This agenda is available at
https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/ALMA/NAASCMtgAgenda
Meeting Logistics:
- No meeting today b/c of SciOpsIPT f2f meeting and SciOpsRR in Chile
Additional Supporting Material
NAASC items submitted to JAO for September 2010 Monthly report
Hiring activities
NAASC postdoc Amy Kimball (U. Washington) joined the
NAASC in mid September.
JAO support
Tony Remijan continues a 2mo tour for CSV support that started in August and will end mid-October. Al Wootten traveled to the OSF to start a turno.
The
NAASC data reduction "Tiger Team" processed about a half-dozen CSV test datasets, publishing reports to the appropriate CSV JIRA ticket. Analysis of new datasets continues, and the WVR correction software was installed at the
NAASC.
The
NAASC worked with the JAO in producing materials for the upcoming Operations Readiness reviews, including producing an operations Risk Register and a draft of the ALMA Science Archive (ASA) data policy document. NA continued to contribute to the ASA query working group, developing a new Line Transition query.
Software Development & testing
The ALMA helpdesk was successfully deployed for the ALMA Operations Integrated Test 2, including access through the ALMA User Portal and authentication system. The helpdesk instructions and test matrix was distributed before the test, and results collected from testers after, and a summary and detailed report was submitted to the JAO. The helpdesk/Userportal hardware failure testing matrix was finalized and work started on the availability profile matrix and tracking and the Change Control methodologies.
The
NAASC staff participated extensively in the ALMA Operations Integrated Test 2, registering, submitting test proposals, participating in the assessment process, running the helpdesk, and completing test matrices for each subsystem.
Subsets of the molecular spectral line compilation database Splatalogue were defined and provided for the offline use of the ALMA Observing Tool and CASA data reduction package. An ALMA memo fully describing splatalogue was written and submitted for the Science Operations Readiness Review.
Conferences and workshops
The
NAASC represented ALMA at the ISM Symposium "Conditions and Impact of Star Formation: New Results with Herschel and Beyond".
Planning continues for
NAASC participation in the January AAS in Seattle WA, including an ALMA Special Session: "Observing with ALMA" on Jan 12 and ALMA Observing Tool demonstrations. Pre-registration opened and planning continues for the
NAASC/NRC workshop entitled "ALMA: Extending the Limits of Astrophysical Spectroscopy", to be held Jan 15-17 2011 in Victoria, BC (see
http://www.almatelescope.ca/Spectroscopy2011/). An extra day was added to the workshop to hold a training session on ALMA Early Science and the ALMA Observing Tool, and this opportunity was announced to both the meeting registrants and the general astronomical community.
Other
NAASC and NRC staff produced advanced drafts of AMLA user documents that were submitted to Science Operations Readiness Review panel. These include an Early Science ALMA Primer (including specific worked-out early science observing examples described and a simulation comparing ALMA early science and full science imaging capabilities), and ALMA Quickstart Guide, a Splatalogue Quickstart Guide, and updating the
NAASC science webpages.
A face-to-face meeting of the ALMA North American Science Advisory (ANASAC) advisory committee took place September 13-14 in Charlottesville.
The NA Project scientist prepared an overview report on ALMA in the AS2010 Decadal reports, including the main report and the Radio, Millimeter and Submillimeter (RMS) Panel reports, for NRAO management. The RMS panel provided strong support for ALMA Development, recommending 'a sustained and substantial program to enhance the NRAO telescope and ALMA capabilities, amounting to $90 million for NRAO and $30 million for the U.S. share for ALMA over the decade.
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JohnHibbard - 2010-11-03