BIWEEKLY CALENDAR OF THE ALMA PROJECT at NRAO June 21 - July 5, 2004 ******************************** THIS BIWEEK *********************************** Larry D'Addario reports that on 18 June 'in Tucson we managed to phase lock one of the First LO Driver assemblies to a complete LO reference system, including a photonically-transmitted high frequency reference at 85 GHz...This does represent an important milestone because it means that quite a bit of hardware and software is installed, integrated together, and working.' Congratulations! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The ALMA Board meets in Munich. Among the items to be discussed are the results of evaluations of prototype antenna performance and production antenna technical bids, Japanese entry into ALMA and the report of the ALMA Science Advisory Committee. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jennifer Neighbours arrives in CV to work at the NTC. Welcome! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Past issues of this Calendar may be viewed at http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~awootten/mmaimcal/ALMACalendars.html ******************************************************************************* General Happenings Chile Folks attending a budget and schedule meeting in Santiago visited the Operations Support Facility (OSF) and stayed there. See photo of OSF at www.alma.nrao.edu ATF The Technical Evaluation Group considering production antenna design bids has submitted a report. TUC See LO news above. NAASC Paul vanden Bout has assumed duties as NAASC Head. NTC All 1.3mm band (B6) cartridge components, with a lone exception, were trial fitted successfully. June 16th NTC staff will attended a review prior to the initial production run of 32 cold IF amplifiersamplifiers. An agreement with JPL has been reached that gives NRAO access to sufficient numbers of devices to complete all band 6 IF amplifiers. The CCB (Change Control Board) approved the Change Request for inclusion of the Tunable Filter Bank into the Baseline Correlator. Reviews will be scheduled. AOC A series of design reviews on power supplies, rack wiring, and hardware led by the System Architect has resulted in some changes to production plans. The changes to the prototypes are minimized so that delivery of prototype equipment can be completed in July. Two engineers from Bordeaux have upgraded the first Digitizers delivered to Socorro; they have replaced the first generation demux chips by the second generation chips (Phobos) and the sampler sub-assemblies by the FIB Antares chips. ALMA/AOC Computing group moved offices. Steve Harrington has joined the group, working on ALMA Common Software. Andy Hale has also joined the group, working as an SSR Test Assistant. DAILY CALENDAR (Times EDT) Mon 21 10:30 AM-12:00 PM: JAO/IPT Teleconference Tue 22 All day event: ALMA Board Meeting, Closed and Restricted sessions 4:00 PM-5:00 PM: 4:00 PM-5:00 PM: NAScienceIPT teleconference (open to all interested parties) (434)296-7082 Agenda: http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~awootten/mmaimcal/ Wed 23 8:00 AM-5:00 PM: ALMA Board Meeting, Open session Thu 24 8:30 AM-10:00 AM: JAO Teleconference Fri 25 Mon 28 1:00 PM-2:30 PM: NA DH Teleconference Tue 29 4:00 PM-5:00 PM: 4:00 PM-5:00 PM: NAScienceIPT teleconference (open to all interested parties) (434)296-7082 Agenda: http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~awootten/mmaimcal/ Wed 30 Thu 01 8:30 AM-10:00 AM: JAO Teleconference Fri 02 Mon 05 July NRAO Holiday Have a great 4th of July all! ****************************** UPCOMING EVENTS ****************************** #ALMA Calendar * 22-23 June -- ALMA Board Meeting, Garching * 8-10 July -- Software IPT CDR 2, Denver, Colorado. * 24 September -- ALMA/EU Meeting, Garching * 11-12 Oct -- AMAC Meeting, Florence, Italy ******************************* TECHNICAL NEWS ******************************* Two conference papers were submitted on the ALMA 1st LO Reference System: Microwave Photonics 2004 Paper: Transmission of Low Phase Noise, Low Phase Drift Millimeter-Wavelength References by a Stabilized Fiber Distribution System-PDF SPIE Conference on Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, June 2004: A High- Coherence, High Stability Laser for the Photonic Local Oscillator Distribution of ALMA ALMA MEMO # 501 Estimation of ALMA Data Rate R. Lucas (IRAM), J. Richer (MRAO), D. Shepherd (NRAO), L. Testi (Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri), M. Wright (BIMA), C. Wilson (McMaster University) In order to assess more firmly the estimated data rates on which The ALMA Computing IPT has based the design of software and hardware, the SSR has calculated the data rate for a sample of programmes in the DRSP prepared by the ALMA Science IPT. Due to the limitations in the process, the results are lower limits to the required data rates, which are compatible with the present ALMA specifications. View a pdf version of ALMA Memo #501. http://www.alma.nrao.edu/memos/html-memos/alma501/memo501.pdf ******************************************************************************* Please send information for upcoming calendars by Friday evening of the preceding biweekly period to Janet Bauer or Al Wootten via e-mail (jbauer@nrao.edu or awootten@nrao.edu). The calendar will be issued between late Friday and sometime on Monday by e-mail to all NRAO scientific staff members and anyone else interested. A specific mailing list, alma-info, has been created for anyone wishing to receive it. Past issues are now available at http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~awootten/mmaimcal/ALMACalendars.html