Doc 4.9, ver. 2.0 | Jan 2016!!

A Guide to the North American ALMA
Regional Center and the NAASC
Micheal Ivory (NAASC)!

ALMA, an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of ESO (representing its member states), NSF (USA) and NINS
(Japan), together with NRC (Canada), NSC and ASIAA (Taiwan), and KASI (Republic of Korea), in cooperation with theRepublic of Chile. The Joint ALMA Observatory is operated by ESO, AUI/NRAO and NAOJ.

For further information or to comment on this document, please contact your regional Helpdesk through the ALMA User
Portal at www.almascience.org. Helpdesk tickets will be directed to the appropriate ALMA Regional Center at ESO,NAOJ or NRAO.

Version Date

Editors

1.0

Mar 20, 2015

Jim Braatz

2.0

Jan 26, 2016

Micheal Ivory

Anthony Remijan, NA ARC Manager
Brian Mason, NAASC Executive
Catherine Vlahakis, NAASC Executive
Sabrina Stierwalt, NAASC Executive
Mark Lacy, NAASC Executive
Anand Crossley, Lead Data Analyst

In publications, please refer to this document as:
M.Ivory , 2016, “A Guide to the North American ALMA Science Center the ARC”, v. 2.0, ALMATable&of&Contents&
1!

WELCOME(...............................................................................................................................................(2!

2!

About(ALMA(...........................................................................................................................................(2!

3!

Organization(and(Role(of(the(ARCs(and(the(NAASC(..................................................................(3!

4!

Essential(Resources(............................................................................................................................(4!
4.1!
4.2!
4.3!

5!

The(ALMA(Science(Portal(........................................................................................................................(4!
The(NAASC(Website(..................................................................................................................................(5!
The(Helpdesk(..............................................................................................................................................(5!

Getting(Help(from(the(NAASC(at(Each(Step(of(Your(Project(...................................................(6!
5.1!
5.2!
5.3!
5.4!
5.5!
5.6!
5.7!

Learning(about(ALMA:(Documentation,(Workshops,(and(Community(Days(.........................(6!
Proposal(Preparation(...............................................................................................................................(7!
Preparing(Your(Observations(...............................................................................................................(8!
Reducing(Your(Data(..................................................................................................................................(8!
Visiting(the(NAASC(.....................................................................................................................................(9!
Publishing(Your(Results(........................................................................................................................(10!
Promoting(ALMA(Science(......................................................................................................................(10!

6!

Working(with(the(Community(to(Improve(ALMA(..................................................................(10!

7!

Student(Support(................................................................................................................................(11!

8!

Addresses(for(the(NAASC,(NRCYHIA,(and(ASIAA(......................................................................(11!

9!

Map(of(the(Area(near(NRAO(Headquarters(and(the(NAASC(................................................(12!

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1
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1 WELCOME&
Welcome!to!North!America!ALMA!Science!Center!(NAASC),!
headquatered!at!520!Edgemont!Rd.,!Charlottesville,!VA!22903,!
United!States!of!America.!The!NAASC!is!a!multinational!
institution!that!works!to!provide!the!North!American!(NA)!
scientific!community!access!to!the!Atacama!Large!
Millimeter/Submillimeter!Array!(ALMA).!!Through!the!NAASC,!
we!provide!outreach!services!to!our!peers!including!visiting!
scholars,!graduate!and!undergraduate!students!and!postdocs,!
underrepresented!minorities,!and!other!inquisitive!parties!
interested!in!ALMA!science!and!outreach.!The!NAASC!also!
hosts!and!facilitates!many!private!and!public!learning!events!
to!the!international!community.!The!NAASC!welcomes!you!
and!encourages!you!to!visit!and!learn!about!what!we!do!and!
Anthony&Remijan&(NA&ARC&Manager&–&right)&and&Neil&
what!we!have!to!offer!to!the!scientific!community.!!The!NAASC! Phillips&(JAO&Systems&Astronomer&–&left)&at&the&AOS.&
is!operated!by!the!National!Radio!Astronomy!Observatory!
(NRAO)!in!Charlottesville,!Virginia,!in!collaboration!with!Canada’s!National!Research!Council!Herzberg!
Astronomy!and!Astrophysics!(NRC!Herzberg),!and!the!National!Science!Council!(NSC)!of!Taiwan.!!The!NAASC!
supports!the!science!use!of!ALMA!by!astronomers!in!North!America!and!Taiwan!and!supports!research!and!
development!for!future!ALMA!upgrades.!
The!following!websites!provide!additional!information!on!ALMA!and!the!NAASC,!and!connects!users!to!
resources!and!tools!they!will!need!to!use!the!ALMA!observatory.!
The!ALMA!Science!Portal!

http://almascience.nrao.edu!

