BIWEEKLY CALENDAR OF THE ALMA PROJECT at NRAO 31 July 2006 - 13 August 2006 ******************************** THIS FORTNIGHT**************************** Amendment #2 to the Agreement Concerning the Construction of the Enhanced Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) Between ESO, NSF and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences of Japan has been executed by all of the parties. We welcome our East Asian colleagues to ALMA, now enhanced in capability as well as in name. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The most difficult part of an antenna foundation construction is the installation of the steel inserts upon which each antenna is placed. Each antenna sits on a foundation supported by three precisely positioned semicylindrical structures. The tolerances are within tenths of millimeters. To locate these properly on the foundation, the Antenna IPT has designed an installation jig, which was used 27 July for the first time. Please see http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~awootten/mmaimcal/antennajig.htm for photos kindly supplied by Eduardo Donoso. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- H. R. 5672, the FY 2007 Science, State, Justice and Commerce Appropriations bill was passed by the House by a vote of 393-23. The bill contains funding for ALMA construction. The Senate Appropriations Committee has sent its version of this bill to the floor, where it will be considered in September. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Product Assurance Lead Mike Rodriguez begins 31 July in Charlottesville. Mike is based in an office in Edgemont Road in Charlottesville. We are extremely glad to have Mike on this project, as he brings with him a wealth of experience gained at Northrup Grumman in PA processes in both software and hardware, in designing engineering performance metrics, and with ISO-9000. Please stop by and welcome Mike to the ALMA family. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Sky: Mars leaves the evening sky to Jupiter during these evenings. AOS (Array Ops Site, 16570ft altitude): From 14-21 July, the APEX facility has registered 1mm-2mm of PWV except for the nights of 26-27 July, which were less good. This has been the poorest weather period of the month. ASAC Chair John Richer is leading a bestiary of UK broadsheet journalists around the site this week. OSF (Ops Support Facility, 9600ft altitude): Currently there are approximately 86 persons working at the site. OSF construction contract signing expected imminently. NAASC: Planning meeting held on workshop on protostellar/protoplanetary disks for next year after NRAO 50th anniversary. ALMA Design Reference Science Plan V2.0 requires update in the time estimator; being worked. NTC: Front End face-to-face meeting was held. Band 3 (3mm): Test report on Cartridge No.2 posted to EDM. Band 6 (1.3mm): Cartridge assembly is complete through serial no. 4. Band 7 (.87mm): Reviewers are reading CDR documents. First cartridge received by the Front End Integration Center (FEIC) appears satisfactory with minor problems. Band 9 (.45 mm): The new band 9 Warm Cartridge Assembly based on the x9 multipliers has arrived at SRON; first results were to be presented at Front End face-to-face meeting in CV last week. Correlator construction continues; thermal testing on station rack, mode implementation. AOC: Preparations for PSI move from the AOC lab to the ATF are continuing: prototype LO Ref Recvr upgrade to 125 MHz to correct phase drift, IF Processor tests showing acceptable gain and phase stability. Walsh function switching is inserted in 1st LO with removal in formatter. Prototype correlator upgraded to support 90 degree phase switching. Fringe tracking software delivered to PSI. *************************************************************************** DAILY CALENDAR (Times EDT ) see https://wikio.nrao.edu/bin/view/ALMA/AlmaCalendar Mon 31 Jul All day: Transporter CDR Tue 1 Aug All day: Transporter CDR 10:30 AM-11:30 AM: JAO IPT Telecon Cancelled 12:00 PM: Friday U. Va.- NRAO Lunch talk--A. Wootten "The Cornell-Caltech Atacama Telescope: Science and Synergy with ALMA" Wed 2 Aug ASAC telecon scheduled today postponed one week 1:00 pm: NAASC Telecon Thu 3 Aug 09:30 AM: ALMA Board Telecon 11:00 EDT: Calibration Group telecon Fri 4 Aug The asteroid 1 Ceres is near opposition at magnitude 7.7. Ceres should be a good ALMA calibrator. Sat 5 Aug Sun 6 Aug Mon 7 Aug Tue 8 Aug 10:30 AM-11:30 AM: JAO IPT Telecon 4:00 PM-5:00 PM: NAScienceIPT teleconference Wed 9 Aug 11:00 AM: SSR teleconference 11:30 AM: ASAC Teleconference Thu 10 Aug Fri 11 Aug Sat 12 Aug Sun 13 Aug Mon 14 Aug Tue 15 Aug Holiday, Chile (Virgin's Ascension) IAU General Assembly, Prague ****************************** UPCOMING EVENTS **************************** July 27-28 all day Japan/Taiwan ALMA Workshop Aug 3 ALMA Board Telecon Aug 8-9 B7 cartridge CDR Grenoble Aug 9 EU ARC face-to-face Garching Aug 9 ASAC Telecon Aug 14-25 IAU Meeting Prague Aug 28 Move of PSI to ATF Sept 5 ASAC Telecon Sept 6 ESAC face-to-face Sept 16-17 all day ASAC face-to-face Arcetri Sept 22-23 evening Dave Matthews Band CV JPJ Arena opening Sept 27-29 Vertex RSI PPDReview Essen Sept 29-30 all day ANASAC face-to-face CV 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 **************************** ******************************ALSO OF INTEREST***************************** ESO has an opening for European ALMA Project Scientist. Please see: http://www.eso.org/gen-fac/adm/pers/vacant/alma_project_scientist_2006.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALMA has openings for Head of Science Operations, Head of Technical Services, and Head of Administration. Please see: http://www.nrao.edu/administration/personnel_office/careers.shtml Deadline 31 July 2006. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** 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