date: March 19 (Tue) - 20 (Wed) venue: NAOJ Mitaka headquarter agenda: We would like to raise the following two items: 1. Transition from 2-way to 3-way and the final form of ALMA in scientific perspective With the inclusion of the prototype antenna and other ALMA developments in the Japanese FY2002 budget, now we have a firmer prospect for the Japanese formal participation in 2004 (or sooner). In this circumstance, ASAC should play an important role in guiding the project so that the final form of 3-way ALMA is optimized based on the global discussion of scientists. We think the forthcoming ASAC meeting in Tokyo is a good opportunity to start this. For example, 2G correlator and ACA are among the obvious topics discussed in this context. For us to do this process, we need an up-to-date information of the 2-way project sent to the participants beforehand, which we examine and discuss. Based on our global discussion, we may want to give advice if necessary. We, as scientists, should discuss our strategy toward the successful construction of the most powerful instrument. It should accord with the strategy of continued funding for construction in the North American and European sides and the official approval of the project and getting sufficient funding in the Japanese side. This would meet our goal of achieving the best instrument through the politically complicated transition of the project from 2-way to 3-way. 2. Scientific operation At the last ASAC meeting in Santiago, we identified the comparative study of single and multiple TAC systems as one of the agenda items for the next meeting. With the bilateral project starting, Japanese scientists are anxious about to what extent the way of scientific operation are decided before Japan joins officially. We would like to include this in the discussion. date: march 19 (Tue) evening venue: NAOJ Mitaka headquarter Japanese newspapers are interested in the ALMA project and the Japanese status in it. A brief (<60 min) meeting with some ASAC members and the press may be set right after the first day's ASAC and before dinner. We can state that ALMA is starting now, with Japan having a delay. Good words from European and north American members on the expectation for the Japanese participation would be very helpful. After the meeting, the press can join the ASAC dinner buffet. We may enjoy friendly atmosphere and exchanging information. date: afternoon of March 21 (Thu) - Japanese holiday to celebrate equinox venue: A hall with 300 seats in the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation has been tentatively reserved. This new museum opened in July 2001 at the Tokyo waterfront will co-host the Lecture session. http://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/ The main goal of the session is to convey the exciting forefront of astronomical research and the prospect of more exciting science with ALMA to the general public with interest in science, with ages ranging from ~15 to 60 or up averaging at high school students. Families visiting the museum on that day can drop in if they get interested. We will send out invitations to people in MEXT (although not many of them may attend), in order to call attention by them. It is important to make MEXT people feel that ALMA is and will be well supported by the Japanese people and that Japan has a good role to play in it. Press are also invited of course. The session may be composed of two parts. 1. Lectures on Astronomy and ALMA (100 min total) A brief description of the ALMA project will be given. After that, scientific talks are given by European, North American, and Japanese speakers. The European and North American speakers give lecture in English followed by Japanese translation page by page (of viewgraphs/PowerPoint). We need to nominate the speakers. 2. Discussion (60-90 min) After a short break, we will have a discussion session. It can be in a panel discussion style with the former speakers and a few more (e.g., the director of the museum, Dr. Mouri, who is an astronaut himself, if we succeed to persuade him to come) on stage, exchanging discussions on ALMA in terms of science, technology, and society. In the course of the discussion, we pick up the questions from the audience written in question sheets and collected during the break. (The discussion will be made mainly in Japanese. We will assign graduate students to give a minimum of interpretation to follow the discussion. Picked questions from the audience are translated. ) The balance between the two parts may have to be adjusted as the preparation goes. If we can have Dr. Mouri (he is famous) or someone else on stage, some weight may be put on the discussion part. If not, we can spend more time in talks. (the end of the text) _______________________________________________________________