[mmaimcal] FYI: 31 July 2006 BIWEEKLY CALENDAR OF THE ALMA PROJECT at NRAO

Tue Aug 1 17:32:16 EDT 2006

Folks:

Comments, criticisms, corrections or caveats?

-Al

                    BIWEEKLY CALENDAR OF THE ALMA PROJECT at NRAO
                          31 July 2006 - 13 August 2006

******************************** THIS FORTNIGHT****************************
Amendment #2 to the Agreement Concerning the Construction of the Enhanced 
Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) Between ESO, NSF and 
the National Institutes of Natural Sciences of Japan has been executed by 
all of the parties.  We welcome our East Asian colleagues to ALMA, now
enhanced in capability as well as in name.
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The most difficult part of an antenna foundation construction is the 
installation of the steel inserts upon which each antenna is placed. 
Each antenna sits on a foundation supported by three precisely 
positioned semicylindrical structures. The tolerances are within 
tenths of millimeters. To locate these properly on the foundation, 
the Antenna IPT has designed an installation jig, which was used 27 July 
for the first time.  Please see 
http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~awootten/mmaimcal/antennajig.htm
for photos kindly supplied by Eduardo Donoso.
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H. R. 5672, the FY 2007 Science, State, Justice and
Commerce Appropriations bill was passed by the House by a vote of
393-23.  The bill contains funding for ALMA construction.  The Senate
Appropriations Committee has sent its version of this bill to the
floor, which will be considered in September. 
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Past issues of this Calendar may be viewed at
http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~awootten/mmaimcal/ALMACalendars.html
See also the JAO ALMA Calendar overview at:
http://www.alma.cl/alma_project
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General Happenings
Sky:  Mars leaves the evening sky to Jupiter during these evenings.

AOS (Array Ops Site, 16570ft altitude): From 14-21 July, the APEX
facility has registered 1mm-2mm of PWV except for the nights of 26-27
July, which were less good.  This has been the poorest weather period
of the month.  ASAC Chair John Richer is leading a bestiary of UK
broadsheet journalists around the site this week.

OSF (Ops Support Facility, 9600ft altitude):  Currently there are 
approximately 86 persons working at the site.  OSF construction contract
signing expected imminently.

NAASC: Product Assurance Lead Mike Rodriguez begins 31 July in Charlottesville.
Planning meeting held on workshop on protostellar/protoplanetary disks for
next year after NRAO 50th anniversary.  ALMA Design Reference Science Plan
V2.0 requires update in the time estimator; being worked.

NTC: Front End face-to-face meeting was held.  
Band 3 (3mm): Test report on Cartridge No.2 posted to EDM.
Band 6 (1.3mm): Cartridge assembly is complete through serial no. 4.
Band 7 (.87mm): Reviewers are reading CDR documents.  First cartridge
received by the Front End Integration Center (FEIC) appears satisfactory
with minor problems. 
Band 9 (.45 mm): The new band 9 Warm Cartridge Assembly based on the 
x9 multipliers has arrived at SRON; first results were to be presented
at Front End face-to-face meeting in CV last week.
Correlator construction continues; thermal testing on station rack, 
mode implementation.

AOC: Preparations for PSI move from the AOC lab to the ATF are continuing:
prototype LO Ref Recvr upgrade to 125 MHz to correct phase drift, IF
Processor tests showing acceptable gain and phase stability.
Walsh function switching is inserted in 1st LO with removal in formatter.
Prototype correlator upgraded to support 90 degree phase switching.
Fringe tracking software delivered to PSI.  
***************************************************************************
DAILY CALENDAR (Times EDT ) see
https://wikio.nrao.edu/bin/view/ALMA/AlmaCalendar
 Mon  31 Jul
All day:  Transporter CDR
 Tue  1 Aug  
All day:  Transporter CDR
10:30 AM-11:30 AM: JAO IPT Telecon Cancelled
12:00 PM:  Friday U. Va.- NRAO Lunch talk--A. Wootten
           "The Cornell-Caltech Atacama Telescope: Science and Synergy 
              with ALMA"
 Wed  2 Aug ASAC telecon scheduled today postponed one week
1:00 pm:  NAASC Telecon
 Thu  3 Aug
09:30 AM: ALMA Board Telecon
11:00 EDT: Calibration Group telecon
 Fri  4 Aug  The asteroid 1 Ceres is near opposition at magnitude 7.7.  Ceres
              should be a good ALMA calibrator. 
 Sat  5 Aug
 Sun  6 Aug
 Mon  7 Aug
 Tue  8 Aug 
10:30 AM-11:30 AM: JAO IPT Telecon
4:00 PM-5:00 PM: NAScienceIPT teleconference  
 Wed  9 Aug
11:00 AM: SSR teleconference
11:30 AM:  ASAC Teleconference
 Thu  10 Aug
 Fri  11 Aug
 Sat  12 Aug
 Sun  13 Aug 
 Mon  14 Aug
 Tue  15 Aug
Holiday, Chile (Virgin's Ascension)
IAU General Assembly, Prague
****************************** UPCOMING EVENTS ****************************
 Aug 3                           ALMA Board Telecon
 Aug 8-9                         B7 cartridge CDR       Grenoble
 Aug 9                           EU ARC face-to-face    Garching
 Aug 9                           ASAC Telecon
 Aug 14-25                       IAU Meeting            Prague
 Aug 28                          Move of PSI to ATF
 Sept 5                          ASAC Telecon
 Sept 6                          ESAC face-to-face
 Sept 16-17      all day         ASAC face-to-face      Arcetri
 Sept 22-23      evening         Dave Matthews Band    CV JPJ Arena opening
 Sept 27-29                      Vertex RSI PPDReview      Essen
 Sept 29-30      all day         ANASAC face-to-face    CV
 November 9-10 	 all day 	 ALMA Board Meeting 	Madrid 	TBD
 Nov 13-16    all day Science with ALMA: a new era for Astrophysics Madrid
******************************* TECHNICAL NEWS ****************************
******************************ALSO OF INTEREST*****************************
ESO has an opening for European ALMA Project Scientist.  Please see:
http://www.eso.org/gen-fac/adm/pers/vacant/alma_project_scientist_2006.html
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ALMA has openings for Head of Science Operations, Head of Technical
Services, and Head of Administration.  Please see:
http://www.nrao.edu/administration/personnel_office/careers.shtml
Deadline 31 July 2006.
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Please send information for upcoming calendars by Friday evening of the
preceding biweekly period to Jennifer Neighbours or Al Wootten via e-mail
(jneighbo at nrao.edu or awootten at nrao.edu).

The calendar will be issued between late Friday and sometime on Monday by
e-mail to all NRAO scientific staff members and anyone else interested.
A specific mailing list, alma-info, has been created for anyone wishing
to receive it.
Past issues are available at
http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~awootten/mmaimcal/ALMACalendars.html