The!NAASC!website!

http://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma!

The!ALMA!Helpdesk,!which!is!also!linked!from!the!
Science!Portal!and!the!NAASC!website!

http://help.almascience.org!

The!NRC!ALMA!website!

www.nrcU
cnrc.gc.ca/eng/solutions/facilities/alma.html!!

The!Taiwanese!ALMA!website!

http://alma.asiaa.sinica.edu.tw!
!

2 About"ALMA&
The!Atacama!Large!Millimeter/submillimeter!Array!(ALMA)!enables!transformational!research!into!the!
physics!of!the!cold!universe,!where!the!sky!is!dark!in!the!visible!part!of!the!spectrum!but!shines!brightly!at!
(sub)millimeter!wavelengths.!!ALMA!is!a!global!collaboration!involving!partners!in!North!America,!Europe,!
and!East!Asia,!in!cooperation!with!the!Republic!of!Chile.!!The!telescope!has!66!highUprecision!antennas!
located!on!the!Chajnantor!plain!of!the!Chilean!Andes,!5000!m!above!sea!level.!!In!Full!Operations,!ALMA!will!
image!the!sky!at!resolutions!as!fine!as!0.005”!with!unprecedented!sensitivity,!and!will!operate!at!frequencies!
between!31!GHz!and!950!GHz.!!The!capabilities!of!ALMA!are!outlined!in!the!Proposer’s!Guide!and!details!on!
!
2!

the!telescope!are!given!in!the!Technical!Handbook.!!New!users!can!learn!about!ALMA!and!get!an!
introduction!to!radio!interferometry!in!the!ALMA!Primer.!!These!documents!are!available!at!the!ALMA!
Science!Portal!website,!found!at!http://almascience.nrao.edu.!!

3 Organization!and$Role$of$the$ARCs$and$the$NAASC&
Being!an!international!facility,!ALMA!serves!a!worldwide!community!of!Astronomers,!Scientist,!and!other!
Scientific!Professionals.!!To!interface!with!the!geographically!distributed!user!community,!the!three!partners!
have!established!ALMA!Regional!Centers,!or!ARCs.!!They!are!the!North!American!ARC!(NA!ARC),!based!in!
Charlottesville,!VA;!the!East!Asian!ARC!(EA!ARC),!based!in!Mitaka,!Japan;!and!the!European!ARC!(EU!ARC),!
based!in!Garching,!Germany.!!The!ARCs!are!staffed!by!scientists!with!expertise!in!radio!astronomy,!
millimeter/submillimeter!astronomy,!and!interferometry,!and!their!purpose!is!to!work!with!the!scientific!
community!to!maximize!the!productivity!of!the!telescope.!!The!NA!ARC!is!part!of!the!NAASC,!concentrating!
on!internationally!agreed!core!ALMA!functions.!!!
Each!astronomer!who!uses!ALMA!is!assigned!an!ARC!for!user!support!at!the!time!they!register!with!the!
ALMA!Science!Portal.!!Astronomers!in!North!America,!East!Asia,!or!Europe!are!assigned!to!that!region’s!ARC.!!
Astronomers!from!Taiwan!can!select!to!use!either!the!NA!ARC!or!the!EA!ARC.!!Astronomers!elsewhere!in!the!
world!can!select!any!one!of!the!three!ARCs.!
The!NAASC!is!located!at!NRAO!Headquarters,!on!the!
Grounds!of!the!University!of!Virginia!(UVA),!and!a!short!
walk!from!the!UVA!Department!of!Astronomy!(Section!9).!!
The!NRAO!and!UVA!Astronomy!share!colloquia,!journal!
clubs,!and!lunch!talks.!!Several!NAASC!staff!have!joint!or!
adjunct!appointments!at!UVA.!!A!listing!of!NAASC!staff,!
including!research!interests,!is!available!here:!!!!!!!!!!!
http://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma/ALMApeople/!!
Stone&Hall&on&the&Campus&of&the&University&of&Virginia&and&headquarters&of&the&North&American&ALMA&Science&Center.&••

The!key!services!provided!by!the!NAASC!to!the!North!
American!astronomical!community!include:!!

