Welcome to the European ALMA Regional Centre Newsletter!
This monthly newsletter is a compilation of recent European ALMA Regional Centre news and announcements, showcasing an exciting ALMA science result by European colleagues. Every month, you can learn an interesting ALMA fact in "Did you know" and give your opinion about a particular ALMA matter in the "Poll of the month".
In preparation for the Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade (WSU) programme, a team lead by Faouzi Boussaha from the Instrumental Research and Development group at LUX – Paris Observatory (France) has started a new ALMA development study to contribute to the development of the next generation of SIS (Superconductor–Insulator–Superconductor) detectors for ALMA's Band 9. The goal of the study is to double the instantaneous IF bandwidth and significantly increase the sensitivity, requiring a new generation of ultra-sensitive detector elements known as SIS junctions. Specifically, the study plans to use the Aluminium Oxide technology but will investigate new substrates such as silicon on insulator.
The ALMA Cycle 13 Call for Proposals, which closed 23 April, received a record number of proposals and requested time. 1843 proposals were submitted, requesting a total of over 37,000 hours of 12m time. ALMA also received a record number of Large Proposals (48) and Joint Programmes (91), demonstrating the sustained growth in demand for ALMA observing time over the past 15 years.
On 13 April 2026, ESO held the kick-off meeting for the Feasibility Study for a new generation of European ALMA receivers covering the 125–211 GHz band (ESO-654032) at the INAF-OAS premises in Bologna, Italy. The meeting marked the formal start of a two-year study to explore the technical and scientific feasibility of a combined ALMA Band 4+5 receiver system covering the 125–211 GHz frequency range. This ALMA development study is relevant for the later stages of the Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade (WSU) programme.
Cycle 13 Call for Proposals has been released. Cycle 13 introduces two new developments: Band 2 (67–116 GHz) will be offered for the 12m array, and the new web-based Observing Tool (OT) will replace the desktop version. This cycle will offer long baseline configurations (C9 and C10). Further details of the capabilities offered can be found in the Proposer's Guide.
We particularly encourage proposals using long baselines at lower frequencies (Bands 1-4), high-frequency observations (Bands 8-10) and stand-alone ACA.
As always, users are strongly encouraged to submit their proposals early, especially in view of the introduction of the new web-based OT. The Emergency Helpdesk will be open for the 3 days leading up to the proposal deadline.
The European ALMA Regional Centre (ARC) network is organising virtual and in-person proposal preparation events related to the Cycle 13 Call for Proposals across Europe.
An overview of the activities and information about participating can be found here.
ALMA is pleased to announce that a web-based interface of the ALMA Observing Tool (OT) will replace the previously used desktop-based OT for the Cycle 13 Call for Proposals. The web-based OT was developed by ESO and replaces the previous desktop Java version. It offers the same functionality as the desktop-based OT, but offers a modernized and optimized view while retaining the same familiar workflow and structure. Proposal drafts will now be automatically saved within the system, without the need to save local files.
In a recently concluded development study, a small team at ASTRON, The Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, investigated the concept of Streaming Visibility Processing (SVP) for ALMA. The key idea behind the SVP concept is to stream the visibilities produced by the ALMA correlator into the (initial) data processing stages without storing them first. SVP performs initial visibility processing in real-time up to the point where the data is reduced to more tractable rates without detrimental effects on the scientific quality of the end products. Further details are in the final report of the streaming visibility processing study and by following the 'read more' link.
We are delighted to announce that the pre-registration of the 13th IRAM Interferometry School is now open! The IRAM Interferometry School is offered every two years and it is intended for PhD students, post-docs and scientists who want to learn about interferometry and data reduction techniques at millimeter wavelengths, centred on the NOEMA interferometer and its new capabilities. A visit to the NOEMA Observatory will also be organised.
The IRAM headquarters in Grenoble will undergo significant renovations starting this summer. Therefore, unlike previous editions, the school this year will be held at the Hotel Mercure Grenoble Centre Porte des Alpes in Grenoble, in the week of 28 September - 3 October, 2026. Further information can be found at the school page here.
Images of band 2 science verification targets. Clockwise from top-left: velocity field of an isolated emission line from G31.41+0.31, a Galactic source; comparison of old and new continuum imaging of SPT0027-50, a strongly lensed star-forming galaxy; polarised intensity of star HR5907; comparison of old and new continuum imaging of Arp220, a nearby ultraluminous infrared galaxy. Bottom is an extracted spectrum of Arp220.
Band 2 (67–116 GHz) recievers have now been installed on ALMA antennas and will be offered in Cycle 13. Part of the process of approving new capabilities is science verification (SV) in which we demonstrate that ALMA is able to produce data of the quality required for scientific analysis. SV involves making observations of a small number of selected astronomical objects which are tested end-to-end - from observational setup in the OT through to data reduction and quality assurance.
Following is a summary of the four SV target observations. More details can be found by following the hyperlinks.
SPT 0027-50 (strongly lensed dusty star-forming galaxy at z = 3.444):
Demonstrates unique redshift identification at via more than one CO transition (spectral scan covering CO (4-3) and CO (3-2), plus HCN, HCO+, HNC and [CI] (1-0))
Arp 220 (nearby ultra-luminous infrared galaxy rich in line emission):
Demonstrates imaging capability and science capability of tracing CO (12CO, 13CO and C18O) and dense gas tracers HCN, HCO+ and HNC with the same band (10 km/s spectral scan)
G31.41+0.31 (chemically rich hot molecular core located outside the Galactic Center):
Demonstrates imaging capability for line forests and capability to detect complex organic molecules (1 km/s spectral scan)
HR 5907 (main sequence star with continuum circular polarization of 10%):
Demonstrates capability of detecting circular polarization and changes within the frequency range covered by Band 2 thanks to the increased fractional bandwidth
More information about the SV process can be found here.
Results from last month's poll, "What are you most wishing for in 2026?"
Did you know?
Help preparing an ALMA proposal especially tailored for beginners can be found in the Proposing Guidance on the ALMA website or by contacting your local ARC Node.
If you would like to contribute an ALMA science highlight, please contact the newsletter editor at Hannah.Stacey@eso.org.
