ALMA North American Science Advisory Committee

Contact Information for those calling in.

• Duration: 1 hr
  * USA Number: 866-692-3582
  • Passcode: 5862937 #
• Leaders: S. White, P. Jewell, A. Wootten
• CV Room: PRJ office

• Attendees:

Agenda

Topics

1. Old Business
   • Minutes from previous meeting
   • Recent NRAO eNews
2. New Business under Discussion.

Discussion Items

1. ALMA science key indicators
   • 989 refereed ALMA publications.
   • 1486 post-proprietary project data are available in the ALMA Archive.
   • 91 ALMA papers published so far in 2018.
2. Upcoming f2f meeting--comments on agenda? Agenda page
   • UC2018 Agenda: UC2018_Agenda_v4.docx
3. ASAC f2f Meeting. ASAC members contact ksevin@nrao.edu for authorizations, reimbursements
   • ASAC Report April 2018
   • Public Version (provisional) of The ALMA Development Roadmap
4. NAASC
   • Cycle 5 progress update
     • Last NRAO eNews provides a summary.
   • Cycle 6 CfP experiences. Over 1800 proposals were receiver and are being sorted for duplication before going to review.
     • Any questions or comments?
   • Meeting updates:
5. ALMA Development
   • Development update.
     • Two North America Projects approved for start by the ALMA Board
       • A Significant Upgrade to the ALMA Correlator, Principal Investigator (PI) Rich Lacasse (NRAO), co-Investigators Escoffier, Greenberg, Saez, Ojeda, Baudry, Webber. An upgrade to the 64-antenna ALMA correlator is proposed which will: (a) increase the frequency resolution by a factor of eight, providing extended high resolution spectral grasp while providing the increased resolution needed for the lower frequency bands; (b) provide four-bit correlation, improving efficiency and achieving the same sensitivity as currently but in 30% less time; (c) double the processed bandwidth; and (d) provide higher time resolution. Auxiliary upgrades to the archive, receivers, and digital part of the system will also be needed to realize all of these. Together, these improvements make ALMA significantly more efficient at all bands.
         • Lacasse Correlator Upgrade presentation at URSI GASS
         • Prioritization of Correlator modes being incorporated into ALMA Correlator Upgrade: Staging of Science Capabilities
           • Current priority:
             • Increased sensitivity, decreased observing time. 4bit mode, may require higher data rates (but we have an unimplemented 4 bit mode now!).
             • Improved spectral grasp at high spectral resolution. Requires higher data rates, archive expansion.
             • Higher spectral resolution. Can require higher data rates, archive expansion.
             • Broader bandwidth, additional spectral grasp. Requires upgrades to receivers (some capacity now at B6, B9, B10). Requires upgrades to digital path.
             • Higher time resolution. May require higher data rates, archive expansion.
       • ALMA Hardware in Line Simulator
     • (approved Nov 2017) Enabling New Science with the ALMA Phasing System (APS) Phase 2, PI Lynn Matthews (MIT), co-Investigators Crew, Fish, Hecht. The objectives of the APP Phase 2 are to further improve APS operations and enable a significantly greater diversity of scientific capabilities with a phased ALMA. Major components of the proposed Phase 2 work include: (a) improving the management of baseband delays in the correlator to enhance sensitivity and simplify data analysis; (b) enabling spectral line Very Long Baseline Interferometry; (c) extending the frequency range where phasing is offered to encompass Bands 1-7; and other enhancements.
     • New NA Studies Call closed 1 May 2017
       • Study Proposals have been funded (See Aug eNews)
       • New Study reports are available.
       • NA Development Projects and Studies for Sustaining ALMA Science Report on Current Status of the Development Suite (NA)
6. Press Releases
7. ALMA Papers (choose ALMA)

Events of Interest

1. ALMA Science Meetings
   • Also of interest:
     • Magnetic Fields or Turbulence: Which is the critical factor for the formation of stars and planetary disks? Tuesday, 6 February 2018 - Friday, 9 February 2018 Hsinchu, Taiwan
     • AAAS Symposium 'The Chemistry and Physics of Nascent Planetary Systems' , Speakers: Karin Oberg (Harvard), David Wilner (CfA), Meredith Hughes (Wesleyan); 15-19 February 2018 AAAS Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas exact date TBA
     • The Cosmic Cycle of Dust and Gas in the Galaxy: from Old to Young Stars 9-13 July 2018 Quy Nhon, Vietnam at ICISE

• UC2018 Agenda: UC2018_Agenda_v4.docx