• Assisting!users!with!the!preparation!and!
submission!of!ALMA!proposals!including!the!episodic!though!intense!preparation!of!Phase!2!
Scheduling!Blocks!in!anticipation!of!the!upcoming!observing!Cycle.!!This!also!includes!followUup!on!
any!change!requests!reported!during!the!course!of!the!cycle!and!making!the!appropriate!edits!to!the!
scheduling!block!before!scheduling.!!
Contact!scientist!support!and!oversight!including!a!thorough!review!of!all!the!NA!projects!to!ensure!
PIs!have!reviewed!and!approved!the!projects!for!scheduling.!!Contact!scientists!will!be!responsible!
for!the!final!data!reduction!of!their!observing!programs!with!the!support!of!the!data!analysts.!
Tools!and!Algorithm!development!including!the!QA2!reporting!script!for!manual!calibration,!
analysisUtils,!Splatalogue,!simdata,!calibration!and!imaging!pipeline!heuristics!&!algorithm!research!
and!development.!

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•

•
•

•

•
•
•

•

Coordinating!the!testing!of!the!end!user!software!for!ALMA!including!the!ALMA!Observing!Tool!(OT),!
the!ALMA!Archive,!AQUA,!Dynamic!Scheduler,!Observer!Support!Tool!(OST),!and!other!software!
tools.!!
PI!data!reduction!and!imaging!including!pipeline!processing!and!coordinating!and!managing!the!
calibration,!imaging!and!delivery!of!PI!data!products!through!the!ALMA!Archive!and!the!delivery!of!
calibrated!measurement!sets!through!htaccess.!
NAASC!Community!Day!events!including!the!development!of!the!strategic!plans!and!initiatives!to!
grow!and!educate!the!ALMA!user!base!through!the!use!of!schools,!tutorials!and!workshops.!
Overall!management!of!the!ALMA!Helpdesk!activities!including!routine!ticket!reviews,!enforcement!
of!ticket!service!level!agreements!and!formulation!of!new!Knowledgebase!articles!based!on!user!
questions.!!In!addition,!enhancing!the!use!of!the!NRAO!forums!so!users!can!discuss!questions!on!a!
peerUtoUpeer!level.!
Review!and!assist!in!the!preparation!of!the!ALMA!end!user!documentation!including!the!Call!for!
proposals,!Proposers!Guide,!Users!Guide,!ALMA!Primer,!Technical!Handbook,!Guide!to!the!NA!ARC,!
software!user!guides!and!additional!documentation!on!how!to!access!NAASC!services.!!!
FaceUtoUface!visitor!support!including!data!reduction!visitors,!visiting!scientists!and!sabbatical!visits.!
Operating!a!copy!of!the!ALMA!data!including!LUSTRE!access!and!management!of!users!to!the!NRAO!
cluster!processing!pipeline!
Extension!and!Optimization!of!Capabilities!(EOC)!work!and!activities.!!There!are!still!many!EOC!
activities!remaining!and!NAASC!staff!interface!with!the!Joint!ALMA!Observatory!(JAO)!and!the!ALMA!
Science!Advisory!Committees!on!setting!the!priorities!of!ongoing!EOC!work!as!needed!for!the!
completion!of!these!activities!for!future!cycles.!!
Providing!opportunities!for!student!funding,!and!page!charge!support!for!U.S.!investigators!

4 Essential)Resources&
4.1 The&ALMA&Science&Portal&
The!Science!Portal!is!the!primary!access!point!to!ALMA!for!all!science!users.!!!The!website!is:!
http://almascience.nrao.edu!
At!the!Science!Portal,!users!can:!
•
•
•
•
•
•

Access!the!Call!for!Proposals,!the!Proposer’s!Guide,!the!Technical!Handbook,!the!Primer,!and!other!
documentation!
Download!the!Observing!Tool,!the!software!used!to!prepare!and!submit!ALMA!proposals!
Search!and!access!public!data!from!the!ALMA!science!data!archive!
Access!“Knowledgebase”!articles!from!the!Helpdesk!
Access!software!tools!and!documentation,!including!a!sensitivity!calculator,!the!ALMA!Observation!
Support!Tool,!and!Splatalogue!
Get!an!overview!of!ALMA’s!scientific!capabilities!during!Full!Operations!

!
4!

Astronomers!can!also!register!with!the!Science!Portal.!!Indeed,!every!astronomer!who!intends!to!submit!an!
ALMA!proposal,!or!appear!on!one!as!a!coUinvestigator,!must!register.!!Once!registered!and!logged!in,!users!
at!the!Science!Portal!will!be!able!to:!
•
•
•
•
•
•

Submit!a!proposal!as!Principal!Investigator!(PI)!
Participate!as!a!coUInvestigator!(coUI)!or!coUPrincipal!Investigator!(coUPI)!on!ALMA!proposals!
Manage!their!user!profile!and!demographic!information,!including!the!option!to!receive!automatic!
email!notifications!of!observing!progress!or!delegate!their!data!rights!to!other!ALMA!users!
Access!SnooPI,!the!tool!for!PIs!to!monitor!the!status!of!their!scheduled!observing!programs.!
Submit!Helpdesk!tickets!
Access!their!proprietary!data!through!the!science!archive!

