Frequently Asked Questions
What does a user have to do to submit
an ALMA observing proposal?
What does a user have to do to obtain ALMA data?
What is the meaning of the word ALMA?
What does a user have to do to submit an ALMA observing proposal?
Once the Joint ALMA Office (JAO) issues calls for proposals, an astronomer wishing to apply for observing time will have to register on the ALMA web page. After registration, the user will make use of the ALMA Observing tool (AOT) to prepare a proposal. The AOT is a java application and is essentially a complete software package enabling one to construct a socalled Observing Project. This Observing Project is the top item that any user will work on and consists of two parts: a Phase I Observing Proposal with emphasis on the scientific justification of the proposed observations and containing a minimal amount of technical information required to check the feasibility of the proposal, and a Phase II Observing Programme submitted only if observing time has been granted. The JAO, with assisance from the ARCs, coordinates the refereeing process. For more information on this process, visit the ARC webpage.
What does a user have to do to obtain ALMA data?
In the ALMA era, users will not travel to Chajnantor to carry out the observations. Instead, observations will be dynamically scheduled, depending on weather conditions and the array configuration. Obervations will be carried out 24 hours per day. Before ALMA data reach the PIs, the data will pass through a multi-tier quality assurance programme. This programme is a combination of on-site duty astronomer checks, a quick-look analysis, system performance checks and feedback from ARC staff. After this stage, the data proceed to the data reduction pipeline and are delivered to the archive. PIs will be notified immediately after their science data become available. The items made available to the PIs are the pipeline products (fully calibrated images or data cubes and calibrated u-v data), raw u-v plane source and calibration data, and off-line data processing software including user support.
What is the meaning of the word ALMA?
ALMA is an abbreviation of Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. Alma also means heart, soul, and dear in Spanish, the official language of Chile where ALMA is constructed.