[mmaimcal]ALMA Science Meeting

[Al Wootten]

Folks,

I thought it would be useful to start some discussion of the ALMA Science
Meeting to be held next May.  I'll start by outlining my thoughts on how
the meeting should be laid out.  I hope there will be email discussion,
then we can discuss it in a telecon.

I think there should be an introductory talk with update on ALMA information,
including an overview of the plans for the interface of the community with 
ALMA.  I think that a timeline for integration and for the progress of the
array capabilities should be laid out.  I think we should have a good idea
of this as the plans for integration, commissioning and operations develop
over the next few months.  Maybe I am optimistic!

After this, I think it best to concentrate on some actual projects we think
we would carry out with ALMA.  There should be perhaps four major speakers 
on major themes of ALMA, interspersed with about a dozen half hour talks and 
a number of posters.  I think that these should be illustrative of, and
build upon, the Design Reference Science Plan.  As you know, that plan has 
been our attempt to assemble quasi-proposals addressing the science which was 
planned at the October 1999 US meeting and in the contemporary European 
proposal to ESO.  It is a meeting of the science needs and the reality of 
ALMA, or at least what we now expect the reality to be.  I'd ask each speaker
to address:
  * Where in the progress of Early Science elements of the theme's
    scientific projects might be addressed?  Do they require full sensitivity
    for example?  Do they require the ACA, or will some total power capability
    suffice?  
  * What instrumental limitations inhibit ALMA's scientific capability in this
    area which might be addressed by instrumentation developed in an
    operations phase (e.g. VLBI). 
  * What other information can guide ALMA's development--SIRTF results,
    SMA results, anticipated operation of SOFIA for example?
  * ...Suggestions?

  The ALMA Operations plan, now nearing completion, would be a focus of the
final session, with feedback a major goal.  In particular, we'd like to know
how these plans fit in with the community's needs as it moves to harvest
the science from ALMA.  

Clear skies,
Al