Welcome K. Y. Lo Director, NRAO Product Assurance 2003 June 2 – 6, Victoria, Canada Welcome K. Y. Lo Director, NRAO

What is ALMA? The Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) is an international astronomy facility. ALMA is an equal partnership between Europe and North America, in cooperation with the Republic of Chile, and is funded in North America by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), and in Europe by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and Spain. ALMA construction and operations are led on behalf of North America by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), which is managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), and on behalf of Europe by ESO.

Bilateral Project ALMA Construction proceeds under a Bilateral Agreement between ESO and NSF signed February 2003. The management structure for the Project is defined in the ALMA Project Plan. Direction of the Project flows from the Joint ALMA Office (JAO) under the leadership of the Project Director, Massimo Tarenghi. New partners may join under separate agreement with the bilateral partners.

ALMA Scope Antennae 64 ´ 12 m collecting area > 7000 m2 Product Assurance 2003 June 2 – 6, Victoria, Canada ALMA Scope Antennae 64 ´ 12 m collecting area > 7000 m2 Configurations 150 m – 14 km resolution (300 GHz) 1.4 – 0.015" Frequency 31 – 950 GHz wavelength 10 – 0.3 mm Receiver sensitivity close to quantum limit Correlator 16 GHz / 4096 chan. Site excellent Result: A leap of over two orders of magnitude in both spatial resolution and sensitivity

ALMA Schedule 2003 Bilateral Agreement between NSF and ESO signed Product Assurance 2003 June 2 – 6, Victoria, Canada ALMA Schedule 1998 – 2002 Design and Development 2003 Bilateral Agreement between NSF and ESO signed 2003 Completion of Proto-type Antennas 2003 Ground Breaking 2004 Japan joins 2005 First production antenna in Chile 2007 Early science operation 2011 End construction 2012 Full science operations

N.B. System Engineering IPT has joined the JAO

ALMA Astronomer Outreach Continuing series of events to inform and update the NA community on the progress or ALMA construction, the move to operations and the scientific use of ALMA Town Hall at the AAS January Meeting This ALMA Science Workshop, to be followed by others We shall prepare the community for ALMA science What functions should the North American ALMA Science Center provide? What user support activities should be available?

Product Assurance 2003 June 2 – 6, Victoria, Canada ANASAC Mandates Provide a conduit between the NRAO and the NA scientific community for dissemination of information pertaining to the status and progress of the ALMA construction project and operations. Advise the Director of the NRAO on issues relating to scientific use of ALMA, including requirements for ALMA user support, preparatory programs with existing facilities and/or providing access to new facilities in Chile, science with ALMA during the construction and commissioning stage, definition of and preparation for the N. A. ALMA Science Center that will be located in Charlottesville, and on science and priorities for ALMA Chilean operations and continual ALMA upgrades. Text from the ANASAC Terms of Reference of 25 August 2003.

ANASAC Membership Andrew Blain Caltech Chris Carilli NRAO Product Assurance 2003 June 2 – 6, Victoria, Canada ANASAC Membership Andrew Blain Caltech  Chris Carilli NRAO  Dick Crutcher U. Illinois  David Hollenbach NASA-Ames  Jason Glenn U. Colorado  Dan Jaffe U. Texas  Luis Rodriguez UNAM Morelia  Dave Sanders U. Hawaii  Xiaohui Fan U. Arizona  Christine Wilson McMaster University  Lee Mundy U. Maryland  Jean Turner U. C. Los Angeles  Min S. Yun (Chair) U. Massachusetts  Phil Myers Center for Astrophysics  Doug Johnstone  Herzberg Institute  Mark Gurwell Center for Astrophysics  Joan Najita NOAO ASAC Members (red) are drawn from this group, which reports to the NRAO Director. Mundy is current ASAC Chair. Membership. Blitz resigned. Mundy is current ASAC Chair.