From awootten at nrao.edu Fri Jan 4 13:39:55 2008 From: awootten at nrao.edu (Al Wootten) Date: Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:39:55 -0500 Subject: [asac] January Telecon DATE, TIME Change--2008-January-8 15:00 UT Message-ID: <477E7D7B.7010806@nrao.edu> Folks, Happy New Year! Owing to various constraints the telecon will be held TUESDAY 8 Jan 2007 at 1500UT. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause. Contact Information * 2008-January-8 15:00 UT * Duration: 1 hr * USA Toll Free Number: 877-874-1919 * Toll Number: +1-203-320-9891 * Passcode: 185064 An agenda will be posted shortly. Our primary business will be matters relating to the face-to-face meeting at month's end in Chile. Clear skies, Al From rhills at alma.cl Fri Jan 4 14:14:43 2008 From: rhills at alma.cl (Richard Hills) Date: Fri, 04 Jan 2008 19:14:43 +0000 Subject: [asac] Telecon Message-ID: <477E85A3.70502@alma.cl> Dear All, The ASAC chairman and I have been struggling with the problem of how to schedule the telecon that is due next week. When we talked last, I promised that we would try changing to the other time-slot that makes it more reasonable for people in Hawaii and East Asia to participate. Alas, this proved impractical on this occasion. Pepe and I will both be in transit at the relevant times and I know that there are problems for other people who will be at conferences, etc. The best we can come up with is 15:00 UT on TUESDAY, which is I am afraid 5am in Hawaii and the middle of the night in East Asia. I am sorry about that. I suggest that at the f2f we set up a firm schedule for the telecons for the rest of the year that shares out the pain. In addition to the charges from the Board, one of the topics that we should discuss at the face to face meeting in February is the implications of recent Change Requests. There is a regular flow within the Project of these items, which are the formal means of changing the specifications of components. These range between quite major items and detailed technicalities and it is important that we keep an eye on them all to ensure that they do not adversely effect that scientific performance. The most important ones presently in the system are concerned with the polarization purity of the receivers. It is proving difficult to meet the requirements and the people making the receivers are asking for relief. On the other hand, having taken a look at the topic, I am worried that the original specifications were not tight enough. I plan to get more information on this and other Change Requests to you in time for discussion at the f2f, but in the meantime I have done a summary on polarization. That will be available shortly (but not yet) as a link from the agenda for Tuesday's telecon, which will be at https://wikio.nrao.edu/bin/view/ALMA/ASAC9Jan08Agenda Best Richard -- ******************************************************************* Richard Hills Phone: +56 2 467 6175 ALMA Project Scientist Fax: +56 2 467 6101 Av El Golf 40, Piso 18 Home: +44 122 331 2331 (this week only) Santiago, Chile Mobile +56 97 608 1582 ******************************************************************* From awootten at nrao.edu Mon Jan 7 10:42:00 2008 From: awootten at nrao.edu (Al Wootten) Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2008 10:42:00 -0500 Subject: [asac] ASAC Agenda, meeting 2008-January-8 15:00 UT Message-ID: <47824848.4040903@nrao.edu> Folks, Please plan to tele-attend the conference. Contact Information * 2008-January-8 15:00 UT * Duration: 1 hr * USA Toll Free Number: 877-874-1919 * Toll Number: +1-203-320-9891 * Passcode: 185064 * Leader: Al Wootten Agenda: https://wikio.nrao.edu/bin/view/ALMA/ASAC9Jan08Agenda Clear skies, Al From rhills at alma.cl Wed Jan 9 19:25:05 2008 From: rhills at alma.cl (Richard Hills) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:25:05 +0000 Subject: [asac] Documentation on ALMA software Message-ID: <478565E1.8010805@alma.cl> Dear All, Regarding Board charge 1, there is now a package of documentation available on Brian Glendenning's web space. Please see: http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/~bglenden/ASAC/ He suggests that committee members download the documents from there. The whole set is available as a zip, but it is large (~40Mb) so unless you have a fast link it may be best to browse the individual files. You will see that most of the documents relate to the review which took place in May 2007. The first thing that everybody should look at is the panel report and the response to it. I think you have to look quite carefully at the report to see what it is that the panel were really worried about. Most of the rest are the papers that were prepared for that review. These certainly give a flavour for just how large an enterprise the ALMA software is, but it is hard to "see the wood for the trees". You may want to designate individual members of committee to look into each area. For more recent developments, the only thing we have at the moment are the reports of progress at the ATF. This series was started when the transition occurred to the current phase of work there, which gives priority to software testing. I have added the first two reports in that sequence to this e-mail for completeness. Again there is a lot of detail in here but I hope these give some impression of the progress that is being made on getting the software to the point where it can run the system and that it is very hard work. Don't miss the Science IPT comments that are at the ends of these reports. Remember that for this charge one of the important inputs will be from people outside the project who are trying out the beta release of CASA. I think that we need to get that feedback into a meaningful form as possible - e.g. at least some notes on good and bad features and, where possible, quantitative statements about performance and the like. I hope that the designated testers are being made away of this need and the dates of the various meetings. Best Richard -- ******************************************************************* Richard Hills Phone: +56 2 467 6175 ALMA Project Scientist Fax: +56 2 467 6101 Av El Golf 40, Piso 18 ESO: +49 89 3200 6127 (this week only) Santiago, Chile Mobile +56 97 608 1582 ******************************************************************* -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: ATF_sept_report_to_mgt.