[mmaimcal] FYI: 6 Nov 2006 BIWEEKLY CALENDAR OF THE ALMA PROJECT at NRAO
Al Wootten
awootten at nrao.edu
Mon Nov 20 17:52:04 EST 2006
Folks,
Comments or other?
Al
BIWEEKLY CALENDAR OF THE ALMA PROJECT at NRAO
6 November 2006 - 20 November 2006
******************************** THIS FORTNIGHT****************************
The ALMA Board meets in Madrid this week. Important action items include
approval of the 2007 Construction and Operations budgets. Spain's Director
General for Technological Policy Maria Carmen Andrade Perdrix spoke:
"Spain is finalizing joining of ESO, approved last Friday by the government,
with the agreement submitted to Parliament, to be approved by the end of the
year. Even before this it was clear to Spanish authorities that ALMA was an
essential project and Spain has been involved since its beginning.
International partnership like this essential to future astronomical
observatories practicing big science. ALMA is a pioneer in forging
international partnership in science. We have been impressed by the
strong support as expressed in the conference next week, to be attended
by over 300 astronomers."
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More than 300 astronomers meet in Madrid for the second ALMA conference,
Science with ALMA: a new era for Astrophysics, to be held 13-17 Nov.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The report of the NSF Senior Review was released last week, with
generally favorable words for ALMA.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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: Transit of Mercury occurs for Western Hemisphere observers
on 8 November.
Santiago: Operations document submitted to ALMA Board. NRAO and Vertex
representatives in Santiago to finalize contract for Site Erection Facility
construction week of November 6th.
AOS (Array Ops Site, 16570ft altitude): Finish work on AOS Technical Building
proceeding; HVAC equipment is on the site
OSF (Ops Support Facility, 9600ft altitude): Currently there are
approximately 194 persons working at the site of which approximately 80
use the ALMA and ContractorÕs lodging facilities.
NTC: The first B3 (3mm) cartridge, serial number 2, has been shipped to
the NA Front End Integration Center (FEIC). Mixer-preamps have been
verified for the 8 pre-production B6 (1.3mm) cartridges. 7 of these 8 have
been built, but the first few will require some re-work. NOVA has resolved
all Action Items from the Band 9 Cartridge #1 Provisional Acceptance Inhouse
meeting and is now preparing the cartridge for shipment to the NA FEIC.
where it is expected by early December.
A detailed budget and schedule have been prepared for replacing the obsolete
2-antenna prototype correlator used at present in PSI with an 8-GHz bandwidth
correlator which uses production cards, including TFB cards.
NAASC: Nutator contract award has received NSF approval.
AOC: The TE (Timing Event) has shown to be stable, at least within a
few cycles of 125 MHz, with the new LO Reference Receiver (LORR) design.
A test of the prototype racks in Socorro shows that phase is stable
between antenna 14 GHz 2nd LO synthesizer reference inputs for 300
seconds. The 2 GHz and 125 MHz references must be ultrastable to achieve
this result.
ALMA Common Software 6.0 release. Observing Tool 3.1 user test report
finished:
http://almasw.hq.eso.org/almasw/pub/Usertests/WebHome/UT3dot1_Report.pdf
ATF: Debugging of holography system evolving toward testing of the
holography system on the Vertex RSI prototype. The start of the move
of the BEND racks to the AEC antenna is set for Nov 13, and the move
of the proto-correlator and central LO will start the week of Nov 25.
ESO: ESO Finance Committee meets this week.
***************************************************************************
DAILY CALENDAR (Times EDT/EST ) see
https://wikio.nrao.edu/bin/view/ALMA/AlmaCalendar
Mon 6 Nov -
Tue 7 Nov -
10:30 AM-11:30 AM: JAO IPT Telecon
Wed 8 Nov
All Day: ALMA Board peripheral meetings in Madrid
Thu 9 Nov - Holiday, Spain
ALMA Board meetings in Madrid
Fri 10 Nov - Veteran's Day Holiday, US
ALMA Board meetings in Madrid
Sat 11 Nov
Sun 12 Nov
Mon 13 Nov
All Day: ALMA Conference II in Madrid
Tue 14 Nov
10:30 AM-11:30 AM: JAO IPT Telecon
All Day: ALMA Conference II in Madrid
Wed 15 Nov
Dedication of Large Millimeter Telescope, See
http://www.lmtgtm.org/images/sitepics11092006/lmt1.jpg
All Day: ALMA Conference II in Madrid
Thu 16 Nov
All Day: ALMA Conference II in Madrid
Fri 17 Nov
All Day: ALMA Conference II in Madrid
Sat 18 Nov
Sun 19 Nov
Mon 20 Nov
****************************** UPCOMING EVENTS ****************************
November 8-10 all day ALMA Board Meeting Madrid
Nov 13 Move of PSI to ATF N. M.
Nov 13-17 all day Science with ALMA: a new era for Astrophysics Madrid
Dec 6-7 all day ACA correlator CDR Japan
Dec 7 CDR for antenna equip cabinets AOC
Dec 14 all day LLC and LO Photonic Rx DR Cville
Jan 16-17 '07 all day Transporter FDR
Jan 29-30 '07 all day B9 Cartridge CDR
Jan 30 all day AEM antenna PPDR
******************************* TECHNICAL NEWS ***************************
*****************************ALSO OF INTEREST*****************************
Jansky Fellowship
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) announces the 2007
postdoctoral Jansky Fellowship program that provides outstanding
opportunities for research in astronomy. The Jansky Fellows formulate
and carry out investigations either independently or in collaboration
with others within the wide framework of interests of the Observatory.
Prior radio experience is not required and multi-wavelength projects
leading to a synergy with NRAO instruments are encouraged. The NRAO also
encourages applications from candidates with interest in radio astronomy
instrumentation, computation, and theory. DEADLINE 17 Nov 2006.
Please see:
http://www.nrao.edu/administration/directors_office/jansky-postdocs.shtml
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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
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