[alma-config] CoDR agenda

[Min Yun]

Hi Everyone,

The updated agenda for the configuration meeting in Tucson is now
available as www.nrao.edu/~myun/mma/20mar2000.html.  This includes
all the changes due to various requests for talks in recent weeks.  

First of all, I propose that we call this a Conceptual Design Review
(CoDR) rather than a Preliminary Design Review (PDR), mainly because
we are not very close to choosing a principle configuration
design yet.  We have at least two major competing designs, and
we are not far enough in the process to make the choice at
this meeting.  We will need another meeting to get to that stage,
and probably yet one more to nail down all the details -- not
necessarily all face-to-face, of course.

I would also like to convey another message from the ASAC meeting
last weekend.  The ASAC feels our group is too large, trying to
do too many things in too many directions.  I feel much of the
real progress we have made as a group really come from letting
everyone run with their ideas, but we must enter the next stage
in this work.  I will make more effort to direct and coordinate
efforts in our group this point on so that some closures can be
achieved in many areas within the time frame of the project.  I 
hope this does not dampen anyone's enthusiasm in the future.

Lastly, I would comment on a couple of the agenda items.
First of all, my general suggestion is that each speaker plan
only 1/2 of the allocated time for "presentations" and leave
the remaining time for discussions.  We are all familiar with
these topics, so little introduction is needed.  While there
are exceptions, most of these topics can and should be covered
with a few viewgraphs within several minutes.  A unanimous response
thus far is that this meeting should be discussion-oriented.

For the "site characterization" talk, there will be an entirely
separate morning on Wednesday morning.  I am asking
Simon Radford to organize this talk among the different speakers
so that the essential points relevant to the configuration work
are presented within the 25 minutes of allocated time.  These
presentations are informative in nature, and I do 
not expect much discussion on this topic.  Therefore, most of the 
time could be utilized for presentations.

For the "applications of digital mask" talks by Webster, Conway,
and Kogan, I propose a 5 minute presentation by each speaker and
10 minute Q/A session.

Frederic Boone (student of F. Viallefond), John Conway, and 
Francois Guilloteau all wanted to make presentations on radial
weighting and uv taper.  Given the
time limit and the numbers of topics we have to cover, we cannot
affort three separate talks.  I have allocated 20 minutes for
this topic, and I suggest these potential speakers should coordinate 
their presentation.  Please leave enough time for some questions
and discussions afterwards.

The discussion on the imaging simulation is intentionally left open.
This session should be entirely discussion oriented, and I will 
try to moderate the discussion with a goal of producing a set of
working guidelines for the future.

No definite plan for the group dinner yet.  

The two competing strawperson arrays will be discussed in detail on
Tuesday morning.  I would like to construct a summary tables for
pros and cons of each design.  So keep this in mind.  Otherwise,
we are not trying select one over the other at this point yet since
there are still a number of unanswered issues (not to mention much
needed simulations).

"ALMA Enhancement" talk also has several speakers at the moment.
I had asked Morita-san to give this talk originally since this is
specifically a Japanese contribution to ALMA, but both Francois
and Stephane have given much thought to this issue lately and have
something to add.  I suggest the three people to make a joint
presentation, and again leave enough time for discussions.

I left the last 2 hrs of the afternoon for further discussions.
While other discussions are permitted, I would like to use this time
mainly to identify the specific goals and associated deadlines for
the configuration work from this point on.  Please
give some thought before coming to the meeting.  If anyone has to
leave early, let your ideas and limitations be known to someone 
else at the meeting.