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 40612 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2_ATF_oct_report_to_mgt.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 39786 bytes Desc: not available URL: From awootten at nrao.edu Thu Jan 17 10:11:22 2008 From: awootten at nrao.edu (Alwyn Wootten) Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:11:22 -0500 (EST) Subject: [asac] Message from the Chair of the ALMA Board Message-ID: <32955.71.63.29.216.1200582682.squirrel@webmail.cv.nrao.edu> Subject: Message from the Chair of the ALMA Board To: Joint ALMA Observatory cc: Regional Project Managers ALMA Board Dear Colleagues, I am pleased to inform you 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. Best wishes, Richard Wade Chair, ALMA Board From gnorero at alma.cl Mon Jan 21 15:22:57 2008 From: gnorero at alma.cl (Gloria Norero) Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:22:57 -0300 Subject: [asac] who Message-ID: <4794FF21.3070208@alma.cl> who ecuhobdi Gloria Norero M. PA Alma Director ALMA-CHILE 56-2-4676121 From gnorero at alma.cl Mon Jan 21 15:47:39 2008 From: gnorero at alma.cl (Gloria Norero) Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:47:39 -0300 Subject: [asac] Updated info on Logistics for ASAC Message-ID: <479504EB.8020002@alma.cl> Dear all, Please find enclosed worksheet with updated info for the next ASAC meeting and trip to OSF. Should you have any difference with details sent, please send a note to correct accordingly. Also if any of you will require early check in and/or late check out, please tell me. We have included details of hotels, as well as contact numbers for taxi service in case you need them. Taxi, bus and hotels are confirmed. Best regards, Gloria Norero M. PA Alma Director ALMA-CHILE 56-2-4676121 -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Logistics for ASAC Meeting Feb 1-2, 2008 Stgo-SanPedro.xls Type: application/vnd.ms-excel Size: 187392 bytes Desc: not available URL: From awootten at nrao.edu Tue Jan 22 12:11:31 2008 From: awootten at nrao.edu (Al Wootten) Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 12:11:31 -0500 Subject: [asac] [Fwd: ATF status: first interferometric spectrum achieved] Message-ID: <479623C3.3010108@nrao.edu> Folks, Congratulations to the ALMA team working at the ATF; over the weekend it was announced that the first interferometric spectrum was obtained there. A descriptive account circulated by Debra Shepherd may be obtained at: http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~awootten/mmaimcal/ATF_first_spectrum.pdf Note that this spectrum was taken in 'bypass mode' in which the tunable filter boards are not used, and hence displays coarse resolution. Clear skies, Al From rhills at alma.cl Thu Jan 24 16:27:31 2008 From: rhills at alma.cl (Richard Hills) Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:27:31 +0000 Subject: [asac] ASAC Draft Agenda Message-ID: <479902C3.6050402@alma.cl> Dear Colleagues, You will find the draft agenda at https://wikio.nrao.edu/bin/view/ALMA/ASACFeb08Agenda We hope that the outline is now firm but details will no doubt change somewhat. Bon voyages Richard -- ******************************************************************* Richard Hills Phone: +56 2 467 6175 ALMA Project Scientist Fax: +56 2 467 6104 Av El Golf 40, Piso 18 Apmnt: +56 2 757 1071 Santiago, Chile Mobile +56 97 608 1582 ******************************************************************* From gnorero at alma.cl Fri Jan 25 14:56:39 2008 From: gnorero at alma.cl (Gloria Norero) Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:56:39 -0300 Subject: [asac] Next ASAC Meeting Message-ID: <479A3EF7.5050407@alma.cl> Dear all, We have our last version of logistics worksheet, including last requests and time schedule for taxis back to airport. Tickets to Calama are electronic (for people who has requested to buy them locally), so you will only need to show your passport at LAN CHILE counter you. Anyway I will travel with the group, and I will have your tickets at the airport before the flight. The Holiday Inn Airport is just across the street at the airport, for people staying there for a day-use. (A day-use begins at 08:00 am, unless the room is available from the day before). For your info, we have 30-35 degree Celsius in Santiago, but 0 degree at Chajnantor, so please remember to bring: dark glasses, sunscreen cream, winter and summer clothes. Due to Altiplanic winter, it may also rain at the site. For San Pedro, you will be comfortable in sport wear. Should you need any assistance, please do not doubt to call me to my mobile or office number. Looking forward to meeting you. Have a nice trip to Chile! Regards, Gloria Norero M. PA Alma Director ALMA-CHILE 56-2-4676121 56-9-9979594 (from int. mobile) 09-9-9979594 (from a desk local phone) -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: ALMA Very High altitude visitors Information-18-04-07-1.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 41451 bytes Desc: not available URL: From awootten at nrao.edu Sun Jan 27 14:24:09 2008 From: awootten at nrao.edu (Al Wootten) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:24:09 -0500 Subject: [asac] Science with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array: A New Era for Astrophysics Message-ID: <479CDA59.1020509@nrao.edu> Folks, 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 Thanks to the organizers of the conference, to the authors and to the editors for bringing out this compendium of papers describing some aspects of the transformative science we expect ALMA to undertake. We're all anticipating smooth completion of the instrument over the next few years; just ten days ago the ALMA prototype system at the ALMA test facility produced its first interferometric spectrum. Working together, we'll be producing solid science soon Clear skies, Al