***************************************************************************** Outline ALMA Design Reference Science Plan =========================================== EvD, SG, AW, June 9, 2003 Goal: to provide a prototype suite of high-priority ALMA projects that could be carried out in 3 years of full ALMA operations. By including the expected physical properties of the targets (e.g., typical fluxes) and desired observing modes (frequency, spectral resolution, spatial resolution, ...) this Design Reference Science Plan (DRSP) can serve as a quantitative reference for developing the science operations plan, for performing imaging simulations, for software design, and for other applications within the ALMA project. Disclaimer: This plan, when written, will contain a representative set of high-priority projects to be carried out by ALMA in a number of different research areas, as envisaged by researchers currently active in (sub)millimeter astronomy. However, since the scientific goals will evolve over time, the actual 3 yr observing plan of ALMA by 2012 may be quite different from this ALMA Design Reference Science Plan. The DRSP is therefore a living document, to be reviewed periodically. Although an effort has been made to cover all subjects and to include some of the most challenging projects, it is unlikely to include all types of science that will be possible with ALMA. This plan does not not apply to "Early Science Operations" when less than 64 antenna's are available and where a different observing strategy is needed (at least up to 32 antenna's). It considers only the baseline ALMA project with Bands 3, 6, 7 and 9, but includes the option to indicate whether the project would benefit from the ACA. The DSRP should include the types of projects mentioned in the "Science examples for calibration" document by Guilloteau et al. How to develop the DRSP ======================= Note: this will involve both Science IPT and ASAC/ESAC/ANASAG members 1. Science themes: take headings from the European science case submitted to ESO council in late 1999. See: http://www.eso.org/projects/alma/science/alma-science.pdf This gives 4 themes and 20 sub-themes; volunteers are needed to lead each subsection; others may help. Some suggestions are given below: Don't feel obliged to follow precisely the science described in the ESO document; it is just a starting point. *** Action all: review tentative assignments and suggest changes and additions; Japanese observers to indicate their interests Topic Suggested leader Others Theme 1: Galaxies and Cosmology ------------------------------- 1.1 The high-redshift universe Guilloteau Cox, Carilli,Shaver 1.2 Gravitational lenses Shaver? 1.3 Quasar absorption lines Lucas 1.4 SZ with ALMA ***not included: Band 1 *** 1.5 Gas in galactic nuclei Carilli? 1.6 The AGN engine Carilli? 1.7 Galaxies in the local universe Wilson Turner 1.8 ALMA and the Magellanic Clouds Aalto? Viallefond? Theme 2: Star and planet formation ------------------------------------ 2.1 Initial conditions of star formation Wootten Bacmann, Pety, Myers 2.2 Young stellar objects Richer Bachi,Mart-Pint.,Gueth,Wright 2.3 Chemistry of star-forming regions van Dishoeck Wootten, Schilke 2.4 Protoplanetary disks Dutrey Testi,Guilloteau,Mundy Note: Wilson / Crutcher to contribute to description polarization observations as part of 2.1, 2.2 and 2.4 Theme 3: Stars and their evolution ------------------------------------ 3.1 The Sun Benz 3.2 Mm continuum from stars ? 3.3 Circumstellar envelopes Cernicharo Lucas 3.4 Post-AGB sources Cernicharo Cox 3.5 Supernovae ? 3.6 Gamma ray bursts ? Theme 4: Solar system ----------------------- 4.1 Planetary atmospheres Butler 4.2 Asteroids and comets ? [Gurwell/Bockelee-Morvan] 4.3 Extrasolar planets ? 2. Priorities: the different science (sub)themes need to be prioritized and assigned certain fractions of the total time (3 yr). This task may be most appropriate for the ASAC, together with the project scientists. The amount of time for each topic could be an iterative process, i.e., start with a first estimate of what is needed to reach a certain science goal, and then iterate based on priorities. If no priorities are set, every theme will undoubtedly try to fill the entire 3 yr.... *** Action ASAC and project scientists: give first breakdown of time to each subject 3. Time estimates: agree on one set of sensitivities to be used for integration time calculations, especially at submillimeter. Proposal: take those that are now on the ESO ALMA Web at: http://www.eso.org/projects/alma/science/bin/sensitivity.html *** Action project scientists: double check time estimates 4. Agree on a list of observing modes, e.g: - single field interferometer - small mosaic interferometer - wide-field mosaic interferometer - with total power data (yes/no) - with ACA data (yes/no) and other observing parameters - spatial resolution in arcsec - receiver band - frequencies (indicate if multiple lines observed in single setting, but do not go into details of correlator settings) - line or continuum or both - typical line width in km/s - polarization (yes/no) *** Action SSR liaisons: agree on list of observing modes 5. Write observing proposal: for each subtheme, leaders should provide - one short paragraph with science goal(s) - observing modes and other parameters as above - number of sources (e.g., 1 deep field of 4'x4', 50 YSO's, 300 T Tauri stars with disks, ...; do NOT list individual sources or your "pet object", except in cases like LMC, Cen A, HDFS) - distribution over sky (indicate if there is significant clustering in a particular RA/DEC range, e.g. if Hubble Deep Field South is observed for 3 months in one configuration) - estimated integration time for each observing mode/receiver setting - total integration time - typical fluxes (in Jy or K) and S/N of object or line (or range in S/N for set of objects) - dynamic range within image (e.g. weak objects next to bright objects) - time critical (yes/no, e.g. SN, GRB, comet, ...) Note: we should avoid getting into too detailed calculations of integration times, since this may become very time consuming and lead to long arguments. However, some first-order estimates are needed. *** Action all: time scale for first draft of each section. Proposal: mid-August