BIWEEKLY CALENDAR OF THE ALMA PROJECT at NRAO 14 Jan 2008 - 28 Jan 2008 ******************************** THIS FORTNIGHT************************* The first interferometric spectrum has been obtained at the ALMA Test Facility. Todd Hunter, Robert Laing and ALMA operators Hector Alarcon & Roberto Aviles obtained a spectrum of the Orion Hot Core centered on the CS(2-1) line at 98 GHz on 19 January 2008. With routine interferometry continuing on continuum sources, acquisition of a molecular line spectrum was the next step. It was achieved the first time it was tried. A descriptive account circulated by Debra Shepherd may be obtained at: http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~awootten/mmaimcal/ATF_first_spectrum.pdf ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note that: Science with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array: A New Era for Astrophysics Volume 313, Numbers 1-3 / January, 2008, the Proceedings of the Nov 2006 ALMA Conference in Madrid, has been published by Astrophysics and Space Science, and is available online at http://tinyurl.com/32pq3o --------------------------------------------------------------------- On 17 January Richard Wade, Chair of the ALMA Board, announced that Professor Thijs de Graauw (SRON and Leiden University, Netherlands) has agreed to accept the position of ALMA Interim Director, effective 1 April 2008. Thijs is a world expert in (sub)milimeter astronomy, with excellent instrumental credentials, and substantial experience in coordinating large international projects. --------------------------------------------------------------------- In other Board news, the ALMA Board seat held by Dr. J. Sunley, of the Division of Mathematics and Physical Sciences (MPS) at the National Science Foundation (NSF), will be assumed by Dr. Tony Chan, Director of MPS as Dr. Sunley has moved to a different division within NSF. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hans Rykaczewski's current term as ESO ALMA Division Head and European Project Manager ends 30 June 2008; he has decided not to continue in this role. Dr. Richard Kurz, European Project Manager for ALMA from 1999 to early 2004, will return to ESO/ALMA in an interim role beginning 2008 Feb 1. All of us in ALMA appreciate the work Hans has put into managing the European side of the project. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Past issues of this Calendar may be viewed at http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~awootten/mmaimcal/ALMACalendars.html See also the JAO ALMA Calendar overview at: http://www.alma.cl/alma_project *************************************************************************** General Happenings Photos of activity may be found at: http://www.alma.nrao.edu/almanews/almagallery/index.html Sky: Mars shines in the East after sunset, slowly growing fainter. The moon is now waning towards new moon, the occasion of an annular eclipse of the Sun viewable from the southern ocean near Antarctica (and Chinese New Year). The following full moon will bring a lunar eclipse ideally timed for North American viewing, with mid-eclipse is 10:26 PM EST on Feb 20, 2008, with totality beginning at 10:01 and ending at 10:51 PM. AOS (Array Ops Site, 16570ft altitude): Grading of the region where the central antenna cluster will begin in the next months. ACA Correlator Control Computers were installed at the AOS. Interface inspection was performed for the power lines and sockets for the ACA Correlator and Computer system, and Site IPT and NAOJ jointly made preliminary interface tests for air conditioning and O2 enrichment in the correlator room. The Altiplano Winter, a feature of the summer at Chajnantor, has begun with considerable snow and rain. Some shoulder damage caused by rain was reported on the Calama-San Pedro road through the Cordillera de Sal. OSF (Ops Support Facility, 9600ft altitude): As the ALMA camp is often full and so are many hotels in San Pedro, a camp extension is under construction. Installation of remaining elements of metrology system on Vertex/RSI antenna #1 will begin this fortnight. Both transporters left Antwerp in December and are on the high seas en route to Chile with arrival expected by 6 Feb. AIV personnel are now at the OSF on a turno system. NAOJ conducted additional optical pointing tests to confirm the performance of first ACA antenna from MELCO. The 4th ACA antenna was mounted on the pad in the NAOJ Site Erection Facility area. ATF: With dynamic interferometry now routine, a good baseline was determined. First spectra were obtained (see front matter above). NTC (NRAO Technology Center): For ALMA Font End (FE) No 1, the new target date for shipment to Chile is Feb 15, which allows for a visit by EU FE Integration Center (FEIC) staff January 15-17. Cryostat # 5 shipped to the NA FEIC. Preparations are under way for shipment of the second two antenna correlator to Chile next fortnight. Most of the test equipment prepared by NRAO will be delivered to the EA-FEIC by the end of January. HIA: Band 3 cartridge: PAI for cartridge SN06 was held Jan 11 NAASC: A calendar of NAASC events may be found at: http://www.cv.nrao.edu/naasc/calendar/calendar.php *************************************************************************** DAILY CALENDAR (Times EDT/EST ) see https://wikio.nrao.edu/bin/view/ALMA/AlmaCalendar Mon 14 Jan - Martin L. King Jr Birthday holiday, US 4:00PM: ATF telecon Tue 15 Jan - 10:30AM: JAO/IPT telecon Wed 16 Jan - 10:30AM: Sci IPT telecon Thu 17 Jan - Fri 18 Jan - Sat 19 Jan - Sun 20 Jan - Mon 21 Jan - 4:00PM: ATF telecon Tue 22 Jan - 10:30AM: JAO/IPT telecon Wed 23 Jan - Thu 24 Jan - Fri 25 Jan - 9:00am: Science Operations Software Review, Santiago Sat 26 Jan - Sun 27 Jan - Mon 28 Jan - ****************************** UPCOMING EVENTS ************************* Jan 15 ESAC face-to-face meeting Garching Jan 18 ANASAC telecon --- Jan 23-24 Nutator CDR ASIAA Feb 1-2 ASAC face-to-face Santiago Feb 7 ALMA Board telecon Feb 7-8 WVR CDR Europe Feb 18-22 IAU 251, IS Organic Chemistry Hong Kong Feb 27 Band 10 PDR Mitaka ******************************* TECHNICAL NEWS ************************* *****************************ALSO OF INTEREST*************************** The Cosmic Agitator - Magnetic Fields in the Galaxy 60 years of studies of the interstellar magnetic field 2008 March 26-29 Lexington. The magnetic field of the galaxy was discovered in observations made in 1948. Since that time, the galactic magnetic field has challenged (and often annoyed) observers and theorists alike. This meeting will celebrate sixty years of studies of the interstellar magnetic field, a field ALMA's transformational capabilities will revolutionize. See http://thunder.pa.uky.edu/magnetic/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Assistant Scientist (CASA) REQ NO: CV3682 SUMMARY: The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) invites applications for an astronomer, software engineer, or physicist with experience in astronomical data processing to develop data reduction software for the Atacama Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA). The Common Astronomy Software Applications (CASA) package is written primarily in C++ under a Python wrapper (for more information on CASA, see http://casa.nrao.edu/).This is an NRAO Scientist position, with 25% of time available to pursue independent research. The position will be based in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, at the North American ALMA Science Center (NAASC). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For ESO jobs please see: https://jobs.eso.org/ESOCP370/default.asp?PageNo=DEFAULT For ALMA jobs please see: http://www.alma.cl/jobops/ *************************************************************************** Please send information for upcoming calendars by Friday evening of the preceding biweekly period to Jennifer Neighbours or Al Wootten via e-mail (jneighbo at nrao.edu or awootten at 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 available at http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~awootten/mmaimcal/ALMACalendars.html _______________________________________________ Alma-info mailing list Alma-info@listmgr.cv.nrao.edu http://listmgr.cv.nrao.edu/mailman/listinfo/alma-info