BIWEEKLY CALENDAR OF THE ALMA PROJECT at NRAO 24 April 2006 - 8 May 2006 ******************************** THIS FORTNIGHT**************************** Pursuant to Article 12.9 of the ALMA Agreement, Board Members have officially designated Annelia Sargent as ALMA Board Chairperson effective immediately and expiring at the end of the current term, December 31, 2006. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Near 11:20 hours on 2006 April 18 the Lįscar volcano erupted, generating a column of smoke of about 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) in height. The eruption was observed from hundreds of kilometers the distance and the ash-gray column throws particular material and ash. Eruptions occurred near noon on the two subsequent days. On 20 April the ash plume passed over the ALMA site. Photos are collected at: https://wikio.nrao.edu/bin/view/ALMA/LascarStirs06 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 OSF (Ops Support Facility, 9600ft altitude): Approximately 64 people are working on the ALMA site. Santiago: Early discussions on Santiago ALMA Offices at Vitacura continue. AOS (Array Ops Site, 16000ft altitude): Lascar erupted; see above. The AOS Technical Building Foundation and Shell construction is substantially complete. Picture: http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~awootten/mmaimcal/AOSTB06Ap18.jpg TUC: Emerson chaired Computing System Requirements Review, held via multicon. AOC: PSI testing has successfully spectrally cross-correlated a common signal in the lab. The test involved sending the same analogue noise signal into two different digitizers and through different channels of the same antenna rack, into the correlator and producing a cross-spectrum. In a followup test to occur shortly the same will be done using two different antenna racks. The final report of the 4th offline user test, of CASA - Common Astronomy Software Applications - is available at: http://tinyurl.com/syqfc . CASA is a python binding of the C++ functionality that was in AIPS++. This initial version of CASA had pythony commands that had a one-to-one correspondence with AIPS++ Glish commands. ATF (ALMA Test Facility, VLA site): Optical Pointing Test report available. Optical Pointing Test report available at http://tinyurl.com/zt6fe This test identified 13 top priority items that needed to be addressed. A user test 'spot check' of the ALMA integrated software to support optical pointing was completed 21 April. See http://tinyurl.com/lmwx7 for a short report on this 2nd user test. AEM personnel are on the AEC antenna working on metrology and drive systems. NTC: Finished measuring all 8 Band 3 OMTs final design review before procuring the production Master Laser and Laser Synthesizer is scheduled tentatively for Charlottesville on 13 June. NAASC (North American ALMA Science Center: Gallery of ALMA photos at: http://www.alma.nrao.edu/almanews/almagallery/index.html Mangum engaged in further discussion of calibration and source catalogue issues with Ed Fomalont and John Benson. ALMA Science IPT telecon was held. An internal review of the NAASC Staffing plan was held on April 11th. Panel members included representatives from GBT Ops, NM Ops, e2e, EVLA, Fiscal, HR, the Directors Office, and NRC. Overall the response was positive. Discussions were held on April 12 with Greg Fahlman, Peter Dewdney & James Di Francesco about the role of Canada in NA ALMA operations. They will comment on the NAASC Staffing plan and get back to us with concrete suggestions. Presentations on the NAASC were made to the Visiting Committee on April 18 and to NSF on April 24. An ANASAC telecon will be held Friday April 28th, and the NAASC Organizational Meeting on Wednesday May 3rd. *************************************************************************** DAILY CALENDAR (Times EDT ) see https://wikio.nrao.edu/bin/view/ALMA/AlmaCalendar Mon 24 Apr System Requirements Review Meeting, Garching. ACA focus Tue 25 Apr System Requirements Review Meeting, Garching. ACA focus 10:30 AM-11:30 AM: JAO IPT Telecon 4:00 PM-5:00 PM: NAScienceIPT teleconference (open to all interested parties) (434)296-7082 Wed 26 Apr 6:02 AM: Launch of CloudSat/CALIPSO is planned for 26 April 2006 (third attempt) at 3:02 AM PDT (1002 UTC). Live coverage on NASA TV begins at 1:00 AM PDT. 13:15 EDT: ALMA NA Telecaucus Thu 27 Apr New Moon 9:30 AM: ALMA Board Telecon 11:30 AM-12:30 PM: Management IPT Telecon Fri 28 Apr 14:00 EDT: ANASAC Telecon Sat 29 Apr Sun 30 Apr Mon 1 May Holiday in Chile, Europe Tue 2 May 10:30 AM-11:30 AM: JAO IPT Telecon Wed 3 May 11:00 AM EDT: ASAC Telecon 13:00 EDT: NAASC Telecon Thu 4 May Fri 5 May Sat 6 May Sun 7 May Mon 8 May Complex Molecules in Space: Present status and prospects with ALMA 8th thru 11th May 2006, Fuglsųcentret, Denmark EVLA Advisory Committee, Socorro Mon 15 May Registration Deadline, IAU XXVI General Assy Events of ALMA interest compiled at: http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~awootten/mmaimcal/IAUALMA.txt ****************************** UPCOMING EVENTS **************************** April 24-25 All day SRR followup meeting Garching April 27 1330UT ALMA Board Telecon April 28 1900UT ANASAC Telecon May 3 1500UT ASAC Telecon May 3 1700UT NAASC Telecon May 25 1330UT ALMA Board Telecon June 13-14 all day ALMA Board Meeting Santiago Jun 19-20 (tent)all day AIVCSV Meeting Santiago Aug 1 Move of PSI to ATF Sept 22-23 evening Dave Matthews Band CV JPJ Arena opening November 9-10 all day ALMA Board Meeting Madrid TBD Nov 13-16 all day Science with ALMA: a new era for Astrophysics