11 Calibration and Imaging. This covers aspects of characterizing the ALMA site at Chajnantor, of designing and optimizing the array configurations, of correcting astronomical observations for atmospheric and instrumental effects, and of understanding the characteristics and quality of the images the ALMA will produce.
11.1 Site Characterization includes management and maintenance of the site infrastructure, design, development, and deployment of instrumentation for monitoring of atmospheric conditions, data collection and analysis, and modeling the effects of the atmosphere on incoming radio waves. A network of instruments will be specified to provide site meteorological information to the dynamic scheduler and to the array operator.
11.2 Configuration Studies includes design of the
array in multiple configurations, locations of the antenna stations to
conform to the geography
and other aspects of the site. This includes definition of the
movement of antennas from configuration to configuration.
11.3 Calibration concerns the application of
atmospheric measurements
to correct astronomical observations for atmospherically-induced phase
fluctuations and the calibration of signal amplitudes. This includes
the development of algorithms for applying atmospheric data to improve
images. This element includes cooperation with other groups attempting
to
effect similar data correction techniques particularly the 183 GHz
systems. Improved flux calibration, both in an absolute sense and
in tying together interferometric and single antenna scales, will be
addressed.
11.4 Imaging studies will address the fidelity of
images obtained using different
array configurations and under varied atmospheric conditions.
They will also define the algorithms by which ALMA data may be
transformed into useful images.
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