4.2 The&NAASC&Website&
The!NAASC!website!provides!upUtoUdate!news!and!information!of!particular!use!to!North!American!ALMA!
users.!!The!website!is:!https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma!
!
At!the!NAASC!website,!users!get!information!on:!
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

ALMA!and!NAASC!news!and!events!
Tutorials!on!ALMA’s!capabilities!and!proposal!preparation!
Data!reduction!and!analysis!support!
Workshops!on!ALMA!data!processing!and!analysis!
Financial!support!for!travel!and!publications!
Visiting!the!NAASC!
Student!and!postdoc!programs!
Education!and!outreach!activities!
NAASC!staff!

4.3 The&Helpdesk&
The!ALMA!Helpdesk!is!the!main!user!resource!for!getting!help.!!The!Helpdesk!is!a!website!that!can!be!
accessed!from!the!Science!Portal,!from!the!NAASC!website,!or!directly!at:!!http://help.almascience.org!
The!Helpdesk!includes!a!library!of!“Knowledgebase”!articles!that!address!a!number!of!common!issues!and!
questions.!!To!submit!a!ticket,!users!must!first!log!in.!!As!the!user!types!a!question,!knowledgebase!articles!
are!searched!in!real!time!and!relevant!articles!are!presented!as!the!question!is!being!typed.!!In!addition,!the!
Knowledgebase!query!also!accesses!the!documentation!in!the!ALMA!science!portal!and!suggests!parts!of!the!
ALMA!documentation!that!may!be!relevant!to!a!user’s!question.!!If!the!user!does!not!find!an!answer!in!the!
articles!or!documentation!suggested,!the!user!can!submit!a!ticket.!While!it!is!necessary!to!log!in!before!
submitting!a!ticket,!users!can!browse!and!search!the!knowledgebase!articles!and!science!portal!
documentation!without!logging!in.!
The!ALMA!helpdesk!has!the!following!departments!set!up!viewable!by!a!user!to!send!tickets!to!the!user’s!
affiliated!ARC:!!
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General!Queries!(Science!Portal/Registration,!Documentation,!Webpages,!Proposal!reviews!and!
assessment,!Project!tracking,!other)!
Project!Planning!(Available!Capabilities,!Call!for!Proposals,!Sensitivity!Calculator,!Simulators,!
Splatalogue,!other)!
Observing!Tool!(Proposal!Preparation,!Proposal!Submission!(general),!Phase!2!process)!
Data!Reduction!(Common!Astronomy!Software!Applications![CASA],!pipeline!processing)!!
Archive!and!Data!Retrieval!(archive!access!and!queries,!obtaining!your!ALMA!data)!
Face!to!Face!Support!(Data!reduction,!sabbatical,!science,!short!term,!other)!

Helpdesk!staff!will!make!every!effort!to!respond!to!tickets!promptly.!!During!normal!operations,!users!can!
expect!a!response!within!2!business!days.!!During!the!last!week!before!the!Call!for!Proposals,!a!single!
department!called!“Proposal!Submission!Emergency”!is!set!up!across!ARCs!that!will!answer!urgent!tickets!
concerning!proposal!submission.!!Triage!for!this!department!will!start!36!hours!before!the!deadline!with!24U
hour!coverage!by!Europe!(EU),!North!America!(NA)!and!East!Asia!(EA).!!!

5 Getting'Help'from'the'NAASC'at'Each'Step'of'Your'Project&
The!NAASC!provides!user!support!through!all!stages!of!an!ALMA!project,!from!learning!the!telescope’s!
capabilities!through!the!publication!of!results.!

