[mmaimcal] ASAC Charges

[Al Wootten]

The ASAC has been charged by the Board; we will need to support them
in their exploration of these charges.  They are:
General Charge

The ALMA Scientific Advisory Committee (ASAC) will provide advice on those
major issues presented to the ASAC by the Project Scientist or the ALMA
Board that affect the science capabilities of ALMA and require decisions to
be made or priorities to be set regarding project tasks and resources. The
ASAC will be kept informed of progress and developments in ALMA through 
periodic reports and briefings by the Joint ALMA Office and shall meet at 
least twice a year. Reports of the ASAC's deliberations will be made in
writing to the Board by the Chairperson of the ASAC following each Committee
meeting, on a schedule specified in advance by the Board. The Project
Scientist serves on the Committee ex officio.

Charge for the Meeting of 24-25 February 2005 (Garching)

The ASAC is requested to consider the following topics, and make 
recommendations to the Board that include your priority or time
scale where your recommendations require expenditure of ALMA's fixed
resources.

1. Examine the status of ALMA re-baselining, including rescope options 
identified to date, and comment on the impacts that the proposed changes
will have on ALMA's scientific capability. The ASAC is invited to comment
on the scientific capability of a smaller number of antennas operating
simultaneously, specifically 40 or 50.

2. ASAC is invited to continue its considerations of this September, 2004
charge, which may be combined with the continued development of ideas for
implementing demonstration science elaborated at the same meeting:

Following thorough assessment of the pros and cons of policies in use at
existing ground- and space-based facilities, including those currently
operated by the ALMA Executives, ASAC is invited to consider policy 
recommendations on:

a. how to facilitate joint projects between scientist of different partners

b. how to handle large proposals with significant scientific duplication

c. whether provision needs to be made at this time for legacy projects
and, if so, what mechanisms should be used for such projects.

These complex, often-contentious issues should be addressed in the spirit
of demonstrating how ASAC believes their recommendations, if adopted,
would maximize ALMA’s scientific impact.


Please deliver your written report to the ALMA Board by 22 March 2005.

Clear skies,
Al