[asac] draft ASAC recommendations

[Ewine van Dishoeck]

Dear ASAC members,

Thanks for your contributions to the telecon on Thursday. The minutes will
follow later, but Geoff, Yasuo and I would like to add a set of ASAC
recommendations to be passed on to the project as soon as possible.

Regarding the science cases: can those responsible send updates by Tuesday May
22 (tex files, postscript figures), taking into account the comments from the
ASAC? I will then collate the material into a single document to be
distributed before the May 31 telecon.

Remember that the next telecon is Thursday May 31 at 14:15 UT!

With best regards,

Ewine


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                 ASAC RECOMMENDATIONS
                 ====================
 
             **** Draft May 19, 2001 ****

   ****Please send comments/corrections to Ewine by Tuesday, May 22. ****



The ASAC, at its May 17 2001 telecon, was informed of the results from the
Paris three-way meeting May 10-11 2001 and the increased cost estimates, which
currently preclude the implementation of the Atacama Compact Array. In
addition, the Japanese delegation outlined a proposal for components to be
included in their proposal to the MEXT ministry on May 18 2001.


The ASAC has the following recommendations:

1. The ASAC re-affirms the importance of the Atacama Compact Array and its
high scientific priority. It urges the project to continue to study its
feasibility, present an interim report at the face-to-face ASAC meeting in
Chile in September, and investigate ways to accommodate the ACA financially in
the project.

2. The ASAC re-emphasizes the unique scientific importance of Bands 1,
4 and 8, and requests continued consultation should further prioritization be
needed.

3. The ASAC concurs that the components proposed by the Japanese delegation
to their ministry MEXT -- including the enhanced/future correlator, Band 10
and one additional receiver band -- are among the scientifically interesting
enhancements to the baseline two-way project.

4. The ASAC urges the agencies to make sufficient funds available to allow for
substantial R&D and instrumentation investments in the operational period of
ALMA such that the full complement of receivers can be implemented within a
reasonable timescale and that upgrades to the receivers can be maintained on a
consistent schedule.