5.1 Learning&about&ALMA:&Documentation,&Workshops,&and&Community&Days&
Preparing!for!an!ALMA!project!begins!with!learning!the!telescope’s!capabilities!and!learning!the!tools!
needed!to!design!observations,!prepare!proposals,!and!submit!proposals.!!The!NAASC!provides!user!
documentation,!including!the!ALMA!Primer!U!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://almascience.nrao.edu/documentsUandUtools/cycle4/almaUearlyUscienceUprimer,!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
at!the!ALMA!Science!Portal.!
The!NAASC!helps!to!organize!and!support!NRAO!“Community!Days”!and!other!regional!workshops!in!the!
USA!and!Canada!to!promote!ALMA!to!the!astronomical!community!and!describe!the!tools!needed!to!write!
proposals.!These!workshops!focus!on!preparation!of!proposals!and!observations,!and!feature!talks!on!the!
telescope’s!capabilities,!mm/submm!interferometry!observing!techniques,!and!the!tools!required!to!design!
effective!ALMA!observations.!!Attendees!learn!to!use!the!ALMA!Observing!Tool!(OT),!the!software!used!to!
prepare!and!submit!observing!proposals.!!The!workshops!may!include!a!handsUon!session!to!introduce!
attendees!to!imaging!ALMA!data!with!CASA.!!At!the!request!of!the!hosts,!the!workshops!may!also!include!
talks!and!information!on!CASA!tasks!for!simulating!ALMA!observations.!!!Future!workshops!are!arranged!in!
response!to!the!level!of!interest!from!the!user!community.!!NRAO!Community!Days!and!ALMA!workshops!
can!be!organized!and!hosted!by!university!groups!or!research!institutes,!or!can!be!tied!to!other!scientific!
meetings!or!workshops.!!
The!NAASC!also!supports!NRAO!splinter!sessions!and!training!events!at!AAS!meetings!and!other!meetings!of!
the!astronomical!community!throughout!the!year.!!These!events!promote!all!NRAO!observing!facilities,!and!
include!a!focus!on!the!tools!needed!to!prepare!effective!proposals.!!NAASC!staff!describes!ALMA!
capabilities,!NAASC!support!services,!ALMA!user!tools!and!CASA!data!reduction!and!analysis!techniques.!!
!
6!

Finally,!the!NAASC!hosts!periodic!workshops!that!focus!specifically!on!data!calibration!and!imaging.!!These!
workshops!are!aimed!at!helping!users!process!their!own!ALMA!data,!or!process!archival!data.!
To!request!a!community!day!event!at!your!institution!or!for!an!upUtoUdate!list!of!workshops,!Community!
Days,!and!training!events,!visit!the!workshops!page!directly!at:!
https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma/community1!
Registration!is!required!for!workshops!and!Community!Days,!and!is!available!on!the!website.!!

5.2 Proposal&Preparation&
A!Call!for!Proposals!is!issued!prior!to!each!scheduling!period,!or!"Cycle".!!The!Call!and!supporting!documents!
are!made!available!on!the!Science!Portal!(see!Section!4.1).!!These!documents!describe!the!capabilities!of!the!
telescope!for!the!upcoming!Cycle!and!the!policies!and!procedures!for!submitting!proposals.!!
ALMA!proposals!are!prepared!using!the!ALMA!Observing!Tool,!an!application!that!can!be!downloaded!from!
the!Science!Portal.!!Proposals!must!include!a!scientific!and!technical!justification,!a!list!of!targets!and!
frequencies!to!be!observed,!and!details!such!as!the!sensitivity!and!angular!resolution!required!to!meet!the!
science!goals.!!The!Observing!Tool!includes!a!sensitivity!and!exposure!time!calculator.!!Users!must!be!
registered!with!the!Science!Portal!in!order!to!be!able!to!submit!proposals!using!the!Observing!Tool.!!!
NAASC!staff!are!available!to!help!users!learn!how!to!use!the!Observing!Tool!and!prepare!proposals.!!We!
emphasize!here!that!the!Observing!Tool!is!used!not!only!used!to!assemble!and!submit!the!scientific!and!
technical!justifications,!but!also!to!design!and!fully!specify!the!observations,!so!users!are!encouraged!to!
become!familiar!with!the!Observing!Tool!well!in!advance!of!the!proposal!deadline.!!The!Helpdesk!(Section!
4.3)!is!the!primary!resource!for!those!seeking!assistance.!!It!may!be!possible!to!arrange!faceUtoUface!
assistance!at!the!NAASC!for!particularly!challenging!proposals!(Section!5.5).!
The!CASA!task!simalma,!and!the!lowerUlevel!tasks!sim_observe!and!sim_analyze,!allow!users!to!simulate!an!
ALMA!observation!of!a!target!based!on!a!model!with!a!given!source!structure!and!brightness.!!These!tasks!
also!help!one!to!understand!how!different!antenna!configurations!and!track!durations!affect!an!observation.!!
More!information!on!simulating!ALMA!observations!is!available!at:!
http://casaguides.nrao.edu/index.php?title=Guide_To_Simulating_ALMA_Data!
!
More!information!on!CASA!and!CASA!guides!is!available!at!these!websites:!
http://casa.nrao.edu!
http://casaguides.nrao.edu!
The!ALMA!Observation!Support!Tool!(OST)!provides!another!method!of!simulating!ALMA!observations.!!The!
OST!provides!a!web!interface!to!the!CASA!simulation!code!through!which!the!user!can!specify!observing!
parameters!and!upload!a!FITS!file!with!a!model!image,!or!select!a!model!image!from!a!preUexisting!library.!!
The!OST!is!available!off!the!Science!Portal.!
The!NAASC!is!also!responsible!for!providing!ALMA!with!a!complete,!upUtoUdate!spectral!line!catalog!–!
Splatalogue.!!Splatalogue!is!an!effort!to!collate!and!rationally!organize!existing!spectroscopic!catalogues!into!
a!single!resource!for!the!astronomical!community.!The!focus!is!on!pure!rotational!and!roUvibrational!
!
7!

