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

2. 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.

3. Bilateral Project
ALMA Construction proceeds under a Bilateral Agreement between ESO and NSF signed February 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.

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

5. 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

6. N.B. System Engineering IPT has joined the JAO

7. 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?

8. 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.

9. 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.