ASAC Meeting
May, 2007
GENERAL CHARGE

The ALMA Scientific Advisory Committee (ASAC) will provide advice on 
those major issues presented to the ASAC by the Project Scientist or the 
ALMA Board that affect the science capabilities of ALMA and require 
decisions to be made or priorities to be set regarding project tasks and 
resources. The ASAC will be kept informed of progress and developments in 
ALMA through periodic reports and briefings provided by the Joint ALMA 
Office and shall meet at least twice a year. Reports of the ASACÕs 
deliberations will be made in writing to the Board by the Chairperson 
of the ASAC following each Committee meeting, on a schedule specified 
in advance by the Board.  The Project Scientist serves on the Committee 
ex officio. 

Charge for the Meeting of May, 2007

The ASAC is requested to consider the following topics, and to make 
recommendations to the Board that include your priority or time scale 
where your recommendations require expenditure of ALMA's fixed resources.  
Note:  ASAC's written report must be received no later than Friday, 8 June 
2007 in order to allow the JAO time to prepare their written response for 
consideration of both documents by the Board at its 27-28 June 2007 meetings 
in Chile.

1.	Review and summarize the science in the version 2 of the DRSP. We 
are particularly interested in the qualitative changes from Version 1 of 
the DRSP and implications, if any, for the construction and operation of 
ALMA.  In conjunction with this, review the status of the correlator 
capabilities and recommend which of its numerous modes should be implemented 
first.
2.	Within the context of operational planning, review the status and 
capability of the Atacama Compact Array both as a set of special purpose 
sub arrays and as an element of the full ALMA.
3.	Review the current status of molecular line databases and their 
readiness for ALMA science. The review should evaluate existing plans for 
the next five years in light of ALMA's needs at full operation  and in 
coordination with other major projects with similar needs, in particular
Herschel and SOFIA.  
4.	The ASAC should read and discuss the Operations Plan. Depending on
the questions raised in the formal review of the Operations Plan in late 
February, the Board may request ASAC input in formulating its responses. 
Such requests will come as addenda to these charges, if needed.