Contact Information Happy Chinese New Year

• 2008-February-28 22:30 UT
• Duration: 1 hr
• USA Toll Free Number: 877-874-1919
• Toll Number: +1-203-320-9891
• Passcode: 185064
• Leader: Al Wootten
• Atendees: L. Testi, J. Cernicharo, R. Laing, S. Aalto, Jose Afonso (beginning), F. Gueth(?), Wootten, Jonathan Williams, John Bally (beginning), Andrew Blain (beginning), K-I Morita, T. Yamada, M. Hogerheijde, D. Johnstone, Hills (end), Morita.

Old Business

1. Agenda, Minutes: Agenda of January meeting. Minutes are unavailable. Agenda and Minutes of older telecons may be viewed at the ALMA EDM site Sitescape or more recently at the Board ASAC site.
2. ASAC Membership

New Business

The massive ALMA transporters Otto and Lore cross the Cordillera del Sal en route to the OSF, where they arrived for Valentine's Day.

See other images.

1. Project news/updates
   • PM resignation. (Hills)
   • Board meeting news and construction progress. (Hills)
   • ALMA Director Job Ad. CSV Jobs. Commissioning Scientist Santiago Positions, ARC Positions NRAO ESO status.
   • ALMA Safety Requirements
2. Board Communications
   • Discussion of Report addressing Board Charges.
     • ASAC Charges for March, 2008
     • Specific Charges for March, 2008: Supporting Documents
       • 1. Assess the preparation of the ALMA real time, observing, and off-line software for early science. In particular, review the impact of the recommendations of the May 2007 software review and the schedule for the next two years.
       • 2. Review the Calibration Plan and scientific aspects of the plans for Assembly, Integration, Verification testing and for Commissioning. Being mindful of the finite resources (human, financial) available, are changes necessary or desirable for scientific reasons to the plans being implemented?
       • 3. The ALMA Board has charged the project to develop a long term ALMA Development Plan in consultation with the international astronomy community. The plan should set out the scientific context for transformational science with ALMA in 2020, in the era of for example JWST, ELTs and SKA, and the developments necessary to achieve this vision. The ALMA Board views this plan as having the utmost strategic priority, and is coordinating its development across the entire ALMA partnership. The process of generating the ALMA Development Plan should be led by the JAO Project Scientist and the ASAC (with support from the Executives). The first stage (to be completed by the end of 2008) will involve an examination of the scientific drivers by a number of specialist sub-groups, representative of the wider astronomical community, covering the whole field. In time for the Board's April 2008 meeting, the ASAC should identify the scientific themes on which sub-groups will work (for example: star formation, galaxy formation etc) and appoint appropriate Chairs for each subgroup.
       • In order to allow time for the preparation of a response from the Project, it would be very much appreciated if the ASAC’s report could be made available by no later than March 13th.
   • Dates--please enter a date for Fall meeting preference.
     • Dates of Board Meetings 2008
     • FtfdatesFall
     • Dates of ASAC Meetings 2008
     • ALMA Chile Directory.
3. Science IPT Report (Hills, Wootten, Testi, Morita)
   • Quarter Wave plate requirements
   • ALMA Science IPT wiki page
4. Astronomer Outreach: ESO Newsletter New ESO Messenger with Antenna article, New ESO ALMA News New NRAO Newsletter appearing soon. NAOJ News. NRAO ALMA Calendar
   • ESAC Report (Afonso)
   • ANASAC Report (Blain)
   • EASAC Report (Kohno)
5. AOB
6. Next Meeting 2008-May-7-14:30UT Telecon.

Science Corner:

Calendar

Official JAO Calendar

Events of Interest

(see also Al's ALMA Biweekly Calendar)

2008
Day	Date	Time	Event	location	details
	Feb 27-28		B10 PDR	Tokyo
	Mar 13		Report due to Board	N/A
	Apr 1-2		ALMA Board F2F	Chile	Face-to-Face
	May 5		ASAC Telecon	Telecon
	May 15		ALMA Board	Telecon

Upcoming Meetings

IAU Symposium 251 Organic Matter in Space Feb 18-22, Hong Kong

The Cosmic Agitator - Magnetic Fields in the Galaxy 2008 March 26-29 Lexington.

URSI General Assembly Aug 7-16, Chicago

Transformational Science with ALMA: The Birth and Feedback of Massive Stars, Within and Beyond the Galaxy Sep 25-27, Charlottesville.

See also NAASC listing

-- AlWootten - 25 Feb 2008