ESO - EU ARC Newsletter March 2026

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".

European ARC News and Announcements

	Cycle 13 Call for Proposals now open 19 Mar 2026: 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.
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	Cycle 13 proposal preparation events across Europe 18 Mar 2026: 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.
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	Introducing the new web-based ALMA Observing Tool (OT) 18 Mar 2026: 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.
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	Streaming Visibility Processing for ALMA 16 Mar 2026: 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.
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Upcoming Conferences and Workshops

	The 13th IRAM Millimeter interferometry School: First Announcement 16 Mar 2026: 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.
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Science Highlight

Release of Band 2 Science Verification data

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. SV data can be obtained from here.

ALMA poll of the month

This poll is completely anonymous!

Yes!

Maybe - I haven't decided yet

No

You can learn more about Band 2 capabilities here

Results from last month's poll, "What are you most wishing for in 2026?"

Pie chart for responses to the question, 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.

European ARC News and Announcements

Cycle 13 Call for Proposals now open

Cycle 13 proposal preparation events across Europe

Introducing the new web-based ALMA Observing Tool (OT)

Streaming Visibility Processing for ALMA