)Millimetre Observing Techniques" Victoria, BC, Canada 14-17 August 2006

Fifth IRAM Millimeter Interferometry School October 2-6, 2006 Grenoble, France

Science with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) II November 13-16; Madrid, Spain

Astrophysical Masers and their Environments 2007 March 12-16, Alice Springs, Australia

50th anniversary of the founding of NRAO Delayed NRAO wishes to remain 49 a bit longer...; Charlottesville, Virginia

See also NAASC listing

-- AlWootten - 17 Sep 2006
Topic revision: r4 - 2010-08-03, ToddHunter
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