transitions!of!astronomically!relevant!molecules!for!observations!in!the!microwave!and!millimeter!wave!
regions!using!telescopic!infrastructure!such!as!ALMA,!VLA,!GBT,!amongst!many!others.!!As!of!February!2016,!
Splatalogue!contains!over!8.1!million!transitions!from!1233!species!and!is!updated!regularly.!Splatalogue!
also!features!an!interface!that!is!Virtual!Observatory!(VO)!compliant!for!interfacing!with!external!software!or!
websites.!!
The!main!page!for!Splatalogue!features!the!Basic!search!capabilities!for!the!Splatalogue!database.!Use!of!the!
Basic!search!is!limited!to:!
••••Common!astronomically!detected!molecules!and!vibrational!states,!such!as!CO,!H2O,!methanol,!
hydrogen!cyanide,!and!others.!
Predefined!“filtered”!sets!of!molecules,!such!as!those!relevant!to!diffuse!clouds,!comets,!planetary!
atmospheres,!etc.!
Single!molecules!in!the!Splatalogue!database!outside!those!in!the!predefined!categories!
User!defined!frequency!as!well!as!ALMA!bands!3U9!and!lower!state!energy!ranges.!

In!all!cases,!the!only!shown!frequencies!are!those!which!are!NRAO!recommended.!These!are!typically!
selected!as!the!most!recently!updated!linelist.!Observed!astronomical!intensities!for!transitions!found!in!the!
Lovas/NIST!database!are!also!included!along!with!the!NRAO!recommended!frequencies.!!For!more!
information!about!Splatalogue!and!its!use!and!functionality,!visit!www.splatalogue.net.!!

5.3 Preparing&Your&Observations&
ALMA!proposals!are!reviewed!on!their!scientific!and!technical!merit,!and!Principal!Investigators!(PIs)!are!
informed!of!the!outcome!of!the!review!process!by!email.!!Programs!eligible!for!scheduling!are!assigned!a!
Contact!Scientist,!a!member!of!the!NAASC!staff!who!provides!a!single!point!of!contact!for!program!support.!!
NAASC!staff!and!the!Contact!Scientist!work!with!the!PI!to!review!observing!strategies!and!prepare!
Scheduling!Blocks.!!After!the!observations!are!made,!the!Contact!Scientist!can!assist!with!questions!related!
to!data!reduction.!The!main!means!of!interaction!between!PIs!and!NAASC!staff!is!via!the!Helpdesk.!!For!
particularly!complex!observations,!however,!users!may!arrange!a!visit!to!the!NAASC!to!prepare!the!
observations!(Section!5.5).!!!
Observers!do!not!travel!to!Chile!or!elsewhere!to!take!part!in!the!ALMA!observations.!!ALMA!observations!
are!scheduled!dynamically!by!observatory!staff,!taking!into!account!the!weather!conditions,!instrument!
status,!availability!of!the!targets,!and!proposal!ranking.!!

5.4 Reducing&Your&Data&
The!primary!software!package!used!to!process!ALMA!data!is!CASA!(Section!5.2!U!http://casa.nrao.edu).!!Note!
in!particular!the!CASA3Guides3link!available!from!this!site.!!The!CASA3Guides!site!provides!a!collection!of!data!
reduction!tutorials!and!stepUbyUstep!processing!and!analysis!examples,!including!scripts!for!processing!
Science!Verification!data.!
The!challenge!posed!by!storing!and!processing!ALMA!data!is!formidable.!!The!NAASC!hosts!a!copy!of!the!
ALMA!data!archive!and!the!NAASC!site!serves!as!the!primary!data!access!point!for!North!Americans,!and!will!
provide!a!backup!of!the!archive!in!Santiago.!!Upon!completion!of!the!observations!and!initial!data!
processing,!investigators!are!notified!and!given!instructions!on!how!to!download!their!data.!!
!
8!

