[mmaimcal]Re: organizing extragalactic breakout session

[Al Wootten]

Folks,

Thanks for the good ideas Chris.  I pared down the 'To:' part of this email
as for the abstract book I had included Fred, PR folks, Massimo, and others
who don't really need to see this discussion.  I included the other facilitators.
Planets and Stars might be a little lean...suggestions on that?   

	- do people think there should be something like key
	projects/legacy projects done in a formal way in early science?
	otherwise what do we do with the 10 groups who will all want to
	observe all the known SCUBA sources or the Hubble Ultra Deep
	Field?

I think this is an important topic.  I have discussed this with R. Giacconi, who
thinks that the proposal review committees will rank the 10 groups, the TAC will
assign time, and the best investigation will be cited and 'win'.  He believes in
survival of the fittest.  I think we should discuss this.  He will be there.

	- what projects do people think are obvious things to do in Early
	Science? can they be done well with just 6-10 telescopes?

I think the Early Science topic is important.  I plan to discuss the difficulty of
offering much capability for this, but I think we should try to tailor what capability
we can and will offer to topics which might yield the most impact science.  I plan to
discuss this somewhat in the talk in Session 1 but it can't get too deep in the time there
is available.  It won't be long before the array grows to ~30 telescopes; at what point
for example could it do 'something exciting' with i.e. the z=10 object just discovered by
the VLT?  Or find our own with ALMA?  Or provide followup to the objects identified by the
LMT/GBT?

   - discussion of the ALMA Science Center from a user's perspective
	- what do the people in the room think it is most critical for the
	ALMA Science Center to provide to the user? what would be nice but
	not critical to be provided?

The questionnaire originally had this angle.  The Director (NRAO) preferred to word it as it is
now.  A problem is that this topic in the schedule comes at the end.  The questionnaire helps
to focus on possible tasks.  This will go the Users Committee at NRAO the week after also.

	- synergy with other surveys that are in the works (i.e. SCUBA-2,
	Herschel, Spitzer, etc.)

Again a number of these will be discussed in Session 4, after the breakouts.  

	- overview of projects in the DRSP
	- this could be done by you or me or divided between us. If we
	think we haven't got enough stuff to fill the 2.5 hours, this
	would be worthwhile to give the people present an idea of the
	spread of ALMA extragalactic science

It might be worthwhile to touch on the calibration issue before the ASAC also.

I devised a questionnaire for the AAS meeting which was not distributed
for various reasons.  It did go to the NRAO PAC and will go the Users Committee.
It follows.  Perhaps I could amplify this into a discussion topics
sheet, which I could include in the book and mail to all registrants.  For some
of these topics, the ESAC has had discussions already.  In particular, if Myers
will discuss Band 1, we should discuss the other bands, and in other sessions as
well.

Original version:

      Questionnaire on North American User and Science Support 
             for the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA)
The North American ALMA Science Center (ASC) will be located in Charlottesville, VA at 
the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) headquarters.  We would like to hear 
from potential users of ALMA as to what kind of support they would like to have at the 
North American ASC.  Please return this form, or email your comments to awootten at nrao.edu.

A. Astronomer Interface Issues

    Science Support

The following functions are planned for the North American ALMA Science Center:
	* User support for proposal preparation 
	* User support for 'observe file' preparation 
	* User support for data reduction and imaging
	* Calibration information/database
	* Visitor offices for PIs/students for on-site training and data reduction/imaging.
	* Data archive mirror and support
	* Financial support for successful programs, e.g.: 
		  - Students/PIs travel support to the ASC for data reduction.	
		  - Publication page charge support.
		  - Student support for data reduction at home  institution. 
	* Support astronomers (including 'friends')
	* Excellence in astronomical research relating to ALMA
	* Training (e.g. schools, student positions)
		* Outreach and education (e.g. development of web-based  information and materials 
		for the public, K-12, and  university/college classes) 
	* ALMA user feedback mechanisms
	* Software Development (e.g. develop new functions for reduction/imaging) 
	* Stable reduction package/pipeline
	* Simulators 
	* Quality control, long-term monitoring of ALMA 

	Please provide suggestions for other functions you believe will help you to realize the 
	   scientific potential of your ALMA observations.

B.  Enhancements for the Baseline ALMA
    Future equipment

       1 Which additional receiver bands (Bands 1 (31.3-45 GHz), 2 (68-90 GHz), 4 (123-168 GHz), 
       5 (163-211 GHz), 8 (385-510 GHz or 10 (787-950 GHz) do you consider particularly
       important?  If so for what science goals?  How would you rank these bands?
	
       2  Do you have comments on the importance and/or science case for the Atacama Compact 
       Array (ACA)?

Clear skies,
Al