Madrid ******************************* TECHNICAL NEWS **************************** EVLA Memo #101 "Multi Frequency Synthesis Imaging for the EVLA : An initial investigation" Authors : Urvashi R.V., NRAO & New Mexico Tech; T.J.Cornwell, ATNF; S.T.Myers, NRAO April 12, 2006 Abstract: This document presents an analysis and comparison of existing multi frequency synthesis algorithms along with some hybrids, from the point of view of (E)VLA wide-band imaging requirements of 1 microJy rms noise and >10^6 dynamic range from an 8 hour observation over a bandwidth of 1GHz at L Band. Tests on simulated wide-band data with power law (and non power-law) spectra show the following. (i) Single channel deconvolution techniques are inadequate due to the limiting single channel sensitivity and the varying spatial resolution across channels. (ii) Bandwidth synthesis along with double deconvolution techniques that model the spectral variation as a power law work well for sources with pure power law spectra. For non power-law spectra, especially with large scale weak emission, inaccuracies in the estimation of the actual spectral signature of the sources lead to deconvolution artifacts at the 10 microJy level. (iii) Hybrid techniques that combine single channel imaging and bandwidth synthesis using a power law model for spectral flux variation, work well when only bright and compact sources have significant spectral flux variation. Therefore, alternate algorithms (or variants) must be devised to extend the modeling of the spectral flux variation beyond that of a pure power law and simultaneously account for the accurate deconvolution of extended emission. View a ps or pdf version of EVLA Memo #100 at: http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/evla/memolist.shtml ******************************ALSO OF INTEREST***************************** ALMA presentations from the Inaugural Japan-Taiwan ALMA Science Workshop Dec. 15 -16, 2005 are available on line through links at http://alma.asiaa.sinica.edu.tw/activities/workshop2005/program_frame.php --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) encourages observing participation by astronomers from both U.S. and non-U.S. institutions. Lodging, subsistence and transportation on the mountain are provided free by the CSO, for two observers per program. A limited amount of travel money may also be available. Proposals for observing time should include the CSO cover form (please use the latest version available at http://www.submm.caltech.edu/cso/cso-call.html . The proposals will be reviewed by an external peer group committee and should be sent by 31 May for the observing period 1 September through 31 January. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd pan-ALMA Conference : 2nd Announcement Dear Colleague, The 2nd pan-ALMA conference on "Science with ALMA: a new era for Astrophysics" will be held 13-16 November 2006 in Madrid, Spain. The venue will be the campus of the CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas), in the centre of town. Information on the 2nd pan-ALMA meeting is available via http://www.oan.es/alma2006/ (final slash is mandatory) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post Doctoral Research Associate Studies of high-mass star formation Salary up to £26,401 per annum (Ref: EPS/108/06) THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES SCHOOL OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY JODRELL BANK OBSERVATORY A postdoctoral position is available to work on a new VLA high resolution radio continuum survey of the Galactic Plane. This Large VLA Project has been awarded ~400 hours of observing time and will begin in June 2006; it will cover the same area as the northern GLIMPSE survey made by the SPITZER satellite. The postdoctoral fellow will take charge of the observations, reduction and exploitation of the survey, aimed principally at the study of high-mass star formation. Collaboration with other members of the international team is envisaged. The position is available immediately for a period of two years in the first instance, with the possibility of extension beyond this date. The appointment will be as a Research Associate, with a starting salary in the range of £24,886 to £26,401 per annum. Application forms and further particulars are available at http://www.manchester.ac.uk/vacancies or from EPS HR Office, The University of Manchester, Sackville Street Building, Manchester M60 1QD, Tel: 0161 275 8837; Fax: 0161 306 5037 or email: eps-hr@manchester.ac.uk. Quote ref: EPS/108/06 Closing date: Monday 1 May 2006 Informal inquiries may be made to Philip Diamond, tel: 01477 571321, email pdiamond@jb.man.ac.uk --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anne Dutrey informs us of a CNRS post-doctoral position at the Observatory of Bordeaux. The position is opened for two years and will start on september 2006 at the Observatory of Bordeaux. The application deadline is June 2006. The position is dedicated to the modelling of chemistry in proto-planetary disks in order to interpret observational data obtained with the IRAM array. Interested people can read the dedicated CNRS web page http://www.k-projects.com/cnrs_postdocs/public/departement_details.php?IdDpt=9&Dep=SDU&NumOffre=2&Langue=en --------------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** Please send information for upcoming calendars by Friday evening of the preceding biweekly period to Jennifer Neighbours or Al Wootten via e-mail (jneighbo@nrao.edu or awootten@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