ALMA!data!is!processed!in!two!steps:!first!it!is!calibrated,!and!then!imaged.!!Most!ALMA!data!are!calibrated!
using!the!pipeline,!but!in!some!cases!the!observatory!staff!may!prepare!CASA!scripts!for!the!calibration.!
Calibrated!measurement!sets!are!supplied!with!all!NA!processed!deliveries!to!the!PI!and!(on!request)!to!
delegated!coUIs.!The!calibrated!data!are!retained!on!disk!for!a!period!of!two!months.!After!that,!they!will!be!
regenerated!upon!request!by!the!PI!or!delegated!coUI.!The!PI!or!delegated!coUI!may!also!request!calibrated!
measurement!sets!for!data!calibrated!at!the!JAO!or!another!ARC.!This!service!is!restricted!to!projects!whose!
PIs!have!NA!designated!as!their!ARC!for!support.!
If!the!requestor!is!not!a!PI!or!delegated!coUI,!and!is!requesting!calibrated!measurement!sets!for!public!data,!
there!will!be!a!limit!of!five!such!requests!per!calendar!year!per!requestor.!
NAASC!staff!also!prepare!and!provide!imaging!scripts!and!a!set!of!reference!images!to!the!PI!as!part!of!the!
delivered!data!package.!!Starting!with!these!scripts,!users!generally!will!complete!the!imaging!of!the!full!data!
set!independently.!!!Generally,!calibrated!data!provided!to!users!are!ready!for!science!imaging.!!In!some!
cases,!though,!users!may!get!best!results!by!refining!the!calibration!themselves,!with!assistance!from!NAASC!
staff,!if!desired.!
Users!are!encouraged!to!visit!the!NAASC!to!get!help!with!their!data!processing!(Section!5.5).!!The!NAASC!has!
computers!with!ample!resources!to!reduce!ALMA!data,!including!powerful!desktops!and!a!cluster!machine!
connected!to!a!highUspeed!LUSTRE!file!system.!!The!NAASC!also!supports!remote!access!to!its!cluster!
machine,!which!can!be!obtained!by!submitting!a!ticket!to!the!helpdesk.!!For!more!information!about!how!to!
request!remote!access!to!the!NAASC!cluster,!visit:!
https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma/docs/manuals/computingUresources/overview.!!
On!the!NAASC!website!there!are!recommendations!for!computing!hardware!required!to!process!ALMA!data!
outside!of!the!NAASC.!!See:!http://almascience.nrao.edu/almaUdata/dataUprocessing.!!

5.5 Visiting&the&NAASC&
The!NAASC!welcomes!short!term!visits!to!Charlottesville!from!investigators!of!successful!ALMA!programs!or!
archival!researchers!for!expert!assistance!with!processing!and!analyzing!ALMA!data.!!!Visits!for!data!
reduction!are!expected!to!last!about!a!week.!!Student!visitors!must!be!accompanied!by!an!experienced!
investigator,!usually!their!academic!advisor.!!Visitors!will!have!access!to!an!office!and!a!computer!to!process!
their!data.!!Investigators!who!are!requesting!a!short,!data!reduction!visit!can!apply!to!the!NAASC!for!
assistance!with!travel!expenses.!!To!request!a!visit,!send!a!ticket!to!the!ALMA!Helpdesk!using!the!“Face!to!
Face!Support”!category.!!More!details!are!available!at:!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma/visitorsUshortterm.!!
Long!term!visitors!to!the!NAASC!are!also!strongly!encouraged!especially!to!those!interested!in!extending!and!
optimizing!the!capabilities!of!ALMA!or!improving!the!data!reduction!and!imaging!strategies.!!The!length!of!
such!visits!are!negotiable!but!can!last!anywhere!from!a!few!weeks!up!to!a!year.!!Support!for!these!visits!can!
range!from!paying!for!accommodation,!per!diem!or!travel!costs,!to!providing!summer!or!sabbatical!salary!
supplements,!according!to!need.!!More!details!are!available!at:!
https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma/community1/opportunities/visitorsprogram.!!
!
9!

To!request!a!visit,!send!a!ticket!to!the!ALMA!Helpdesk!using!the!“Face!to!Face!Support”!category.!

5.6 Publishing&Your&Results&
Upon!request,!NRAO!provides!financial!support!for!page!charges!to!authors!at!U.S.!scientific!or!educational!
institutions.!!The!paper!may!report!either!original!observations!made!with!an!NRAO!telescope,!or!original!
research!made!with!NRAO!archival!data.!!!
All!publications!must!include,!as!a!footnote!or!acknowledgement,!the!following!statement:!"The!National!
Radio!Astronomy!Observatory!is!a!facility!of!the!National!Science!Foundation!operated!under!cooperative!
agreement!by!Associated!Universities,!Inc."!and,!for!ALMA!data,!the!acknowledgment:!"This!paper!makes!
use!of!the!following!ALMA!data:!ADS/JAO.ALMA#![Project!code].!ALMA!is!a!partnership!of!ESO!(representing!
its!member!states),!NSF!(USA)!and!NINS!(Japan),!together!with!NRC!(Canada)!and!NSC!and!ASIAA!(Taiwan),!in!
cooperation!with!the!Republic!of!Chile.!The!Joint!ALMA!Observatory!is!operated!by!ESO,!AUI/NRAO!and!
NAOJ."!
Details!on!the!page!charge!support!policy!are!here:!http://library.nrao.edu/pubsup.shtml!

