MMA Imaging and Calibration Group
Minutes for meeting Tuesday, 30 July 2002 at 12:00pm EDT.
Date: 30 July 2002
Time: 4:00 pm EDT
(2:00 pm Socorro, 1:00 pm Tucson)
Phone: (434)296-7082 (CV SoundStation Premier Conference phone 3rd floor).
Past minutes, etc on MMA
Imaging and Calibration Division Page
Agenda
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News. -Wootten
News from my point of view.
The VertexRSI antenna continues to rise.
- It is with deep regret that I announce that Mr. Guillermo Delgado passed
away on Friday, 26 July 2002.
As ALMA engineer and scientist he was responsible for important parts of
the ALMA site characterization. Mr. Delgado has contributed
significantly to the ALMA site development, such as ALMA radio frequency
interference protection and ALMA communication studies. We were all
impressed by his enthusiasm and commitment and are grateful for his work
at ESO.
I am sure you feel as deeply affected as I, and that you will join me in
expressing our deep sorrow for his family's loss.
Catherine Cesarsky
- JAO News
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Configurations - All
Mark has prepared Y+
material.
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Meetings Past and Future - Wootten
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Calibration--Butler, Mangum
Reviewers appointed for memos.
Here is the list of memos and targeted reviewers, going backward in
time, along with the list of targeted reviewers:
1 - Memo 423 - The Vane Calibration System revisited
Guilloteau, 2002May27 (draft)
Targeted reviewers: Steve Myers, Matt Carter, Geoff Blake
(this draft memo may be obtained at:
http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~awootten/mmaimcal/alma_423.pdf ).
2 - Memo 422 - The Dual-Load Calibration device revisited
Guilloteau, 2002May23
Targeted reviewers: Douglas Bock, Lee Mundy, Jeff Mangum
3 - Memo 427 - Antenna Position Calibration
Wright, 2002May16
Targeted reviewers: Robert Lucas, Ed Fomalont, Craig Walker
4 - Memo 372 - An Amplitude Calibration Strategy for ALMA
Guilloteau, 2002May10
Targeted reviewers: Jeff Mangum, Larry D'Addario, Mark Gurwell
5 - Memo 415 - Phase Correction using Submillimeter Atmospheric Continuum Emissi
on
Matsushita et. al, 2002Apr04
Targeted reviewers: Jose Cernicharo, Mark Holdaway, John Richer
6 - Memo 404 - Atmospheric Dispersion and Fast Switching Phase Calibration
Holdaway & Pardo, 2001Dec19
and
7 - Memo 403 - Fast Switching Phase Correction Revisited for 64 12 m Antennas
Holdaway, 2001Dec17
Targeted reviewers: Mel Wright, Dave Woody, John Richer
8 - Memo 402 - Illumination Taper Misalignment and Its Calibration
Holdaway, 2001Dec12
Targeted reviewers: Richard Hills, Peter Napier
9 - Memo 352 - Design and Development of 183 GHz Water Vapour Radiometers
Hills et al., 2001Mar
Targeted reviewers: Dave Woody, Chris Wilson, Dick Plambeck
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Other
Monthly report for Jun-Jul is now due!
NSF News...
The Committee is providing $1,056,570,000 for the mathematical and physical sciences. The Committee has increased the fiscal year 2003 request for the physics, chemistry, astronomy,
materials research and multidisciplinary research subactivities by a total of $135,000,000. The Committee remains concerned that support for the physical sciences has not kept pace
with the growth in other disciplines. Yet it is the sustained investment in these disciplines that has enabled the development of today's advanced weapon systems, state-of-the-art
medical diagnostic equipment, and improved communications systems. The Committee's recommendation will strengthen the core research and instrumentation programs in these
subactivities as well as adequately support the national astronomy centers in West Virginia, New Mexico, and elsewhere, and other NSF physical science facilities. The Committee also
directs NSF to provide adequate support for preparatory work for the Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope (GSMT). The GSMT was one of the highest priorities recommended in the
National Academy of Sciences Astronomy and Astrophysics Committee's decadal survey.
...
From the additional funds provided for the mathematical and physical sciences directorate, the Committee is adjusting the request by providing an additional $7,300,000 for the national
radio astronomy observatories, $4,200,000 for the national optical astronomy observatories, and $14,500,000 for the Indiana University Cyclotron Facility, the National High Magnetic
Field Laboratory, the Wisconsin Synchrotron Radiation Center, and other facilities. The Committee's recommendation also includes the $4,000,000 requested for the continuation of the
Telescope System Instrumentation Program which was initiated by the Committee in fiscal year 2002.
...
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $79,280,000 for major research equipment and facilities construction. Support for the terascale computing systems has been provided in the Research and
Related Activities Appropriations Account. Within this account, the Committee's recommendation includes funding for the following projects:
$20,000,000 for Earthscope; $30,000,000 for the Atacama Large Millimeter Array telescope; $9,720,000 for the Large Hadron Collider; $13,560,000 for the Network for Earthquake
Engineering Simulation; and $6,000,000 for South Pole Station.
The Committee remains concerned about the Foundation's management of large scale construction projects and the priority setting process used to select projects to be funded. ...
SMA News...
Last week's announcement of our first fringes at 682 GHz was qualified
by the phrase "these are probably the first interferometric measurements
ever made in this band." Indeed, Christine Wilson faxed a copy of a
spectrum of the recombination line in MWC349 at 450 microns obtained
with the CSO-JCMT interferometer on OCT 20, 1998.
The fully executed sublease and non-exclusive easement agreement for
the site of the Hilo facility has been received from the University of
Hawaii. This document is needed before a construction contract can
be let.
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Upcoming Meetings - Wootten
AUG 17/24 URSI General Assembly,
Maastricht, the Netherlands Butler attending
AUG 22/28 SPIE Symposium on Astronomical
Telescopes and Instrumentation, Waikoloa, Hawaii. Brown, Wootten attending;
Text of ALMA article.
SEP 9-13 Winds, Bubbles
and Explosions
JAN 5/9, 2003 201st Meeting of the American Astronomical Society
JUL 13-26, 2003 Twenty-Fifth General Assembly of the IAU
JUL 22/25, 2003 IAU Symposium (221): Star Formation at High Angular Resolution, Sydney, Australia. Tyler
Bourke is a co-chair of the scientific
organizing committee. Good opportunity to show ALMA capabilities.
SEP 22-26, 2003 4th Cologne-Bonn-Zermatt-Symposium on The Dense Interstellar Medium in Galaxies
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Travel
Oh, always
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