5.7 Promoting&ALMA&Science&
The!NAASC!sponsors!ALMAUthemed!science!conferences!on!roughly!an!annual!basis.!!A!listing!of!previous!
ALMA!conferences!and!information!on!upcoming!conferences!is!available!at!the!following!site:!
https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma/workshops.!!
NAASC!activities!and!ALMA!results!are!publicized!in!the!NRAO!eNews:!http://science.nrao.edu/enews!
The!NAASC!is!also!involved!in!community!outreach!through!special!ALMA!sessions!at!American!Astronomical!
Society!and!Canadian!Astronomical!Society!meetings.!!At!these!sessions!we!provide!attendees!with!
highlights!of!recent!ALMA!science,!describe!the!current!status!of!ALMA,!and!give!updates!on!the!proposal!
submission!and!data!processing!tools.!
The!Education!and!Public!Outreach!(EPO)!team!at!NRAO!works!with!investigators!to!publicize!newsworthy!
ALMA!projects!via!news!releases,!videos,!and!other!outreach!products.!In!addition!to!providing!expertise!
and!advice!on!outreach!activities,!the!EPO!team!can!develop!images,!graphics,!and!other!visuals!to!promote!
science!results.!To!recommend!a!potentially!newsworthy!result!or!for!questions,!contact!Charles!Blue!at!
cblue@nrao.edu.!!

6 Working(with(the(Community$to$Improve$ALMA&
The!NAASC!encourages!involvement!from!the!user!community!to!develop!and!improve!ALMA.!!The!NAASC!
periodically!invites!proposals!from!North!American!entities!for!studies!or!projects!for!potential!inclusion!in!
the!ALMA!Development!Plan.!!The!primary!aims!are:!
•To!give!groups!in!North!America!the!opportunity!to!propose!ALMA!upgrades!that!may!later!be!
implemented!as!part!of!the!ALMA!Development!Plan!

•

To!support!the!development!of!conceptual!and!detailed!designs!for!ALMA!upgrades,!and!
!
10

!

•

To!encourage!relevant!longUterm!research!and!development!

Calls!for!development!proposals!will!be!announced!on!the!NAASC!web!site!at:!
https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma/almaUdevelopmentU2015/almaUdevelopment/almaUdevelopmentUnorthUamerica!

7 Student'Support&
The!NAASC!supports!student!involvement!in!ALMA!through!the!NRAO!student!programs.!NRAO!has!a!
Summer!Student!Program!aimed!at!introducing!undergraduate!and!graduate!students!to!forefront!research.!!
A!Student!Observing!Support!Program!funds!graduate!students!working!on!eligible!ALMA!proposals.!!
Additionally,!a!graduate!PreUDoctoral!Program!is!available!to!give!students!the!opportunity!to!conduct!thesis!
research!at!NRAO!sites!under!the!supervision!of!an!NRAO!scientist.!!Details!on!the!student!programs!are!
available!at:!http://science.nrao.edu/opportunities/studentprograms.shtml!

8 Addresses&for&the&NAASC,&NRCXHIA,"and"ASIAA&!
The!North!American!ALMA!Science!Center!
520!Edgemont!Rd.!
Charlottesville,!VA!22903!
USA!
Phone:!434U296U0211!
Directions:!!https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/alma/!!
National!Research!Council!
Herzberg!Institute!of!Astrophysics!
5071!West!Saanich!Road!
Victoria,!BC!!V9E!2E7!
Canada!!
Phone:!250U363U0001!
Directions:!!http://www.nrcUcnrc.gc.ca/eng/about/directions/victoria.html!
!
Institute!of!Astronomy!and!Astrophysics,!Academia!Sinica.!!
11F!of!AstronomyUMathematics!Building,!National!Taiwan!University!!
No.1,!Roosevelt!Rd,!Sec.!4!Taipei!10617,!Taiwan,!R.O.C.!
!
Phone:!+886U2U3365U2200!
Directions:!!http://www.asiaa.sinica.edu.tw/guide/transport.php!

!
11!

9 Map$of$the$Area$near!NRAO%Headquarters%and%the%NAASC&!
NRAO&headquarters&and&the&NAASC&are&located&by&the&red&marker&labeled&"A"!
12!

!